Sohray : Santhali Festival


                   
Sohray: A Santhal festival


Sohray is  one of the biggest Festival among Santhal tribes. It is celebrated when the plantation of crops get done. They celebrate it as the festival named “Sohray” . This festival is celebrated among many communities but a little bit different in the Santhal community. It is because their animal helps them to grow crops in field. Therefore tribes are acknowledging them by this festival.




This festival lasts for three days.
It starts from each and every house. The first day they worship to their ancestors and bongas (sacred spirit). Worship is done in the field.
A egg is placed over the Got tandi where all the animals are taken towards and finally by whom egg is scrambled  the respected animals are being chosen in this way and the owner of that animal now got to pay Handi tukuj (a type of drink by tribal’s made up of rice or can be called "Rice Bear") to villagers in coming year.
Dangiri Khuntaw(Bull fighting by santhal tribe)


since then night people awake the animal by singing and dancing from door to door. It is being continued till  third day.
This practice is called “Gayi Jagaw”



2nd day of sohray people worships their cow-shed. They bring some crops of rice from their field that they have cultivated as it is used in worshiping. After worshiping they tie those plants to animal's horn. And in their worship, Handi is being addressed to their god and ancestors in the name of sohray with praising for everybodys happiness and for a good health for their animals.

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third day is being  celebrated as the last day by khuntaw(this is a practice in which bull is tied up to picket and one man have to fight having the dry leather against bull.It makes the bull angry and result the leather toughly hitted by a angry bull by his horn. This process is repeated over three or more times depending upon the aggressiveness of bull.during this fight a tribal song is being sung over there by playing Tamak and tumda(A tribal music instruments). Having made all this practice getting tired they all finally go to Akhra where they all dance together sing together.

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