Seraikella Kharsawan District

Seraikella Kharsawan District is situated in the state of Jharkhand. The district headquarters is located at Seraikela town. The district is famous for Seraikela Chhau, which is enlisted among the three distinctive styles of Chhau dance.

Seraikella state was established by the third Maharaja Jagannath Singh, Kumar Bikram Singh I, in 1620. However, after independence of India, the district was merged with the state of Bihar and was declared as a subdivision sharing boundaries with Kharsawan state. The royal family of Seraikella has been the Singh Deo family who are great patrons of Chhau dance. The family leads an active public life and are the guardians of Ma Paudi temple which is housed inside their royal residence. At the Seraikella Royal Palace they also host the annual Chhau Festival.

Connoisseurs of dance and music consider the district as their "Mecca". The pride of the district is the world famous Chhau dance that exquisitely captures and portrays the fancies of art lovers all around the globe. The grandeur and grace of this form of art is highly enchanting.

Seraikella Kharsawan District is situated amidst picturesque natural beauty. It is embraced by hillocks, lush green forests and majestic rivers and rivulets. Along the bank of Kharkai River, Seraikela Town is located. It also houses large mineral deposits such as Asbestos, Kyanite, quartz etc and a rich cultural heritage. Adityapur Industrial Area is also situated in the district which is enlisted among the largest industrial areas of Asia. The development of Seraikella Kharsawan in Bihar was initiated in an idle manner but it gained pace after the formation of Jharkhand state and plans were made to strengthen its economy. Several tanks, canals, tube wells and dams were built to facilitate drinking and irrigation systems. Many educational centres were also established in the district. Tourism has been greatly promoted by the government as the district houses a number of sightseeing and historical places.

Seraikella Kharsawan District  has a large population of scheduled tribes. Most of the population depends on agriculture and forest products for their livelihood. Culture of Seraikella Kharsawan District exhibits an amalgamation of tribal and non tribal beliefs and non tribal beliefs and practices. The main inhabitants of the district are Santhal Tribe, Ho and Oraon tribes. Non tribal population includes Hindu, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs Buddhists and Jains. Tribal folks of the district along with the non tribal population are deeply involved in religious faiths and practices.

The majority population of Ho community of the district are dependent on cultivation. People of Ho community are nature lovers and believe in Sarna religion. The sacred grove of the village is known as Sarna place or Jahira and it is believed that the village God Desauli lives there along with his consort. Naser Bonga is the God of water who lives in water. Main deities of Ho community are:

Sing Bonga : Sing Bonda is the main deity of this community. He is believed to be the sole creator of nature.

Marang Bonga : Marang Bonga is greatly worshipped in times of difficulties. He is the most important God of the community after Sing Bonga.

Deshauli : Deshauli is considered to be the village God who provides nourishment to all the living beings including human beings, birds, animals and trees. He is also believed to save everyone from trouble, diseases and natural calamities.

Pawnee : Pawnee is another deity who is an associate of Deshauli and lives on hills.

Bindi Era and Nage Era : They are water Goddesses who live in ponds and lakes.

People of Ho community have `Andi` at their homes which is referred to a separate kitchen cum worship room. After the demise of a family member, their soul is established in Andi and is regularly worshipped. During difficult times, prayers are offered to these souls with a belief that they would keep their family in peace and good health. Hadanko-Tudanko is the name given to these souls which refers to elders in sleeping stage.

Deuri is the term for a priest who worships Bongas on significant festivals. In the worships, prayers are offered along with the offering of fowl and rice bear. Tribal communities believe that the evil spirits cause diseases which are cured by worshiping Hindu deities like Dehima, Kalima, Durgama, Hanman Bir etc along with tribal deities.

Idol worship is not practiced in this region. The tribal folks are highly practical are mostly concerned about bringing happiness in the world. According to them, death is caused due to escape of soul through eyes, mouth or nostrils. Usually the soul is believed to be invisible but it may also appear in any form. No belief of concepts like hell and heaven is found among the community people. A number of fairs and festivals of Seraikella Kharsawan District make the place culturally enriched. Perfect communal harmony is evident in the celebrations.

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.