Volume-XII, Special Issue, April 2026 |
সাঁওতালি সংস্কৃতিতে ‘মাঘ ও সাকরাত’ পরব এর ভূমিকা: একটা আলোচনা ভবেশ চন্দ্র মুর্মু, গবেষক, সাঁওতালি বিভাগ, বিদ্যাসাগর বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, মেদিনীপুর, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, ভারত |
Received: 03.04.2026 | Accepted: 08.04.2026 | Published Online: 10.04.2026 | Page No: 122-128 | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.12.issue.specialW.275 | |||||||
The Role of the 'Magh' and 'Sakrat' Festivals in Santali Culture: A Discussion. Bhabesh Chandra Murmu, Research scholar, Department of Santali, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
The Bengali equivalent of the Santali word 'Parab' is 'festival'—specifically, a celebration where joy is experienced through dance and song, grounded in a distinct cultural context. In this piece, I endeavor to present specialized insights—derived from research—regarding the topic: "The Role of the 'Magh' and 'Sakrat' Festivals in Santali Culture: A Discussion." The Santal community observes a festival during the month of ‘Magh’, which is known as the ‘Magh’ Festival; similarly, the festival observed on the final day (Sankranti) of the month of ‘Poush’ is termed the ‘Sakrat’ Festival. These two festivals are recognized as integral components of Santali culture. This is because, within this cultural framework, ‘Magh’ marks the first—or inaugural—month of the year. The New Year is welcomed through the ritual of 'Magh Sim Bonga' (meaning 'Magh Worship'), a ceremony characterized by various specific activities and social significance. Conversely, ‘Poush’ constitutes the final month of the year; the year is bid farewell through the ‘Sakrat’ Festival, observed on the ‘Sankranti’ of the month of ‘Poush’. This ‘Sakrat’ Festival, too, encompasses a distinct set of rituals and social contributions. My primary objective here has been to present—through research-based analysis—a detailed account of each of the cultural roles and social contributions associated with these two festivals, alongside an introduction to their fundamental identities. | ||
Keywords: Magh Festival in Santali Culture, Sakrat Festival, Cultural Role, Social Contribution, Discussion. |