Beliefs and Tales of Santhal Tribes

Beliefs and Tales of Santhal Tribes

The Santhals do not worship any idols nor do they make any temples of their deities.

The Santhals however, recognize ghosts and spirits like Kal Sing, Lakchera, Beudarang. The gods of Santhal are Jaheraera, Marangburu, Manjhi, etc. The god of the mountains is called Marangburu. The Santhal are animists, and they sacrifice animals to their gods. The Santhal also worship the village deity of Gramdeuta. The priest of Santhal is called Naiki and the shaman Ujha. Pilchuhadam and Budi are their ancestral deities. The religion of Santhal is called Sarna religion.

According to their folk tales, in the beginning there was only water in the world and then came the land mass. At that time the creator THAKURJI or God was living in the sky. On the request of his wife THAKURJI created a pair of birds. On the branches of a Karam tree two eggs were laid by the bird and from those eggs a couple of human beings emerged. They made roofed huts and started cultivating crops. They gave birth to seven sons and eight daughters and in this manner Santhal originated and multiplied. Today, their supreme god is the sun god. However, they have also adopted the Hindu deities in addition to tribal gods and goddesses. The Hindu village priest is the ritual specialist, and they observe many Hindu festivals. They do have a firm belief in an almighty creator and also in "mother earth."

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