Sarna is a place of worship in the Chotanagpur region of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. It is a sacred grove, where people of village gather to perform rituals in village festival.[1]
Ritual
Sarna is a sacred grove of Sal trees, also called Sarai in Chotanagpur. It is a remnant of forest in the village, where spirits are thought to reside.[2] According to traditional belief, Sarna is the residing place of gaon khut (village deity), the founder of village. Each year people gather to offer sacrifice to the Sun, the village deity, and their ancestors to ensure a good harvest and the safety of village. The village priest in Chotanagpur is known as Pahan, sometimes called Laya. Pahan and his assistant Pujar sacrifice animals, especially goat. Then cooked meat is eaten with Tapan (liquor).[1] The ritual of Sarhul festival takes place in Sarna.[3][4]
Sarna is place of worship in village of the Sadan and Kurukh of Chotanagpur.[5][6][7] Several tribal organizations, including Santals, are demanding a separate religious code for Sarna as Sarnaism as they believe it differs from Hinduism.[8][9] Although Santals call their sacred groves Jaher and village priest Naike.[10][11]