Sarhul
01 Apr, 2025
Tuesday
Sarhul on 01-04-2025
About Sarhul 2025
What is Sarhul?
Sarhul(सरहुल त्यौहार) is a spring festival in the state of Jharkhand, India. It marks the beginning of the new year. This festival is celebrated for three days from Chaitra Purnima to Tritiya of Shukla Paksha of Chaitra month.
How celebrates this festival?
In this festival people worship “Sarna”. Ploughing is prohibited on this day. People keep fast, a day before the festival. Young people collect Sal(a tree name) flowers from the nearby forest and catch crabs and fish. On the occasion of festival, people go to Sarna playing dhol, nagara and madal. People worship the Sal Tree. Shalai, flowers of the Sal tree, are offered to the gods. The village priest Pahan, sometimes called Laya, and the priest offer sacrifices of Sal Flowers, fruits, vermilion, three cocks and Tapan, a local made liquor to the village deity for good fortune of the village. Pahan sacrifices three chickens of different colors to the Sun, the village deity and the ancestors. Pahan placed a vessel of water in Sarna and made predictions about the next year's weather the next day. Pahan distributed the flowers of Sal tree among the villagers.
Who Celebrates this Festival
People worship the spirits of their ancestors in their homes and offer different foods to them. They eat food only after making offerings to the souls of their ancestors. Then they sing, dance to the beats of dhol, nagara and mandar, also drink local made liquor called “Handiya”. People worship under the sacred Sarna tree on the occasion of Sarhul, on the outskirts of Ranchi and Jharkhand tribal regions. It is known as Hadi Bonga among Bhumij and Mundas. It is known as Baha Parab among the Ho and Santal people.
