Tribal legend has it that the King of Pataal Lok (the world beneath earth) fell in love with earth princess Bindi as she was extremely beautiful. He married her and took her away to his kingdom.
But this made Mother Earth very sad, as she missed her daughter, and her woe was reflected in nature.
Bindi too was very sad and finally persuaded her husband to let her visit home. Her mother was overjoyed to see Bindi, and as a result, the trees burst into bloom and began bearing fruits.
Thus began the Sarhul festival — to worship nature and all the elements guiding the welfare of mankind.
“Sal flowers are a symbol of the new revival,” says Hari Oraon of the tribal and regional languages department of Ranchi University, as he narrates the myth. “Everything on earth is an offspring of mother earth. The sun regulates life on earth. Sarhul festival has, since ages, been about the worship of nature, which gives humans everything for subsistence.”
Sarhul, or the festival of flowers, is a very important event for tribals in Jharkhand. It is celebrated during the spring season, when sal and other forest trees are blossoming, with festivities continuing for several weeks.
In Mundari, it is known as Baa Parob, in Khortha as Gaddi Parab and in Kharia, as Jangkir. Noted anthropologist and patron of Sarna Navyuvak Sangh Dr Karma Oraon explains that the term Sarhul is a merger of sarai (sal) and phool (flowers).
It begins with the pahan, or priest, deciding when the three-day rituals will begin. The gorait (messenger or drummer) then informs the villager.
On the first day, Rusa, people do spring cleaning and decorate the Sarna Sthal — the place where tribals assemble for worship.
The pahan begins fasting on this day. He takes a bath early in the morning and dons a ‘kuccha dhaga’ (virgin cotton) dhoti. Three earthen pots are filled with water and he begins the puja at the Sarna Sthal.
Three roosters of different colours are sacrificed for appeasement. “The sacrifice of the white rooster is meant for the Almighty, the brown rooster is dedicated to the village deity and the ash rooster is meant for the departed souls or ancestors,” explains Dr Oraon.
The tribals believe this also protects them from attacks by wild animals, venomous snakes and insects, and deadly diseases.
“The pahan checks the water levels in the two pitchers and makes predictions. If the water level has slipped, it signals there would be a famine or less rainfall. If there is no change in the water levels, prosperity is likely,” says Karma Oraon.
No one can dig their lands or water the trees and plants during the day on pains of penalty. In the evenings, the men go hunting.
A tribal priest, Jaglal, elaborates on another ritual. The tribals hang up a crab, which symbolises prosperity, at the start of the puja. They believe there will be an increase in the number of its appendages by the end of the puja, which, in turn, will be a forecast for the year.
At the Sarna Sthal, the gathering sings and dances to the tunes of traditional musical instruments such as dhol and turhi. Hadia (rice beer) is offered as prasad. There are numerous processions and group dances at busy thoroughfares.
After the puja, village boys carry the pahan home on their shoulders, where his wife washes his feet. The pahan blesses his wife and other villagers with sarai phool.
During the festival of flowers, the phool khonshi too is an important ritual. People decorate their rooftops with sal flowers, which are also offered as a greeting.
