Fairs and Festivals of Seraikella Kharsawan District are famous among the people of this district and the West Singhbhum District. Seraikella Kharsawan District hosts an almost equal ratio of tribal and non tribal population. Great communal harmony can be witnessed in the district during the celebrations of different festivals. Religious antagonism and communal tensions are quite rare in this area. The main tribal inhabitants of this region are Oraon Tribe, Santhal Tribe and Ho who celebrate a plethora of festivals with great fervour.
Festivals of Ho Community
Maghe
Maghe is the most significant festival of Ho community, celebrated during the month of February-March. The festival is celebrated on different days in every village so that people from all the villages can participate in the celebrations of others. Diang or rice bear is consumed during this festival. Young folks of the villages sing and dance along with different instruments. All the Gods of Ho tribe are worshipped during this festival in order to bring prosperity to the community.
Baa
Baa is the name of a flower. Baa festival marks the beauty of nature in the month of April when flowers bloom all around.
Hero
Hero refers to sowing. It is celebrated in the months of May-June. The festival marks the worship of fields after which the seeds are sown in the field.
Jomnamah
Jomnamah is celebrated in the month of August-September before the harvest of the first crop.
Kolom
Kolom is celebrated to pay gratitude to Deshauli and Sing Bonga for providing good harvest. It is celebrated either at the beginning of thrashing operations or at their end.
Damurai
Damurai is celebrated when the first rice crop is sown at the month of May. Sacrifice of a cock and a male goat are performed along with the worship of ancestral spirits.
Batauli
Batauli is celebrated just after the celebration of Hero and is associated with the crop fertility. The festival is accompanied by the sacrifice of a fowl and a wing is stripped off after some mysterious ritual. The wing is then kept in cleft of a bamboo and placed erect over a dung heap in the rice field.
Festivals of Santhal Community
The important festivals of Santhal Community include Maghe, Baba Bonga, Sahrai, Ero, Asaria, Hariar, Namah and Ma More.
Festivals of Oraon Community
Oraon Community of this region celebrate festivals like Sarhul Festival, Karma and Burih Karma.
Festivals of Other Communities
Other festivals grandly celebrated in Seraikella Kharsawan district are Easter, Christmas, Eid Ul Fitr, Bakrid, Muharram etc.
Tribal festivals of Seraikella Kharsawan District are unique in terms of their rituals and practices. Apart from these, non tribal festivals are also celebrated in the district with great pomp and show. Communal harmony is the most fascinating feature of these celebrations where people belonging to different communities participate with equal vigour.
