182
10.3.3 Culture
In this segment the study, the culture primarily includes the prevalent rites of birth,
marriage, and death and other festivals of the selected tribal communities.
10.3.4 Janam Chhatiar (Birth Ceremony)
After a birth of a child, the whole village or tola becomes religiously unclean. There
will be no festivals in the village or in the tola till they are purified by the ceremony
known as Janam Chhatiar. This ceremony will take place 5 days after birth of a
male children and 3 days after the birth of female children. “It may be postponed,
but is always celebrated on uneven days (e.g. the seventh) after the birth. If, however, the child is born within three days before a new moon, it receives its name
earlier, and even on the day of birth, the belief being that to give a child its name in
another month than that it which it was born will bring misfortune of some kind
upon it, especially when he or she is married” (O’Malley 1999, p.89).
10.3.5 Chacho Chhatiar (Puberty Rite)
Here chacho means to toddle or walk. After the performance of this rite, a Santal
child has reached the adolescent stage and got the permission to become a fullfledged member of the community. Without having been through this, no Santal boy
or girl may be married.
Table 10.1 Exogamous septs if Santals of Purulia district, West Bengal
Exogamous septs
Totems
Traditional occupation
Hansdak
Duck
Blacksmith
Kisku
Golden Eagle
King-maker
Saren
Seven Star
Soldier or Sentinel
Marandi
Merza grass
Farmer
Murmu
Nilgai-the blue bull
Priest, Worshipper
Hembrom
Betel-nut
Dewan, Land Owner
Baske
Pantabhat
Businessman
Tudu
Duck
Blacksmith
Besra
Hawk
Not known
Paunria
Pigeon
Not known
Chore
Chameleon
Not known
Source: Daripa 2003, pp.85–86
S. Mukherjee and U. S. Malik
10.3.3 Culture
In this segment the study, the culture primarily includes the prevalent rites of birth,
marriage, and death and other festivals of the selected tribal communities.
10.3.4 Janam Chhatiar (Birth Ceremony)
After a birth of a child, the whole village or tola becomes religiously unclean. There
will be no festivals in the village or in the tola till they are purified by the ceremony
known as Janam Chhatiar. This ceremony will take place 5 days after birth of a
male children and 3 days after the birth of female children. “It may be postponed,
but is always celebrated on uneven days (e.g. the seventh) after the birth. If, however, the child is born within three days before a new moon, it receives its name
earlier, and even on the day of birth, the belief being that to give a child its name in
another month than that it which it was born will bring misfortune of some kind
upon it, especially when he or she is married” (O’Malley 1999, p.89).
10.3.5 Chacho Chhatiar (Puberty Rite)
Here chacho means to toddle or walk. After the performance of this rite, a Santal
child has reached the adolescent stage and got the permission to become a fullfledged member of the community. Without having been through this, no Santal boy
or girl may be married.
Table 10.1 Exogamous septs if Santals of Purulia district, West Bengal
Exogamous septs
Totems
Traditional occupation
Hansdak
Duck
Blacksmith
Kisku
Golden Eagle
King-maker
Saren
Seven Star
Soldier or Sentinel
Marandi
Merza grass
Farmer
Murmu
Nilgai-the blue bull
Priest, Worshipper
Hembrom
Betel-nut
Dewan, Land Owner
Baske
Pantabhat
Businessman
Tudu
Duck
Blacksmith
Besra
Hawk
Not known
Paunria
Pigeon
Not known
Chore
Chameleon
Not known
Source: Daripa 2003, pp.85–86
S. Mukherjee and U. S. Malik