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http://www.pcedindia.com/peoplescomm/tribes_2a.htm
Tribal Societies In Chhotanagpur
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Sarhul Puja : A Tribal Festival Of Flowers |
| Munda, Oraon and other tribal communities of Chhotanagpur region have lived in harmony with nature. They propitiated land, water, wind, plants and animals. A saying common among the Oraons is that " the earth is as full of spirits as a tree is full of leaves". This animistic belief is at that core of the Chhotanagpur's tribal cults. The major tribes in the region are divided into a number of exogamous clans that are totemistic and derive their names from natural objects like fauna and flora. The general practice is that the clan must protect the object that forms its totem and abjure from eating or killing, destroying or injuring or otherwise using it. Nor must clan members use anything made of it or abstracted from it. It is also ordained that they should prevent others from indulging in such activities.
As human society transited from the hunting-gathering economy to industrial society, it passed through the stages of settled habitation and agrarian economy. In the process, the ecosystems did suffer damage. The aboriginal found this plateau covered with virgin forests. They cleared patches of it for their settlements and cultivation. Thus, the initial deforestation started with tribal settlements and jhum (or shifting) cultivation practised by tribal communities as trees were felled and burnt to enrich the soil with wood ash for raising crops. However, there was a clear realization of the envir4onment's significance and its nexus with human survival. The practice of forest protection was implicit in their cultural elements and cult practices. A portion of the pristine forest used to be consecrated and named Jaher or Sarna, sacred to the community's principal deity. The tribal customs prohibited felling of trees or lopping of branches in the sacred grove.
This region's festivals are rooted in strong reverence for plants. The major festival, Sarhul is a festival of flowers. During March-April, the Sakhua ( Sal or Shorea robusta) flowers are brought from the forest by unmarried male and planted in the village. The region is rich in biodiversity and is particularly rich in medicinal plants jealously protected by ojhas or men knowledgeable in their usage. The accumulated knowledge of the community is passed on from generation to generation through oral tradition. The tribal agricultural practices were simple. Some tribes like the Oraons did not practice artificial irrigation. In most parts of the region only one crop was grown in a year which gave adequate time for the soil to regenerate. In times of crisis, the community depended upon major and minor forest produce for sustenance.
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