Santhal People & Food | A look inside the Tribal Culture | Suruchi Soren

&FOOD

S A N T H A L

PEOPLE

A LOOK INSIDE THE TRIBAL CULTURE SURUCHI SOREN

2 | Santhal People & Food

&FOOD

S A N T H A L

PEOPLE

A LOOK INSIDE THE TRIBAL CULTURE

Guided by

Sonal Chauhan Carmina Fernandes

Submitted by

Suruchi Soren Toy and Game Design, Masters of Design, 2017-2020

First Published in 2019 M.Des, Toy and Game Design, 2017-2020 National Institute of Design, India For private circulation only Text ŠSuruchi Soren unless otherwise mentioned Photographs ŠSuruchi Soren unless otherwise mentioned All rights reserved under international copyright conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

KMC no.

Edited & Designed by Suruchi Soren Title by Suruchi Soren Processed at NID Computer Lab Printed at Chhaap Digital Print Studio, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Title page: Old lady cooking food on the earthen stove, putting firewood in the fire.

Before Full title page: Lady walking on the forest path near village.

On the left:

Illustration of Binda or hay tied as ring, helps in keeping pots upright.

Dedicated to Baba and Mummy

6 | Santhal People & Food

Acknowledgement I am a Santhal and therefore this particular document is something really close to my heart. This helped me get closer to my culture and my family. I am really thankful to Sonal Chauhan and Carmina Fernandes, who gave me this opportunity to document the Santhal food. They were really supportive and had faith in me to bring forth rich content and further possibilities of craft documentation.

Mr. B. Srinivasa, designer, my mentor, was quite awed by the fact that I am a Santhal tribal. Sudarshan Khanna ji, design professor and father of Toy and Game discipline, also curiously asked about “play� in my culture like; Shekhar Bhattacharjee, discipline head, used to state examples from his research on Santhal. I am really grateful to them for making me wonder about my own roots and pushed me to seek further knowledge.

On the left:

Most importantly, I would like to thank my father for helping and accompanying me throughout the journey and research. He introduced me to many family and friends without whom this would nothing more than an incomplete endeavor.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the two women who introduced me to culture through food, my mother and grandmother. I am also thankful to Mr. Amit Kharsani, who guided in the making of the document. It is because of his guidance that I been able to present my ideas and finding rather artistically.

I thank my friends, batch-mates and seniors who kept encouraging my work.

A local woman resting after a days work of threshing rice.

Around her are food utensils in which they bring lunch.

Often someone from family brings them the food or they

I truly appreciate everyone who was part of this project, both directly and indirectly, in every way possible.

make and bring it themselves. There is a seperate family threshing in the area behind her.

Suruchi Soren

Acknowledgement | 7

8 | Santhal People & Food

Preface As a Santhal myself, I wanted to contribute something to the community.

When I was younger I never understood or appreciated the beautiful culture of Santhal. Dance, Music and Food was the only thing that attracted me.

I was surprised, intrigued and now enthusiastic to see my culture in a way I never saw before. When I met other people interested in Santhals, I got curious why people are so interested in a culture which is backward and “tribal”. But I was wrong. It’s not backward, it’s rich.

Craft Documentation module gave me opportunity to seek more knowledge.

Santhal livelihood is very sustainable and in close harmony with nature. Be it house making, cattle rearing, rice cultivating, hunting, cooking etc., each involves lot of hand skills or making on your own methods. Recognizing food as a craft opened a good opportunity for me. This intrigued me a lot to choose the topic of Santhal People and food as my topic of research.

Through food I’ve found a beautiful connection to bridge the gap between Santhal and their cultural roots.

On the left: Courtyard of a Santhal house.

Thatched roof, painted walls, and space to sit and talk or relax.

Preface | 9

INTRODUCTION

14

LOCATION

16

Map

18

PEOPLE

22

Religion

25

Family And Hierarchy

25

Beliefs

26

LIFESTYLE

28

Clothing

28

Accessories

30

CULTURE

36

Festival & Ritual

36

MUSIC, DANCE & SPORTS

42

Music

42

Dance

42

Sports

43

HOUSES

48

Constituents

48

Daily Chores- Morning To Night

50

OCCUPATION

54

Farming

54

Others

55

LIVELIHOOD AROUND RICE

58

Tools

60

Utensils

61

SANTHAL FOOD

64

Daily Food

65

Festive Food

65

Seasonal Food

67

RECIPES

69

CONCLUSION

80

BIBLIOGRAPHY

81

GLOSSARY

82

Definition of Handicrafts by the Development Comminisioner of Handicrafts:

Handicrafts are products or services provided by artisans, working primarily with their hands. The artisan very often uses traditional knowledge and her/his direct manual contribution forms a substantial or distinctive part of the end product or service. Usually there are minimal or limited inputs from machines.

The distinctive nature of handicraft comes from the fact that these goods or services can be identifies with certain traditions or geographies.

On the right: Picture of a person’s shadow on the entrance area of a Santhal house

12 | Santhal People & Food

Introduction | 13

Santhals are the largest indigenous tribe in India in terms of population.

These ethnic population mostly seen in the native state of Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam and in neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. Santhals are said to have connection with Harappan Civilization and therefore it’s being studied and considered an important part of Indian History.

A lot of Santhal people migrated towards cities and other states in search of education, job and money. Since then, lots of Santhals have modernized.

They have big houses, well paid jobs, work in various type of occupation, travel across globes and have a very modern lifestyle compared to what they started off with. The people who still live in the villages often live in shortage of money and facilities.

Modernization also caused loss of indigenous knowledge of their ancestor.

Since there was lack of written texts or inability to pass the knowledge by words, people are forgetting their roots. But still, people come together to take part in the culture through Music, Dance and Food. In this document, the people and food will be a source to the rich knowledge.

Food is important part of any culture. It gives identity to a culture or a region or a state. People often easily recognize a culture through the type of food one eats or makes in a certain way and processes. The taste of food even differentiates families. The food can define you!

Picture of Alpana on the entrance of a house door. Alpana is a floor decoration made with rice paste, often considered sacred. The floor has been cleaned and coated with Gobar lep, which is mixture of cow dung and mud.

14 | Santhal People & Food

Santhal Food similarly defines Santhal People. The authentic style of making can only be found the villages by the native people. The type of food they eat, their eating habits, the portion size and the variety of food they eat, can defines their physical built and occupation. The ingredients, the cooking method and utensils they use can distinct them from other tribes. The way they store or preserve food can also tell about their way of living. While the flavors and essence of a homemade rustic food has it’s own goodness and enjoyment.

The Oxford dictionary defines ‘Craft’ as any activity involving skill in making things by hand. While Food Craft, is defined as the transformation of raw ingredients into finished products by using techniques that change and build flavor, make foods last longer, and increases the impact of land and place on taste. Many food crafting techniques date back centuries or millennia, while others are recent innovations.

Santhal’s cooking techniques involve lot of hand skills too. It’s a very rustic method, without any machine or powered tool used to process the food. The raw materials and other ingredients comes from their surroundings itself, for e.g., livestocks, seasonal plants, farm products and whatever locally available.

There is no elaborate preparation or rich spices but the methods itself makes it a unique craft. Sadly, that is becoming extinct due to migration and loss of culture.

Old Santhal Lady supporting herself with bamboo stick and a chair near earthen stove called Chulha.

Introduction | 15

LOCATION

Journey Map: GUJARAT

MAP: Showing Santhal in India Population Concentration Bar

16 | Santhal People & Food

Map showing where Santhals are

Map of India (Satellite View)

found in India. Latest picture taken

Highlighted: In red outline (Odisha), Home - pointing location of

from: https://joshuaproject.net/

home in Rourkela, blue circle shows Gujarat which is the start point

maps/india/14743

of the journey.

ODISHA ROURKELA TATA MAYURBHANJ BAHALDA

Close up view of Odisha.

Zoomed in near the Border of Odisha and Jharkhand, where

Showing estimated time and distance to reach Bahalda from

Home poiting at Rourkela, that lues near the border of Odisha, close

Bahalda lies. Most Santhal villages lies in/around this block which

Rourkela by road. Taking a train from Rourkela to Tata, following by

to Jharkhand.

is inside the Mayurbhanj district. Bahalda is reachable by bus from

taking a bus to Bahalda is the easiest route to reach. Rairangpur lies

both Rourkela and Tata.

few miles away from Bahalda.

Location | 17

BAHALDA. LUADHI. MAREDHI. About the place: The location where this craft has been recorded is in the Luadhi, Maredhi and Deuli village. Deuli village lies in Rairangpur area.

Luadhi and Maredhi lies in the area of Bahalda, in the Mayurbhanj district.

Bahalda is divided into 63 villages.

The total population was 53,231, according to census 2011.

Out of which 26,398 were males and 26,833 were females.

Families - 12,942 Literacy – 66.81% Sex Ratio – 1,016 Rairangpur is divided into 119 villages.

Th total population was 81,72, according to census 2011.

Out of which 40,324 were males and 41,398 were females.

Families - 18,989 Literacy – 62.19% Sex Ratio – 1,027

A house in the village of Luadhi.

It has all the iconic element of a tribal house. The mudhouses with thatched roofs, the haystacks, domestic animals, baskets, bamboo grass, water utensils, firewoods and floor coated and smoothened with gobar lep.

18 | Santhal People & Food

DEULI.

RAIRANGPUR TOWN.

Rairagpur Town is a seperate block from Rairangpur. It is 2 towns and 32 villages.

The total population was 50,798, according to census 2011.

Out of which 25,313 were males and 25,485 were females.

Families - 11,553 Literacy – 78.6% Sex Ratio – 1,007 A considerable number of people of the Santhal tribe live in villages mostly.

And therefore they don’t have access to modern amenities. Yet they have been able to survive the odds and meet their basic needs.

A sunset view in village of Maredhi.

Piles of haystacks in the paddy field.

Location | 19

On the left: Modern Santhal Men and Women praying on the Ol-Chiki Language day. Ol Chiki is a script (also called Ol Cemet’, Ol, or Santali) was created

by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in the 1920s for writing the Santali language.

Picture taken Rourkela, Odisha.

20 | Santhal People & Food

And artisan is a person with speacial hand skills, often handed down traditionally across generations, and often linked to a complex traditional knowledge system encompassing the material, technology and/or design aspects.

On the right: “A Santhal Couple� is a well-recognized painting by the Indian master Jamini Roy depicting a man and woman belonging to the Santhal tribe. *link in the bibliography

Introduction | 21

PEOPLE Santhals are an ethnic group, residing in the Eastern South Asia. According to linguist Paul Sidwell (2018), Austro-Asiatic language speakers probably arrived on coast of Odisha from Indochina about 4000–3500 years ago.

Places they inhabit : Santhals are one of the largest tribe in India. As mentioned earlier, they are mostly found in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand and Assam. Other than India, they also dwell in neighbouring countries like Bangladesh,Nepal,Bhutan. As told by the elder natives, the recently calculated population of Santhal is 6.4 crore.

History of Santhals : Santhals belong to the Pre Aryan period. They were the great fighters during the British regime in India. They waged war against the permanent settlement of Lord Cornwallis in 1855. During the late 1850, Santhal’s hero Sidhu had accumulated around 10 thousand Santhals to run parallel government against the British government. Baba Tilka Majhi was the first Santhal leader who raise weapons against the Britishers in 1789.

Other well known Santhal fighters are Birsa Munda, Phulo, Jhano etc.

On the left: Santhal women from Deuli Village in Rairangpur, sitting in the house garden under the tree.

22 | Santhal People & Food

Attack by 600 Santhals upon a party of 50 British sepoys, 40th regiment native infantry. Baba Tilka Majhi

Framed picture of P. O. Bodding a well known

Framed picture of Phulo and Jhano. They are

was the first one to lead the revolution.

author, has written many books on Santhals.

tribal freedom fighters who ran into the enemy

Eg. “Mare hopdang koa katha”. He has studied

camp of soldiers, under cover of darkness and

and understood Santhal culture and language.

they eliminated 21 soldiers with their axe. This

Another famous book is “Hills of Flute” by W.G.

was a great contribution to the revolutionary

Archer.

uprising and raised the spirit of their comrades.

They form the group of tribal heroines who fought alongside their men folk and laid down their lives.

People | 23

Above: Showing features of a Santhal lady. After various generation, the features of Santhals has changed gradually. Dark skin, Long head, flat nose and curly hair may or may not be there. Though a distinct look of the Santhals are recognizable.

On the left: Old Santhal men talking. One is a dwarf , another one is carrying a bag of rice on a bicycle, returning back home after threshing the paddies. Behind is a young girl.

Language and Identification : Santhals speak Santhali, which belongs to the Austro-Asiatic language family. Santhals have their script called Ol-Chiki, which was developed by Dr. Raghunath Murmu in 1925. Santhals are generally bilingual. Apart from Santhali they also speak Bengali, Oriya and Hindi,Assamese,Nepali. Santhals have long head and flat nose. Their complexion varies from brown, dark brown to black in colour. Santhals usually have curly hair or wavy hair.

24 | Santhal People & Food

RELIGION Santhals follow the Sarna religion. Santhals do not build temples to worship, also, do not worship any idols. They believe in nature as their God and Goddess. Santhal pray Marangburu - God of mountain, Jaher era - Goddess of hill, Mone ko,Turuy ko and Sing Chando - God of day or Sun God. They also offer handia and other home prepared dishes in name of their ancestors (fathers and forefathers). They have village priests known as the Naikey.

Animal sacrifice is a common practice among the Santhals to appease the Gods and Goddess.Santhals also pay respect to the witch,ghosts and spirits like Kal Sing, Lakchera, Beudarang etc.

FAMILY AND HIERARCHY The males are usually the head of the family and major decision are taken by them. But, full control of the household is under the females. When the parents get old, the responsibilities and authority is given to the eldest son and his wife. Still, the old parents are highly respected and their decisions are considered important. In Santhal custom, the eldest son inherits the paternal grandfather’s name, while eldest daughter inherits maternal grandmother’s name. The children of the family take active participation in all kinds of household work, especially girls. Very young children usually play around and have no responsibility. In villages, the structure of joint family was usually followed. In recent days, each brother after marriage shifts to new house with wife. Mostly the brother’s houses are built in the neighbouring space. Santhals have a strong and inseparable bond with community which is the basis of their social organization.

On the right: A common praying space in the village. Found in the village of Deuli. The hanging object are hay tassels, which denotes as flower.

People | 25

BELIEFS Tattoos: Santhal women, often the aged ones, can be seen with Tattoos around their arms and necks. The method used for making the tattoo is called Khoda i.e. punching method, using thorn using finely powdered half burn ash oil (kuindi sunum).

The elder’s mentioned that, the purpose of making tattoos was not because of status or ornamentation. Santhal’s forefathers lived near tuduk’s i.e. the muslim community. When they found any good looking Santhal girl or woman, they would forcibly marry them. In order to prevent this from happening, they would make the females look ugly. Hence, women were made to get tattoos over face, neck and hands.

There are myths and stories behind tattoos too. Some says that, the woman won’t get water in heaven if they don’t have tattoo. An old women mentioned it’s the only ornament they will take with them in the death bed or another said it’s their identity of Santhal.

A tattooed arm of a Santhal woman.

She is sitting with a plate of Dumbu Pitha, a kind

In olden days, there was a method of recognizing bachelors. They were given oil burn mark in the arm. Currently, there is no need or purpose and hence, making of identity mark is not being followed.

26 | Santhal People & Food

steamed rice cake, by making rice flour dough in form of a ball.

Beliefs and importance of trees: Sal (Shorea robusta) tree: It is sacred plant for Sarna believers. Sarna believers are the tribes who worship nature. Every part of the tree is used for worshiping God (e.g.leaf, branch, flower, seeds or barks). Stones are planted under the sal tree in name of Jaher ayo (also called Jaher era) Goddess, Mone ko,Turuy ko, Lita bonga and Seema-sle for worship. This area of worship is like a small forest patch, which is called Sarna Sthal or Jaher, a kind of sacred grove.

Sal is used for daily purpose usage also. Its leaves are used as utensils to make Patra - plate and Phudu - small container. It is said by the locals that, in olden times, the bark of Sal tree was used as alternative for salt taste and turmerics colour.

Sal tree is very symbolic to Santhals for its multipurpose usage. It’s useful to them from birth to death. There is a mention in the Santhal history about the usage of Sal branches as means of communication. It was a secret message for mass uprising at the time of Santhal Freedom Rebellion Drumsticks (Moringa oleifera) tree: The tree is called Moonga in Santhal and is considered as symbol of prosperity. It’s an important tree for survival.

The local tale goes like : During the time of migration, our ancestors would carry a branch of Moonga. The group leader or the head of the house chooses a place they think is most viable for their livelihood i.e. near resources like water, cultivable land etc. He plants the branch there, and leaves it till next season. If the plant grows well, the group starts settlement in the same area. In the current day as well, the tree is found in the courtyard or garden of every santhal family house, both poor and rich. It’s a source of food and medicine as well.

Sal (Shorea robusta) tree.

Moonga tree is considered as symbol of prosperity

The multipurpose tree for the Sarna believers

if its growing in the house. (Drumstick Tree Moringa oleifera)

People | 27

LIFESTYLE CLOTHING Santhals initially were not weavers. There used to be a separate community of weavers called Tanti who live alongside santhals and made particular kind of sarees specially meant for Santhals which was called ‘Phuta’.

Though Santhals have now adopted modern dressing style, they still put on traditional dresses on festive occasions. Santhal people eagerly wait for festivals to come so that they can put on their traditional attires. Men wear traditional attire called ‘Phuta Kacha’ and Women wear a traditional attire called ‘Phuta Khanti’ or ‘Jhalah’. Phuta is the type of weave. (Refer to pictures for comparision) The ‘Sindoor Lugli’ is a special hand-woven attire that bride and groom put on for the main wedding ritual. Sindoor Lugli means turmeric dyed cloth.

Other ritual clothes are Khanda Lugli, offered to brides’s mother; Gagla Lugli, offered to bride’s aunt; and Hele Lugli, offered to mother of bride’s mother. All of them have different length. A turmeric dyed turban is worn by the groom during wedding ritual.

Women for regular use wear ‘Pahanda’ which they wrap around their waists and ‘Gogo’ on the upper body. Girls use a similar kind of cloth called ‘Putali’.

Men wear gamcha and dhoti for daily use. Except for ‘Sindoor Lugli’ almost every traditional attire that Santhals wear are designed like checks. Checks are mostly in different combination of White, Green, Red, Maroon, and Yellow. Much like the taste of people, the clothes vary in colour and texture.

The apparel used to be all hand-woven and natural dye. Now, it has been shifted to machine made and fast colour dyes.

28 | Santhal People & Food

On the left: A dailywear saree, draped in the typical Santhal way. Light cotton, varied colours or patterns but mostly checks.

On the right: An occasional saree, draped in the typical Santhal way. It’s material is also thicker. Initially the Santhal women didn’t wore a blouse or skirt below the saree before, the thickness used to compensate it. Such sarees are only found in checks. Embroidery and motifs are recent additions.

Santhal girl waering a present day Panchi-Pahand

The Phuta weave on a Phuta saree. On the right is phuta weave mixed with motifs.

The type of motifs found in Phuta saree and Kacha.

(Two piece women clothing): New bright colours

Measurement of saree: 12 ft length and 3½ ft width.

Some commonly embroidered motifs are: (from top left to bottom)

and patterns have been introduced, derived from

Measurement of kacha: 5½ ft length and 3 ft width.

a bird, a peacock, a fish, three floral motif, butterfly, 8 type of

the north-eastern traditional clothes. Initially, the

Sindoor Lugli for female: 9 ft length and 3½ ft width.

simple geometric motif.

top piece was a solid color cloth and below was

Sindoor Lugli for male: 6 ft length and 3½ ft width.

checks on white.

Lifestyle | 29

ACCESSORIES Santhals love wearing ornaments.They have their own way to adorn themselves. The change in the jewelleries has been come along with the evolution of clothing. In earlier years back, Santhal women wore bangles made of terracotta which was called Hasa-sakam (hasa-mud and sakambangle). They also used Hasa mala, a necklace made of terracotta beads.

The beads were hand-made and it was dried after making it hollow. Santhals living in villages preferred ornaments made up of iron. Iron Ornament do not get damaged while working outdoors. People get these jewels designed according to their will. Some of the ornaments people used in the older times are ‘Batori’ for toes, ‘Painsi’ for ankles, ‘Gunasi’ for the waist, ‘Baju’ for arms and ‘Sankha’ for the hand.

The Hasa sankha and the mala were worn by the women only.

The males also wore a bangle the difference was that the female bangle had motifs on the body where as the male bangle had no motifs. Making of head of the animals and birds on joineries is likable in both the bangles.

Though clay accessories were popular but they are brittle, they are usually worn during special days or when there is less physical work to do. As the time passed on, people started using the ornaments made of bronze which was more affordable. In this period Santhal women wore a distinct anklet which was ‘Itil Paini’.

30 | Santhal People & Food

On the opposite page, Top: Beaded neacklace with coin pendant. Its a Queen Elizabeth coin from the era of British rule in India.

On the opposite page, Below: 9 Coin Necklace with blue cotton string Top-left : Islamic gold coin pendants Top-right : Gold conical nose-pins Below: Zoomed picture of East India Company Coin. Half Rupee. Year 1883.

Lifestyle | 31

On a top view it looks like a rhombus. It was solid and had some floral motifs on it. It’s rare to find women wearing Itil Paini now. Women wear kajal in their eyes during occasions, which was home made in earlier days now they get from local market.

‘Melhed Sakam’ is a bangle which has very significant role in the Santhal community. It is worn by married women only in left hand, given in the marriage ritual. It is supposed to be removed when she became widow. In olden days, women did not put vermillion on the center partition of their hair and so it becomes difficult to find out whether she is married or not.

But seeing Melhed sakam on women’s hand can easily differentiate that she is married. It is identified with arrow carved in the bangle. The locals said that the making process is a holy ritual where the blacksmith cleans himself makes it without eating or drinking.

Married women wear ‘Taka Mudam’ for finger, ‘Taka Mala’ and ‘Pahada’ for the neck. Children use ‘Tadar’ for hands and legs. Children tie threads around the waists.The women of the tribe use a jewel by the name ‘Khada’.

They believe that wearing the ‘Khada’ gives a better life after reincarnation.

Later then, it was the time for silver and gold jewelries though silver was preferred as it was more affordable and as for gold jewelries , it was then limited to Jamindari people who were rich.

Anklet with ghungroo- Pajap. Made of silver.

There were a lot of Santhals jewelries but as the time passed on the today’s mainstream fashion has got those over. The each and every body parts had their own ornaments to wear. Some list of those jewelries are as follows:

Melhed Sakam, identification of a married Santhal woman.

32 | Santhal People & Food

For hair bun: Pan kanta On side of bun: Sud pasha Above ear on hair: Silha For Ear: Pagra For nose: Phuli For neck: Puisa mala - Coin Necklace For arm: Baju Hand: Bala Sakam - Bangle Finger ring: Mudam For waist: Danda jhinjri For Ankle: Khadu - an anklet with solid structure & Paini - an anklet without ghungroos and Pajap is an anklet with ghungroos on it.

Sustainable way of life Santhals have always been surrounded by nature.

They have a self sufficient lifestyle imbibed from nature and mother earth. All there activity involves giving back to nature. They eat food in the leaf plate, that plate is often eaten by the cattles, which gives manure. They even use the firewood ashes for cleaning utensils. Their way of living is simple and just enough to fulfill their need. They are never out of food because they have various sources where they can collect food from. Wild plants, cultivated plants, hunting for meat and fish, cattle rearing etc. and if they don’t have something they barter it from other people.

Top Left: Hinged Bangle - Sakam Made of Silver with filligree work. Motif of leafs, branches and fruits.

Top Right: Hair Pin - Pan Kanta.

Used as jewellery for hair bun. In shape of Pan(Betel) leaf. Made of Silver with filligree work.

Below: Solid Anklet- Khadu. Made of silver.

Lifestyle | 33

Biniti, a Santhal Prayer:-

Johar Johar bidu-chandan (2) Gunbirda chachal kin Ol –birda geyan chachal kin(2) Budhi geyan khato gi ting Dil dale balegiting Dese ing ho, disha emanz bin(2) Abinag daya maya te Seyan ko ko deyan nog kan Dese ing ho akil emanz bin(2) Mone alo etag go ma Mone med ting busalo ma Bugi baliz joto nelnam ma(2) Johar Johar bidu-chandan Gunbirda chachal kin Ol –birda geyan chachal kin(2)

Oh my lord, oh my lord Bidu – chanda (2) (lords of knowledge & wisdom) Pray you to give me knowledge and wisdom(2) I lack in knowledge and wisdom, I lack in strength and tender courage, My lord, show me the path(2) With your boon and blessings, Wise became wiser, My lord, bless me with ocean of knowledge too(2) Bless me to attain kindness and concentration, Open my inner vision, To judge good and bad(2) Oh my lord, oh my lord Bidu – Chanda (lords of knowledge & wisdom) Pray you to give me knowledge and wisdom(2)

Photograph taken by John Soren: Earthen pots with grain in a marriage ceremony

34 | Santhal People & Food

Introduction | 35

CULTURE FESTIVAL AND RITUALS Sakrat Parab: It is celebrated by Santhals on 14th-15th January each year. Sakrat is also known as ‘BarabareDin’. Haku Katkom is celebrated one day before the Sakrat.

This day is also known as ‘HologHurg Mah’. In this day at dinner people eat only Fish and crabs with rice on utensils made of sal leaf (patla and phudu) .After dinner these used plates and cups are spread on the ground on moonlight and pray Moon-god for everything provided to them to survive that year. It is a joyous moment for Santhals after a fight against every odds for a year.

Early morning of Sakrat parab people apply Mustard oil in Leg, Hand, Stomach etc. First, the priests (Manjhi Baba and Manjhi Gogo) take bath, followed by the villagers, in Tupun Ghat (a pond or river) and wear new cloth. All people bath before the Sun Rise. After that all people go to their house and family head worship of Bongas(God)- Marag buru,Jaher ayo, Mone ko, Turuy ko and all departed soul of Ancestors in Bhitar Orag, which is a room in home for worship). They take the name of ancestors up to three generation. In the prayer offering home prepared Gud (jaggery), Khajali (puffed rice, Taben (flattened rice)and Sora pitha (type of roasted cake) are given.They give sacrifice of rooster by hitting it on the home doorpost.

36 | Santhal People & Food

Prayer and Offerings in the Sarna Sthal or Jaher, the sacred groove.

Female prepare Gud pitha (made from jaggery mixed iwth riceflour), Jil Pitha (pancake made of rice flour and meat) etc. Every family preparation are exchanged among villagers to enjoy the occasion. Then villagers go to forest for Hunting, which is called ‘Sindra’. After returning from Sindra, villagers do the ‘Bejatunj’. They target the pole by arrow which is made of Banana Tree or Aradom Tree.

According to Santhals, ‘Magh bonga’ is the the New Year. It is observed in the month of March. Worship to God is performed outside the Sarna Sthal by villege priest called Naikey baba. It is preparation for next season and to start any new work. Because they believe that first day of the Nawa Serma (New Year) is lucky day. After this worship, symbolically roof of Majhi and Naike’s house are thatched with new hays. Thereafter, one can start their house repair work or roof-thatching etc.

Few weeks later, when maintenance work of houses are over, ‘Bhujni bonga’ is scheduled during mid of April. In this occasion as a part of ritual, all the old earthen utensil (Tukuj, Chelang, Supadi, Nandwa etc. refer to page 61) are removed from the house and replaced with new utensil. House purification bonga is performed with a belief to drive out all evils from the house. After that medicinal herbs that are collected from jungle by Naikey baba and Godet baba are distributed to every house by the order of the village head (Majhi baba). This is to safeguard the villagers from various viral diseases like smallpox, measles etc.

Photograph taken by John Soren:

Naikey Baba i.e. the village priest performing rituals for worship.

Culture | 37

Baha bonga One of the important and indigenous festival of Santhal. It celebrated as mark of arrival of new season, which is autumn. Majhi baba of the area decides a day for worship. Baha (sal flower, the first flower of the season) are collected from jungle and Naikey baba perform worship in ‘Sarna Jaher’ offer sacrifice and sal-flower to their deity. Thereafter villagers receive Sal flower from Naikey baba and Santhal male wear these flower on their ear and female on their hair as a mark of happiness. Jaher-sode is prepared by cooking rice, left out meat of sacrifice and turmeric in earthen pot and given to male member attending the offering. Santal women greet and pay respect to Naikey baba with ‘Baha enej’ and later participate in ‘Jajle sode’, a community feast.

Sendra parab ‘Disam Sindra’ , the hunting feast, is celebrated during the month of April to May. Santhals pray and give offering to Forest God to protect them from bad incidence and good catches from hunting. It was a natural instinct or practise to balance ecosystem.

Using Handia(Rice Beer) and Khajali in a prayer offereing. Sal leaf bowls being used.

Karam Santhals mainly celebrate the Karam festival which falls in the month of September and October. They celebrate this festival to please the God to increase their wealth and free them from all the enemies. It is the tradition among the Santhals to grow the Karam tree outside their house after the purification process.

Sohrai parab This festival is symbolic to thank ‘cattles’ and is observed for 3 days. Cattles are bathed, then turmeric paste and sindoor are applied with oil to their horn and legs. Cattles are not allowed to field, on that day, they are feed with cooked meal, pithas and grass specially collected for them. ‘Got-bonga’ is performed for cattles to cheer them. Dong, Danta, Karam, Dahu dance are performed on that day.

38 | Santhal People & Food

Other festivals of the Santhal community include Dashsan, Ero, Asaria and Gomha.

Birth The child birth is always celebrated in the community. but the mother of the child has restriction of going to kitchen or touching people till the Janam Chhatiar or the purificatory rites are performed. The mid wife gives the purification bath to mother and child on the 7th or 9th day. The name is also given on that day.

Marriage The Santhal have 12 clans, and the members of the same clan do not marry each other. For eg. a Soren cannot marry a Soren because they are supposed to be descended from same father. Marriage customs in Santhal is called Bapla. It usually involes a lot of ritual which are complex and 5 days long.

Haldi ceremony in Santhal last for 3 days. During wedding they wear Sindoor lugli, which is saree and dhoti dipped in turmeric water to purify, just a day before marriage. The centre of the courtyard yard is used for wedding rituals and is called Mandwa. There, a branch of the Mahua, the blackberry, the mango and the Sal tree is planted. It’s believed that holy spirits dwell in these trees. Gidi-chumara (marriage reception) takes place with lots of songs and dancing by women of the village. Handia is served to all and different kinds of non-veg meals are prepared for guests.

Photograph by John Soren: Santhal Wedding Ritual

Death All the family people come together to do the burial rituals of their family members. After burial,they burn straw infront of the village entrance and take smoke bath. Santhals believe that the spirit of the deceased will harm or haunt them, so they do all the rituals in 2-3 days.Family people do not take any non-veg until the purification process has been done.

Culture | 39

In villages, group of men carry the baanaam, a string instrument similar to the sarangi, and go from house to house singing songs. They also carry with them a straw effigy, which is the monkey, being taken out on its yearly walk.

They make the monkey dance while singing. One of the song goes like:

Bolay bolay bolay bolay Bhitar re ma taang haandi, duar re ma bodoij-sodoij Em khan do ema lepe go Bang khan do moray maha le basa apeya Kocha rinij poond saandi le jomay tapeya Ding dang ding lutkulutum Medang daang medang daal kakar chang pitha Which means : ‘You have hidden the best haandi (rice beer) in the house and kept the leftovers at the door. You better give us the best haandi or else we will stay in your house for five days and eat up the white chicken you have in the corner.’

On the right: “Santhal Musicians and Dancers” by Shri Jamini Roy is one of his first work using Kalighat style.

Image link in the Bibliography

40 | Santhal People & Food

Introduction | 41

MUSIC, DANCE & SPORTS MUSIC The Santhals are music lovers. The Santhal people come together for every occasion. The songs vary according to the occasions like harvest festivals, birth, marriage, death, etc. They have songs for almost every occassion but they have very recognizable tunes.

Some of the musical instruments that Santhals use are: ‘Tumdah‘ - A two face drum. One side is smaller than the opposite side.

‘Tamak‘ - A single face drum. It’s in the shape of bowl.

‘Chodchudi’ - Single faced drum with flat base unlike Tamak.

‘Tirio’ - Bamboo flute with seven holes ‘Banam’ - A kind of violin. The body is made of light wood or bamboo and horsetail for strings. They draw pictures of animals, fish and flowers on the body of Banam.

‘Bhuang’ - A musical instrument made of gourd. Bhuang is used only in Dasayen ritual.

‘Sakwa’ - Wild buffalo horn instrument.

‘Ponga’ - An instrument made of the horn of buffalo.

Right to left: Tumdah, Tamak , Chodchudi and Tirio

DANCE Santhals love for dancing is in their blood. Dance is the important part of the Santhals fairs and festivals from ages till now. In earlier times, after the long day of hard work, the locals would relax themselves with the light music and dance. The dance is called ‘Lagre eneg’ on the drumbeats of Tumdah and Tamak. Women and men make line and dance in the circular sequence. Now people dance only during the festivals or marriage occasions.

Lagre Enej : Traditional Dance

42 | Santhal People & Food

SPORTS Hunting Hunting is like a game for the people of Santhal tribe. The main objective behind hunting is to collect meat for consumption and bones for making weapons.

Bejatunj It is part of Sakrat festival, which involves archery. A target object or pole is made by an Aradom Tree (also called Arandi in Hindi) or a Banana tree. The tree is cut by a young unmarried boy. The target is situated in East direction and people spectate it from West direction. On top of the target, people keep ”Sunum Pitha” - a Santhali delicacy which is made by rice flour. Then they worship the target pole.

Illustration showing Bejatunj. Archery is an important skill for hunting.

Hunting is a long-awaited event for them.

People start preparing for hunting pretty well in advance. They design both ends of the bow. The nose of the arrow is made of bamboo or metal. They design the nose like the body of a fish or the beak of a crane.

They use the feather of a hen to make the tail end of the arrow.

First Joga Manjhi Baba starts the Archery then common people enjoy it.

Target pole is divided and cutting into three equal parts and every equal part is partially broken into two parts in ‘V’ letter shape. Winner sit on a villager’s shoulder and go to Manjhi Than - the worship place of Santhal.

Target pole which is divided into three part respectively keep in Manjhi Than,Jog Manjhi’s house roof and Parnanik’s house roof. Then people enjoy the Lagre enej.

Play Habits Earlier days, children in the natives used to play in dirt and dust, under or on tree. Some of the popular games are: Reheda Hasa - Boys running game which like obstacle racing; Dhul-Kuli - Stone hide and seek game in dirt, played by girls; Loka goli - the game of 5 stones, throwing 1 stone in air and picking the rest; Kith-kith - Indian version of Hopscotch; Leaf and stick - Bride & groom, marriage roleplay game; Kati-teer - also known Gilli danda or Tipcat; Kati - Hockey-like sport that needs a semi circular wooden pieces and stick.

Childrens used to play with sticks, leafs and mud. The used to imitate marriage ceremony through making bride- grooms (from leaves), utensils(leaves and mud), and accessories(leaves) for themselves to play as toys. Picture location - Village in Rairangpur, Odisha. Toys hand-made by local ladies.

Music, Dance & Sports | 43

44 | Santhal People & Food

Top (left): Clay chulhas and utensils for role play games.

Top (right): Naturally growing plant whose flower buds are spherical. its broken in the shape of dumdbells.

It’s either rolled in the path as wheels or, spun around a stick.

Bottom(left to right): Illustrations of Gindwari (a kind of hand slingshot used to throw rocks), wooden baby walker, a single-wheel wooden push stick .

Opposite page: Leaf brides(in the front row) and grooms(conical shape in second row) with saree and dhoti respectively. Was made and played by childrens in village. Sal or any local leaf was used and sticks to sew then together.

Introduction | 45

Plan of the house drawn.

Coloured walls of a Santhal mud house in Luadhi village, Mayurbhanj, Odisha. Often these walls are decorated by women of the family, both outside and inside.

46 | Santhal People & Food

Introduction | 47

HOUSES The Santhals have a different and unique style of building houses. The houses are so unique that anyone can tell just by looking at the house that the house belongs to a Santhal family. In Santhali language, they term the traditional houses as Chatom Olah or Khupi Olah. The houses are either 22 feet long and 7 feet wide or 23 feet long and 10 feet wide.

CONSTITUENTS Santhal natives live in mud houses. They have a very rustic way of living, surrounded with domestic animals, earthen pots and hay bundles around.

Santhals houses have some distinct features which commonly found in every house: Decorated Walls: The walls of a Santhal house is painted with natural clay oxides. They line the top and bottom of the walls with yellow or white soil. They paint the inside walls of the houses with pictures of birds, animals, plants, and often geometric motifs.The people of Santhal tribe are a master of drawing and art.

Verandah: A verandah projects horizontally from the wall.The verandah measures two to two and a half feet, extending from the roof.

Courtyard: Santhals always sit around to talk in the Aangan or courtyard area during day time till evening. It’s also meant for drying grains or clothes beacuse heat and sunlight enters this area majorly. Santhal people coat the aangan with ‘Gobar lep’ which is mixture of soil and cow dung.

48 | Santhal People & Food

Bed Rooms: The walls in the room have holes in it. Santhals use these holes to keep valuables safe or just a space to keep decorative objects. A lot of things are also hanged in the wooden/bamboo bars on the ceiling part.

Praying space: The Santhals also have a praying space in centre of the courtyard, which consists of Tulsi plant and a metal snake rod with ring.

They also have a seperate corner in room where they pray or offer food to ancestors before eating.

Dhenki: There is another room for a wooden mechanism called Dhenki.

It is used to separate the rice grain from the rice hull i.e. the seed cover. ‘Dhenki’ has become obsolete in many parts of India. But still, it remains one of the finest examples of masterly handicrafts by Santhals. Some Santhals use hand-woven bamboo mats as curtains to separate this room from the rest of the rooms.

Outdoor Kitchen: The kitchen work is often divided in inner and outer kitchen. This helps when number of family members or guests is more. At day time cooking outside is preferrable.

Opposite page: (Top) Traditional Mud house with earthen clay tiles, (Bottom left) Wall painted with flower motifs, (Bottom right) Space showing the

Aangan or Courtyard.

Current page: (Top left) Praying space which is in the courtyard, (Top right) A Dhenki, (Bottom) Earthen Chulhas in the Outdoor Kitchen.

Houses | 49

Indoor Kitchen: This room has usually is a storage room of cooked food, water and utensils. After sunsets they shift all their cooking in the indoor kitchen.

Animal room: Santhals usually maintain different types of domestic animals or livestock in their homes. Each one has separate space or room . Each animal has distinct role for the families use. For eg. The cows are meant for cultivation, commute, milk and meat.Goats and sheeps are sold to meet their financial requirements. Hens are supply for eggs and meat.

Storage room: This room is often shared with kitchen or other room. They keep their baskets of grain in the room. Other edibles, clothing, tools are also kept in there. Bandi is a storage method of grains, made of hay itself.

A lot of things are kept, stored or hung in the ceiling supporting wooden logs.Many foodstuffs Are hanged from the ceiling over the cooking place for longer preservation on �Tatra� - a flat netted platform made out of bamboo.

Washroom: Most native Santhals go out nearby public river or pond to take bath or to wash clothes and utensils. For defecation, they would go the fields with source of water in vicinity. In the developed houses, the washrooms are more like a mini four walled space to take bath. The toilets are mostly separately made. Often they carry bucket of water from their well or handpump when they are going for toilet or bath.

(Top) Indoor Kitchen with a Earthen chulha, firewoods and cooking utensils, (Bottom left) Animal room meant for poultry, (Bottom right) Storage space with various baskets and utensil with stored grains and household objects.

50 | Santhal People & Food

DAILY CHORES - MORNING TO NIGHT • Females get up early in the morning around 4 a.m. to complete their personal chores. Females in the family divide work among themselves to carry out every day.

• The domestic animals are let out of the rooms. They clean it later on.

• They start work with boiling water for various household purposes.

• Some female members husk the rice grains using dhenki for fresh rice preparation.

• Some women go out for collecting firewood.

• Meals are cooked early morning, which used for breakfast, lunch and dinner.(e.g. Sufficient amount of rice is cooked for a day’s consumption) • Male members go to farming or forest to work or graze their domestic animals. They carry bow-arrow, axe, slingshots, fish trap etc. along with them to hunt for family dinner.

• Females meanwhile take complete care of the house starting from cooking to all household work like, cleaning house, washing clothes and utensils, repairing and maintenance of their mud houses, raring or feeding goats, poultries or pigs.

• Females take care of children and elderly.

• At around 10-11 a.m., females go out for taking bath in village rivers or ponds and carry back water for home use like drinking and washing.

• In the evening, the previously cooked rice is heated, some hunted meat brought by the males are prepared and cooked.

• Males return mostly in evening around 5 p.m., collecting the grains in bag or something that they hunted, because it starts getting dark after that.

• They refresh themselves and change to cleaner clothes; they have their dinner by 7 or 7:30.

• In early days, after a satisfying meal, all males and females join in Lagne Enej, a group dance with music performed in village.Now this happens rarely.

• After a successful day, they would go to bed around 10 and sleep.

Top Left: Torodang, fish trap made of woven grass, for personal usage.

Top Right: A circular mirror often found in the wall of mudhouses.

Bottom Left: Woman filling water from the local river for home.

Houses | 51

A Santhal poetry by Aasish S Mardi, followed by it’s translation:

Jeevan daahar te, taram taram te, noka hor ing seter-okana.

Jahan tahen kana rassa jivi re, dukh re bodol-okana.

In this restless journey along the path of life, which point have I reached?

The happiness that I possessed in my life, has changed into sorrow.

Picture of man tying up the threshed hay into a bundle after completing the days work.

52 | Santhal People & Food

Introduction | 53

OCCUPATIONS The Santhal tribe live in villages which are in and around fores. It is from the forest where they get most of their requirements. In the primitive time, Santhals practiced farming, hunting and fishing. They also reared livestocks like goat, sheep, cow, pigs, hen etc. For the amenities they didn’t have, they would get it by barter system. This system practise is no longer practised, but Santhals keep exchanging crops, grain etc. as cordiality in the family and community.

Rice growing in the fields

FARMING Cultivation of rice is the primary source of food in their diet. They have many different ways in which they consume rice.

Process Most of the Santhal farmers follow the ‘Primitive Subsistent Farming’ method. This type of subsistence farming is typically done on small areas of land, using indigenous tools like a Hoe, Dao, digging sticks etc. Usually, a family or the small community of farmers are engaged in this farming method, uses the output for their own consumption. This is the most natural method, where the growth of crops is dependent on the rain, heat, fertility of the soil and other environmental conditions.

The key to this farming technique is the ‘slash and burn’. In this practice, once the crops are grown and harvested, the farmers burn the land. They then move to a clear patch of land for a new batch of cultivation. As a result, the land gains back it’s fertility, naturally. Because no fertilizers are used for cultivation, the primitive subsistence method yields good quality crops and also retains the properties of the soil.

54 | Santhal People & Food

Rice paddy collected in a bunch

The popular type of rice used for cultivation are:

View of the paddy field with bunch of crop bundles

Meromkata hudu, Kabri Hudu, Tikar Hudu, Gedemalati, Rupakhili, Karmasal, Nardi, Gudumuthi, Parbatkoya, Bhojna and Sitasal. Bhojna and Sitasal are the Government Promoted grains.

Other than rice, Santhals practice cultivation of vegetables and fruits as well. Some of them includes green leafy vegetables like Spinach, Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) , Malabar spinach (Basella alba) and different types of Amaranthus leaves. They grow pumpkin, coriander, tomato, onion, mustard etc. which are daily use food. Some Santhals also have Mango tree farms. Almost all of

Paddy stacked in a circular pile.

Later these are collected and

OTHER OCCUPATIONS Wood work: Since Santhal tribe lives in proximity to forests, they make most of their basic items from wood or bamboo. Some of the wooden items Santhals make are windows, doors, door stoppers, cupboards, etc.

They carve beautiful designs on these wooden products and also draw beautiful arts and drawings on these items. The stool used in the kitchen and container to keep salts and spices are also made of wood.The local names of some of the products Santhals use are ‘Kula’, ‘Kanchi’, ‘Machi’, ‘Tunki’, ‘Tuplah’, ‘Jhimbiri’, ‘Chata’ etc. (picture reference in page 60). They make some of these items themselves or employ the Mahalis (carpenters) or Doms (cobblers) for rest of the items.

brought to the threshing area

Threshing process : Crops are beaten on a bamboo table. The process released grains which is collected in bags. By the end of

The people of Santhal tribe have the reputation of meeting their need by themselves. That is the reason why Santhals have become skilled in a lot of areas like carpentry, house making, tool making etc. Santhals are very friendly and helpful. They mutually share amenities or barter them to fulfill their needs.

the day and taken in storage.

Occupation | 55

56 | Santhal People & Food

Opposite page: Local man loaded the bag of grain on the bicycle.

Top: Taking the bag of grains to home with the help of bicycle.

Bottom: Heap of grain collected. It is spread and dried under sun before consumption.

Occupation | 57

LIVELIHOOD AROUND RICE CULTIVATION The livelihood of the Santhals revolve around the forests they live in.

They fulfill their basic needs from the trees and plants of the forests. Apart from this they are also engaged in the hunting, fishing and cultivation for their livelihood. Santhals posses the unique skills in making the musical equipments, mats and baskets out of the plants. This talent is passed on from one generation to the other, though it is not used often for commercial purpose.

In the current scenario, rice cultvation is a major part of their life. Rice is the primiary source of food for Santhals. They heavily consume rice and related food preparations. Their everyday life revolves around rice, rice paddy and it’s by products. Their food, festivals, marriage, household etc. has significant presence of rice in some form or the other.

Majority of Santhals are rice cultivators. As a source of food for themselves as well as commercial purpose. The ones skilled in carpentary usually make products or tools needed for cultivation like, bullock cart and wooden plough. Even traditional house making involves wood and hay.

Hays are also used in lighting the fire for cooking purpose as well as in process of steaming. The left over rice hay ashes from earthen stove is used for cleaning the utensils as well.

58 | Santhal People & Food

Khajali - puffed rice, put on the ground as part of rituals by village priest.

Since Santhals keep different domestic animals at home. Rice grains are fed to hen, while hay is for cattles. In return, hen is used for egg and meat, while cattles(cows or buffalos) for ploughing field and meat. Cows provide milk, manure and ‘Gobar lep’. It is all a very cyclic process and doesn’t harm the environment in anyway. During festivals as well, rice is used as an offering. Rice is the basic component for many festive food too.

Dishes from rice Some common dishes made of rice are: ‘Da mandi’ - Watery Rice ‘Daka’ - Boiled Rice ‘Leto’ - A dish made of chicken or meat with partially grinded rice pieces.

‘Sode’ - Mixed rice dish, either with vegetables or meat.

‘Khajali’ - Puffed Rice ‘Jil Pitha’ - Rice Cake with Chicken pieces ‘Gud Pitha’ - Deep fried jaggery sweet ‘Malhan Pitha’ - Rice Cake with Beans ‘Dumbu Pitha’ - Steamed rice balls, something with sweet coconut filling.

‘Handia’: Rice is fermented alcohol.

Daka with Ada

Dumbu Pitha with sweet filling

Malhan Pitha

Sim jil Pitha

Livelihood around rice cultivation | 59

TOOL

4

5

Santhals generally use tools required in farming, hunting and other household purposes.

(At the left side is the tools and in the right is fish traps)

1 a

b

c

d

e

f

(4) Jimbiri, fish trap made of Bamboo , (5) Jhanjit,fish trap with angles and details.

2

3 a

6

7

b

c d e

1. Different types of arrows(a-e) and bow(f). Each has different purpose according to the shape and

Preservative methods: (6)Fish kept in basket and hanged above the cooking stove. Smoke and heat

form. Some names are Tuti, Apani, Rumpah(d).

keeps it away from fungus or insects. (7)Chata is bamboo mat like structure hanged from the ceiling. It

2. Different type of axes: (a) Tabla, (b) Kapi, (c) Budhiya, (d)Bakiya,(e)Datrom

works same as the basket method.

3. Sickle or Datrom used for cutting crop.

60 | Santhal People & Food

UTENSILS

1

There are different variety of utensils used by Santhal. The earthen utensils are used for cooking, the Sal leaves are used as serving plates and bowls, while some are wooden as well. In olden times, some serving utensils were made of gourds too. Different type of storage baskets made of grass or bamboos are also used extensively by Santhals. These days lot of Iron, Steel or Aluminium utensils are also available, which are alternative of the earthen ones. The most auspicious metal for Santhal is Kansa. i.e Bronze(copper-tin alloy). Apart from Sal leaves and earthen pots, Kansa is also used for holy rituals.

6

2

3

4

5

7

1. Earthen pots stacked one on one. First three is Tukuj, the most common type of Pot. Bottom most is Chelang, for curry like dishes.

2. Sal leaf-plate. Sewn together with thin sticks. Single leaf is also used as serving plate.

3. Sal leaves folded and sewn together to make Phudu, which is a serving bowl. [Photographed by John Soren] 4. Nandwa. is Tukuj but one side is made into a hole. It is used when any fried item is to be cooked.

8

5. Chuka, mostly meant for carrying and storing water.

6. Bokag, Ladle made of Gourd. Used for serving water.

7. Paila. wooden rice measuring bowl. Right side one is covered with cow skin and sewn.

8. Ghatakatej, wooden spatula. Meant for stirring, during cooking.

Livelihood around rice cultivation | 61

1.Kitchen Utensils kept in room. The locals have

1

2

3

been using metal utensils because they last longer.

2. Two types of Serving bowl made of Bronze 3. Shop with variety of Bronze utensils for regular use as well as praying purpose.

4. Earthen pot and Metal Tawa in picture. Kitchen in villages usually has both earthen and metal utensils.

5. Kansa Lota (little bronze pot) 6. Steel and bronze utensil. In picture, there is

Handi, Surahi and Thili.

7. Metal Dekchi and Handi containing Da mandi

4

5

6

8. Bronze Plate. different sizes.

9. Metal Pots - Handis.

9

7

62 | Santhal People & Food

8

1

2

5

3

4

1. Commonly used bamboo basket.

2.Jati, rectangular basket commonly used in Handia preparation.

3. Basket used for washing and straining rice.

4. Cage structure for hens. Meant for protecting and storing.

5. Soop, is a commonly found winnowing basket. Meant for temporary storage, like after cutting veggies for cooking. Rice cleaning using this. Fish. rice or other food items are kept and dried

6

in sun.

6. Women threshing crop in Kula, a table made from bamboo.

7

7. Big size basket.for large quantity storage.

Livelihood around rice cultivation | 63

SANTHAL FOOD Santhali Food is as much as simple as their life, unlike urban people, they do not include much spices and oil into their diet . The cooking method is mostly boiling, steaming or roasting with less or no oil. Santhal natives are involved in intense physical activities this is the reason they don’t get fat.

They prefer red or black tea without milk, as compared to the milk one.

Lota-pani is a traditional custom. When any guest visits home, they are given a pot of water and everyone from the family comes out greet them with a traditional bow,

Their majorly used ingredient are Turmeric, Salt, Green Chilli, Red Chilli, Onion and Garlic. Initially, Kuhindi Oil made from, Mahua flower seeds was used for cooking, also Baru oil, made Kusum flower seeds. Baru oil, though not being used now, is a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids, which are the “good fats”. It is as healthy as olive oil or canola oil. Easy availability and abundance of mustard oil and refine oil in the market resulted in the shift from traditional oils.

called Johar. Then the guest takes the post and washes his hands, legs and face. Then he is serve water and snacks or directly meal.

Commonly used cooking process: Laad - This method can be used for cooking meat, egg or mushroom. After cleaning them and adding turmeric, salt and chilli, the content is placed between a leaf plate. It folded in half, sewn and placed diectly on fire.

Rapah - Cooking in direct fire or roasting.

Charpa - In this method, a rice dough is prepared adding any meat or vegetable curry. It’s flattened between two leaf plates, sewn and baked over a pan. Mostly chicken meat, goat meat, mushroom, flat beans etc can be made using this method.

Korha - It is one of the simplest way of cooking. Santhals mostly cook ‘Adda’, which is green leafy vegetables. The cooking process involves little frying, followed by steaming.

Cooking process explained in ‘Recipe’ chapter, Page 69.

64 | Santhal People & Food

Interesting Facts: Salt was not known before. For replacement they used alternative from tree Sal barks and plants for salt taste. Same for the yellow turmeric colour.

Preservative methods and techniques Some methods have been shown in the previous chapter under the Tools sub-chapter.

Regular village meal: Daka (boiled rice) served with Dal, and Sembi dish. Salt, lemon and Chilli is always served with food. People in village

DAILY FOODS

usually eat rice in ample amount because it’s very light. Women sit

The Santhals eat a kind of watered rice known as ‘Da Mandi‘. Here ‘Da’ means water and ‘Mandi’ means for food. After the rice is being cooked they don’t pour out the water from rice, instead they consume it with the water. The rice water is considered nutritious and this also helps for longer preservation of rice, as they cook in the morning for all 3 meals. Santhal often do not waste food.

on a small stool while eating.

With Da Mandi, they mainly take green leafy vegetables- called Adda or Saag, which is either grown around their house or picked from nearby Jungle or wildly growing in the paddy fields. They take non-vegetarian food in regular basis which consist of varieties of fish, frog, crabs, ants, rodents, birds, eggs etc.

Boiled rice, lentils served with any basic vegetable curry, Saag and condiments like lemon, chilli and salt is the basic content of regular meal.

FESTIVE FOODS During Festivals or special occasions, Santhals enjoy eating chicken or meat something more different or exotic than everyday food.

‘Jil pitha’ : Rice and Meat Cake, made with Charpa method explained earlier.

Cooking process explained in ‘Recipes’ chapter, page 70.

‘Laad Jilu’: Meat made in Laad method. Cooking process explained in ‘Recipes’ chapter, page 78.

‘Sim Jil Leto’: Rice and Goat meat cooked together with porridge like consistency.

Santhal Food | 65

‘Handia’: The Santhal people prepare a special kind of alcohol, called Handia which is made from fermented rice. The Handia is comparatively less harmful than other alcohols. It’s fermenting process in page 73.

1

2

Names of delicacies made during festive occasions: ‘Oal Chutney’ - Chutney made from ‘elephant’s foot’ yam; ‘Bili Pitha/Anda Pitha’ - Rice and egg based cake; ‘Hotot Pitha/Lau Pitha’ - Rice and bottle gourd cake.

‘Gud Pitha’ - Sweet, deep-fried cake made with rice flour and jaggery ‘Mara Rasi’ - Spiced chicken soup ‘Machh Puda’ - Roasted fish chutney

3

1. Weaver Ants in their nest.

2. Weaver Ant collected in a leaf bowl along with

Insects dishes:

eggs.

3. Haw Chutney, a spicy and sour condiment

‘Haw chutney’ - Haw is an ant species called Weaver Ants It’s grinding with mortar pestel along with some red chilli, salt and ginger. Weaver ants are consumed for medicinal purpose as well. It helps in pain relief.

made by grinding Weaver Ants, chilli, garlic and salt.

4. Upi, Winged Termies.

5. Fried winged termites.

‘Upi’- Santhal people like to eat Winged termites. They collect the winged termites that come during monsoons, mostly before rain.They are fried and consumed with rice. They are also dried and powdered for consumption.

4

Some other insects namely: Berudi- Susur bang, Dumur – fly like insect, Luti - smaller fly which lives in hollow tree, Terom, Bunum barwande- a big insect that stings, Niele- big size bee, Saar, etc. These are mosttly cooked by frying or as condiment like Chutney.

They also like to eat Poda i.e. roasted or boiled potatoes. Poda method can be used for brinjal, parwal (pointed gourd) and lady’s finger too.They make various condiments from tamarind seed and jackfruit seed during special occasions.

Link description in Bilbliography

66 | Santhal People & Food

5

SEASONAL FOOD

1

2

Eating habits of Santhals change according to seasons. Santhals feed on lot of wildy growing leafy vegetables ‘Adda or Saag’, which is according to the season in which they grow. The kind of plants they feed on are ones that grow near the rice fields or near water ponds and high moisture content area.

Name of some Summer Foods: Dhurup Adda

‘Latha’ : Carbohydrate and protein rich sticky granola like sweet. It is ate during Summers. It is a mix of jaggery, crushed seeds, pulses and nuts cooked together.

3

Names of vegetable found from rain till winter time(July to December): Hasa Adda - Sessile joyweed or Alternanthera sessilis Hidmicha - Helencha or Enhydra fluctuans Dhangra Kata Adda - Asteracantha longifolia Chatom Adaa - Sunsuniya Saag or Marsilea polycarpa leaves.

Khadang Adda - Kulmi Saag or Water Spinach.

Gandhari/ Leper Gandhari - Amaranthus plant which is mostly cultivated..

Matha Adda (next page, Picture 2.)

Bir Kohonda (next page, Picture 1.)

Khada Adda - Khosala Saag or Amaranth leaves. (next page, Picture 3.)

Maunj Adda (next page, Picture 7.)

5

4

1.6Sessile joyweed - Hasa Ada 2. Asteracantha longifolia - Dangra

Kata Ada 3. Helencha - Hidmicha Ada

Garundi Adda, Khapra Adda, Gadrui Adda, Billai Mutthi, Kulai Lutur, Hodhudi, Chakohonda and Buru Saru are some more locally found plants that are eaten. There are some only meant for medicinal purpose are Kali Bahu for various skin diseases and - for fever and malaria.

4. Water Spinach - Khadang Ada 5. Roselle - Kaura Ada

Santhal Food | 67

1

2

3

1. Bir kohonda 2. Matha Adda, found only in mountains.

3. Khada Adda, Amaranthus.

4. Marsilea - Rote and Chatom Adda 5. Pigeon Peas - Rahed, common lentil.

6. medicinal plant for malaria.

7. Maunj Adda 8. Kali Bahu, medicinal for skin problems.

4

5

7

8

68 | Santhal People & Food

6

RECIPES

Introduction | 69

CHARPA METHOD

1.

Chicken meat rice-cake - called Sim Jil Pitha Ingredients: 1 whole chicken Chopped onions Turmeric Rice flour Salt(optional chilli powder and garam masala)

Mustard oil 2 leaf plate

Preparation: • Chop the chicken into small pieces and clean it properly.

• Pour some mustard oil in kadhai and heat. Put the chopped onions into the kadhai and fry. Add turmeric after sometime and fry (other masalas optional).

• Now add the chopped chicken in kadhai and stir for sometime. Add salt to taste( slightly more than usual). To prevent sticking, add little water.

• Let it cook for a while and then add water to make it into a curry. After 15 mins remove from heat.(picture 1.)

• Take rice flour in a separate bowl, add the curry in the same bowl. (picture 2.)

• Mix it well and make it into a soft dough. (add water if needed.) (picture 3.)

• Take a leaf plate, spread some oil on it and spread the dough (approx equal thickness) over it. Apply oil on the other leaf plate , and sew both the plates together with flattened dough inside with the stick. (picture 4. and 5.)

• Pre-heat a cooking pan or chelang(broader base earthen utensil). Put the prepared leaf covered dough and let it cook. Can add some weight over the plate too, Turn in intervals and check in between. The leafs will start turning black. (picture 6.)

• Take it out of chelang remove the burnt leafs. (picture 7. and 8.)

• Break it into pieces and serve in a separate plate. (picture 9.)

70 | Santhal People & Food

2.

3.

5.

4.

6.

Recipes | 71

7.

9.

8.

Pitha after removing the burnt leaves. Mostly served warm but can be stored for a day or two.

Malhan Pitha, Mushroom Pitha, Meat Pitha, Egg Pitha etc. can be made in same method. Many kinds of vegetable and meat can be used to make Pitha.

72 | Santhal People & Food

MAKING OF HANDIA About the rice beer drink and process In marriages, festivals and in the daily life of the Santhals, Handia takes the centre stage, both as food and drink. Local women selling handia in weekly haats by roadsides is a very common sight.

Rice is fermented with the aid of a yeast comprising of few plants, known as Bakhar, to produce Handia and Rasi. Handia is the thicker gruel and Rasi is the liquid top layer. Formerly Bakhar, also called Ranu was prepared with more than 20 plants. Due to the depletion of many species, it’s now limited to less than 10. These are roots of Samarkani, Ankanadi, Chaulia, Kanga Alu, Patal Garuda, Habin Jhad and bark of Sal bisal, Kuluchi with the whole plant of Kalibahu. Equal quantities of these ingredients are ground together and sun-dried for an hour; the mixture is then dried in shade for few days, after which small tablets are prepared.

Image shows Rasi or Bakhar tablets and Handia served in Lota.

The first step in making handia is : • Cook rice in water in 1:2 ratio; the cooked rice is then sun-dried, then stored in an earthen pot.

• The 2-3 Bakhar tablets are added to per kilogram of rice in the pot, the pot closed and left in semi-dark place.

• In few days, depending on the weather, the content of the pot ferments and makes a hissing sound. It settles down after a while, signaling that the process is over.

• The liquid layer, the Rasi is separated and consumed directly or diluted, depending on the preference.

• The semi-solid Handia is filtered using a bamboo or metal filter and served, again adding water if required.

• Handia is best accompanied by a chutney of tamarind, chilli and salt.

Bakhar is reputed to have several medicinal properties, especially against malaria, against liver ailments, blood pressure and dysentery. Both Handia and Rasi are health drinks and the santhal people believe that it keeps them cool and protects them from jaundice. Incidentally, the production and consumption of handia creates employment for many and is quite remunerative and supports many tribal families.

Concern is the unsustainable collection of the plant ingredients that go into making Bakhar. No such conscious effort has been made for the propagation or conservation of these important plants. In the regions without forests the Santhal people now consume Handia that has been prepared by using adulterated Bakhar; in some places the plants used for Bakhar are smuggled out. With the increasing amount of local people moving to cities the knowledge about Bakhar and Handia is further threatened.

Recipes | 73

STEAMING METHOD Rice Dumpling - called Dumbu Pitha

1.

Ingredients: Rice Flour Water Salt Hay and Bamboo stems for layering Preparation: • Pour some water in the Pot and heat.

• Lay some bamboo stems and a layer of hay.

• Mix rice flour and water to prepare dough. (picture 1) • Make balls from the dough and place it over the hay. (picture 2,3) • Again put some bamboo stems as a base frame. (picture 3) • Repeat the Hay layer and dough ball layer. (picture 4,5) • Cover the pot with another utensil. (picture 6) • Let it get cooked by the water steam.

• Will take half and hour to properly cook.

• Check in between. (picture 8) • When Pitha is ready, take it out and clean the hay.

• Serve with any curry. or can be directly consumed. (picture 9)

• For Dumbu Pitha with sweet filling, preapre a mix of jaggery and coconut.

Put in the center while making a ball. Rest of the process is same.

74 | Santhal People & Food

2.

3.

5.

4.

6.

Recipes | 75

7.

9.

8.

Dumbu Pitha can served with any dish. Best when served hot.

76 | Santhal People & Food

KORHA METHOD Cooking green leafy vegetable - Adda or Saag

1.

2.

3.

4.

Ingredients: Any Leafy vegetable Salt Chilli Garlic Oil Tomato Water Preparation: • In very little oil, fry Chilli and garlic for while.

• Pour water in the vessel (Chelang used here).

• Let it boil for some time.

• Chop the vegetable in small pieces.(Bhinti used here to cut, picture 1) • Now add the vegetable in the boiling water and cover it. (picture 2,3) • Cover the vessel with another utensil. Check in between.

• Before vegetable getting fully cooked, add some diced tomato and cover the vessel again.

• Take the vessel out from the heat. Adda is prepared. (picture 5) • Serve with Rice.

5.

Any kind of Green leafy vegetable (also the names mentioned on page 67 and 68) can be made in the Korha method.

Recipes | 77

RAPAH METHOD Roasting meat covered in leaf plate - Laad Jilu

1.

Ingredients: Chopped chicken pieces Onion Turmeric Chilli Salt A leaf plate Preparation: • Pour some mustard oil in vessel and heat. Put the chillis and chopped onions into the vessel and fry. Add turmeric after sometime and fry (other masalas are optional).

• Now add the chopped chicken in vessel and stir for sometime. Add salt to taste. To prevent sticking, add little water.

• Let it cook for a while and then add more water to make it into a curry.

• After 15 mins remove from heat. The chicken with will partially cooked.

• Take a leaf plate, put very little oil and spread. (picture 1) • Put some meat from the curry in the leaf, fold it half and sew with the sticks. (picture 2) • Put this directly in the fire. Put some burned wood above it too for balanced cooking. (picture 3,4) • Turn in intervals to check. After the leaf looks burned, Take it out. (picture 5) • Open the fold. Meat is ready to eat. (picture 6,7)

78 | Santhal People & Food

2.

3.

4.

7.

5.

Laad means leaf, but as the cooking method, it means putting inside leaf and cooking. Most meat products, egg and mushroom can be made in this method. It gives a nice burnt leaf flavour and aroma to it.

6.

Recipes | 79

CONCLUSION The process of making this document has changed my views and thoughts.

Being a Santhal myself and yet living in this modernized era is like getting best of both world. Now I take pride in being who I am i.e. a Santhal Tribal. The indigenous knowledge that Santhal’s have is too vast.

My documentation gives a gist of culture but there is so much more to learn, and specially carry it forword. This document to me is like a little contribution to the Santhal community. It is a little source of knowledge that could be shared not only among Santhals but also to rest of the world.

I believe that the food, craft and culture of Santhal Tribe needs more recognition. Santhal in both urban and rural don’t realize the importance of the rich culture. The shift from traditional food habits have started affecting the health of Santhal’s living the cities; and the knowledge, practices and habits are not being passed onto the newer generation.

There is a need to promote the craft culture of the tribe, so that they can sustain their livelihood as well as maintain their indigenous knowledge.

I am glad that I initiated this document. It has further encouraged me to work more towards the well being and progress of the Santhals.

80 | Santhal People & Food

“We’re proud to be Santals, we hope Santal children will be too,” writes Ruby Hembrom. “But then, we want to share our pride with indigenous children and people all over the world: Stand for your rights, fight for your land… Disaibon Hul! (Let’s remember the liberation movement)”

Bibliography DATA SOURCES:

Harvard style referencing

What is “Food Craft”? n.d., Food Craft Institute, viewed on 23 January 2019,<https://www.foodcraftinstitute.org/faq/what-is-food-craft/> Santhals Tribe n.d., viewed on 23 September 2018, <http://www.ecoindia.com/tribes/santhal.html > Santhal Tribe Arts and Handicrafts | House Building | Clothing | Ornaments | Hunting | Music | Wooden Art | Cooking 2017, viewed on 25 September 2018, <http://www. santaliblog.com/santhal-tribe/> Santali Food | A taste of Nature by Santals 2017, viewed on 25 September 2018, <https://www.santhaledisom.com/2015/01/santali-food-taste-of-nature-by-santals. html> Sakrat n.d., Santhal e Disom, viewed on 25 September 2018, <https://www.santhaledisom.com/2015/01/sakrat-santhali-festival.html> Lifestyle: Santal Jewelleries | Ornaments n.d., Santhal e Disom, viewed on 25 January 2019, <https://www.santhaledisom.com/2015/01/santal-jewelleries-ornaments.html> “People” Chapter, Page 22,23 and 27: Sarda K. 2017, The Forgotten Santhal Revolt of 1855, viewed on 30 January 2019, <https://www.livehistoryindia.com/snapshort-histories/2017/07/14/the-forgottensanthal-revolt-of-1855>.

About Santhal Rebellion, Sido, Kanhu, Phulo and Jhano. Use of Sal for sending message: Chacko P.A. 2017, Phulo Murmu and Jhano Murmu : The women revolutionaries of Santhal Rebellion, Adivasi Resurgence, viewed on 30 January 2019, <http://www. adivasiresurgence.com/phulo-murmu-and-jhano-murmu-the-adivasi/> Farming in India - Primitive subsistence farming method n.d., Toppr, viewed on 25 January 2019, <https://www.toppr.com/guides/geography/agriculture/farming-inindia/>

Bibliography | 81

Quote on Page 80: Homegrown staff 2017, Disaibon Hul Is The Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Book On Adivasi History We All Need To Read, Homegrown, viewed on 30 January 2019, <https://homegrown. co.in/article/800740/why-disaibon-hul-is-the-children-s-book-on-adivasi-history-we-all-need-to-read>.

IMAGE SOURCES: Google Maps, 2017. Map of India - Showing journey from Gujarat to Odisha, 1:1.500. Google Maps [online], [Accessed 28 January 2019].

Google Maps, 2017. Map of Odisha - Distance from Rourkela to Bahalda, 1:1.500. Google Maps [online], [Accessed 28 January 2019].

Jamini Roy - Santhal Musicians and Dancers - Life Size Posters, n.d. [online], viewed on 30 January 2019, <https://www.tallengestore.com/products/jamini-roy-santhalmusicians-and-dancers-1-life-size-posters#> Jamini Roy Panting - Santhal Couple, n.d. [online], viewed on 30 January 2019, <http://aakritiartgallery.com/assets/upload/artwork_images/1497860179_Ref._ No_._3382_.jpg> Image on Page 23: Illustrated London News 1856, Illustration of Santhals attacking Britishers [online], viewed on 28 January 2019, <http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/ pritchett/00routesdata/1800_1899/britishrule/northeast/northeast.html> Image on Page 35, 37, 37 and 58: Soren J. 2018, Photograph of various Santhal practices taken by John soren [Photograph].

Image on Page 36: Soren R.[author] 2018, Photograph of a Sacred Groove [online], viewed on 30 January 2019, <https://www.santaliscript.com/religion/something-about-santal/> Image on Page 66: Photograph of fried winged termite in their nest[online], viewed on 16 February 2019,<http://annminnsp.club/green-mango-pest-control/green-mango-pest-controlweaver-ants-green-mango-pest-control-address/ Photograph of weaver ants in leaf bowl [online], viewed on 16 February 2019,<https://www.anandabazar.com/photogallery/lifestyle/8-unbelievable-recipes-of-indiadgtl-1.514989?slide=5> Photograph of weaver ants chutney[online], viewed on 16 February 2019,<https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/red-ant-chutney-chaprah-india> Photograph of winged termites[online], <https://trustterminix.com/flying-termites-not-death/> Photograph of fried winged termite[online], viewed on 16 February 2019,<https://rove.me/to/south-africa/roasted-termites> 82 | Santhal People & Food

Glossary Adda - Santhal word for green leafy vegetable, also called Saag in Hindi.

Chata - A bamboo rectangular structure used for storage and preservation of food. It’s hung over the cooking stove and the smoke from the cooking process helps in the food preservation.

Da Mandi - Watery rice dish, a dailyfood of Santhal Dhenki - A traditional rice grinding mill or husk lever.

Doms - They are like Mahalis, but are cobblers who deal with animal skin. They live in cohabitation with Santhals.

Gobar lep - A mix of cowdung, soil and water used to coat the courtyard or floor of Santhal house. It’s part of cleaning process.

Hasa - Santhal word for mud or clay.

Handia- Rice beer or Rice toddy.

Jaher eda or Jaher ayo - Santhal Nature Goddess.

Jhimbiri - Santhal name for Fish catcher. They can be of different shapes.

Jil - It means meat in Santhal, also used as suffix for other types of meat. eg. Sim Jil Kula - a Bamboo table where rice crop is beaaten.

Khanchi- A basket with thick bamboo sticks.

Machi- A litlle wooden stool to sit.

Mahalis - They are basically Carpenters. They live in cohabitation with Santhal tribe but are not Santhal.

Naikey baba - A Santhal village priest.

Marangburu - Santhal God. It also means Highest Mountain. Some people consider Marangbura as Lord Shiva.

Ol-Chiki - Santhal script created by Pandit Raghunath Murmu.

Pitha - A Santhal Cake or Bread. There are various kinds of Pitha. It can be steamed, baked or fried. It can either be sweet, salty or spicy in taste. eg. Dumbu Pitha Sakrat - It’s a Santhal name for Sankranti festival. It is a Harvesting festival.

Sarna - It is the religion of Santhal, which means worship of nature. People or tribe who follow this religion are called Sarna believers.

Sim - Santhal word for poultry.

Tunki - A Square based basket.

Tuplah - A smaller version of Khanchi, used as a bowl.

Glossary| 83

DOCUMENTED AND COMPILED BY SURUCHI SOREN. TOY AND GAME DESIGN, BATCH OF 2017.