Jantal Festival

Jantal word combines of two words: Jang+Tol . Jang means for ‘Seed’ and Tol for ‘sow’ ,thus ‘sowing of seed’. The paddy plants grow to give out panicle during the month of ‘September’. The roots of paddy plants suck or extract water from the soil to live and grow its seeds so It requires the adequate water during this time . To overcome the water scarce, rain is must during this month .If required amount of rain fails to fall the growth of seeds are badly affected which results in low harvest. The healthy growth of the seeds depends upon the good rain only. This is why Santal people observes ‘Jantal festival’ to pray and to beg for good rain and healthy crop.


Unlike other festival ‘Jantal’ is observed in quite different way which is rather more of praying or begging than celebrating like rest of the festivals. Santal believes ‘Marangburu’ to be responsible to cause rain. So all the rituals during this are begged and prayed in name of ‘Marangburu’. ‘Dihiri’ the custodian of the hill decides the date with consultation of villagers and further the following day, people gather to perform this, they bring rams, goats, raw rice and other required things  that are to be handed over to the Dihiri so that he could perform his rituals. Dihiri puts sindur on the forehead of the animals and make them eat raw rice which is placed inside the ‘Khond’. Later the animals are sacrificed and their meat is cooked with rice and is served between all villagers.

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