Traditional invitation ‘Gira Sakam’ distributed, village and forest deities invoked
The Dalma Buru Sendra Committee finalized the date of the Sendra festival during a meeting held at Gadda in Parsudih area of East Singhbhum on Friday, setting it for May 20.
JAMSHEDPUR – In a meeting presided over by Dalma Raja Rakesh Hembram, the Dalma Buru Sendra Committee decided to celebrate the Disua Dalma Sendra festival on May 20.
The first traditional invitation, known as ‘Kita Gira Sakam’, was handed over to Jugsalai Torof Pargana Dashmat Hansda, who was requested to bring the warriors of his army on the said date.
Prior to distributing the invitations, Rakesh Hembram invoked the village and forest deities in the courtyard of his ancestral home in Gadda, informing them about the date of Sendra and seeking their consent.
Tribal Traditions
A knot of 38 leaves was tied in a date palm branch, which will be opened one by one every day from Saturday until the last knot is opened on the day of the Sendra festival.
Pargana Baba Dashmat Hansda of Jugsalai Torof emphasized that the tribal society continues to celebrate this festival created by their ancestors, and it is not appropriate to link the tradition of Sendra with animal hunting.
Social and Cultural Significance
Talsa Majhi Baba Durgacharan Murmu explained that Sendra festival was not started just for hunting, but also for searching herbs in dense forests and discussing social customs and evils.
"Sendra Parv is also a social school of the tribal community," said Demka Soy, a Ho community intellectual, adding that youth and newly married people are taught about the art of living a social life during the festival.
