Worship at full-moon night

On the night of the full moon, the worship is performed in an open place. First, a certain open place in the village is selected as a venue for the ceremony. In the full moon night, Oraon boys of the village bring straw from their houses and heap it in the place of worship. Then they go to cut three branches of the Shimul tree while accompanied by beating drums, hand capping, cymbals, singing and dancing. It is important that a man, who has to been fasting to demonstrate body purity, cuts the branches of the tree. Then, the cut branches are carried to the place of worship along with singing and dancing. The branches are placed beside the straw. At the same time, the elders of the village come to the place of worship in a possession with music. Then the ceremonial rites of worship begin. A lay priest or an experienced older person from the village called the Pāhān conducts the ceremony. Fasting is must for him on that very day to insure body purity. The lay priest digs three holes, each a little distant from each other, and places the branches inside the holes. Then, he puts on vermilion on the

4 A piece of disc-shaped thin bread made by hand.

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branches of the tree and pays homage to them by lighting candles, burning incenses and uttering the following verses:⁵

E emahAya sirajuu belAyo, kerakA bAbisatA urmi mAlAdAoti bAchA vAcakAya Aoge dhAnna mAndAm. Annem ivArisatA bAranA, dukkha tApalik, rog-byArAmati bAchA bAAke.

(trans. Oh our creator God! you have saved us from all sorts of mischief in previous year, for this we convey our gratitude and thanks to you. In the same way, please save us from all sufferings, pains, diseases and decrepitude of this year.)

Heap of collected straws Branches are putting in the hole

After this, the lay priest covers the three branches with the straw. Then, a live cock is tied with a branch and covered with straw. Then the lay priest walks three times clockwise around the branches, and after every round he sets some straw on fire. Next, everybody present there says the following verse in chorus⁶:

KerakA bAcchAratA urmi mAldAo lekhAm I bacchAratA mAldAo, rog byArAm dukkha tApalik i ciicanu alAraki cindi mAnAneka A.

5 Bangladesher Oraon Adibasi, op, cit., p. 58.

6 Ibid, p. 59.

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(trans. Like previous year, let all inauspicious happenings, diseases, pains and sufferings of this year be burnt into ashes).

Branches are covering with straws Sets fire and dancing around it

As soon as the fire goes out, the lay priest divides each of the three branches into two parts with a sharp knife, while incarnating the following verse⁷:

i chedkA DArA lekhAm AlAr gAhi sArAp nAJjAra lAk kA chedarAA nekaA.

(trans. Let all curses, evil eye, jealousy etc. be shorn into pieces like the bifurcation of these branches.

Next, the lay priest implants some of the divided branches near the place of worship. The associates of the lay priest repeat this rite. They walk three times around the remaining portion of the branches, dividing them and implanting pieces of the branches near the worship place.

Then, all the persons (male and female) collect the ashes from the fire and rub them on their navels and forehead. Then pray to their God to keep them free from all diseases, sufferings and lamentations throughout the coming year. A miniature hut, which is specially built for

7 Ibid; p. 59.

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this festival, is set on fire to symbolize the end of the passing year and the dawning of the new one. It means as the fire gradually grasping the hut so passing the days of the year and dawning the New Year. A second meaning of this ritual may be, as they themselves say, “to destroy the evils of the past year, and that all may be well in the new”.⁸ As the fire blazes, young boys and girls burst into cheer for the festivities. At last, everybody spends the rest of the full moon night with singing, dancing, and merry-making.

Lay priest bifurcating the branch People rubbing the ashes

2.3.2. Ancestor Worship

Like other communities of the world, ⁹ ancestor worship is a very popular practice to the Oraons of Bangladesh, who consider their ancestors as household deities. Consequently, in Oraon society, every socio-popular festival and ceremonies honors and worships the family ancestors. In the New Year Day, ancestor worship is observed with great dignity and solemnity as an important and integral part of Fagua Festival. For this reason, Fagua festival is also known as the “household deity” celebration. Ancestor spirits are considered to be

8 Oraon Symbols: Theologising in Oraon Context, op, cit., p. 32.

9 Ancestor worship has played a very important part in the religion of ancient Greece and Rome. It is also a very important feature of the traditional Chinese and Japanese societies. Cults of the same kind exist today in many parts of Africa and Asia. See Tribal Festivals of Bihar: A Functional Analysis, op, cit., p. 46.

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members of their family, clan and tribe. It is believed that family ancestors are concerned about their living relatives, and their welfare is a special obligation of theirs. So the ancestors watch over their living relatives during times of sickness and foil the attempts of evil spirits to harm the living. The living relatives, on their part, consider it their duty to extol and venerate their ancestors with sacrifices and libations. The help of ancestor spirits is sought, especially in times of great distress. The spirits of ancestors are invoked, and sacrifices are offered to them, on several festivals in addition to Fagua. It is a custom for an Oraon to put aside a little portion of food for their ancestors before every meal. This is done in gratitude to their ancestors, who have been their providers and protectors.¹⁰ Oraons believe that an abundance of crops and domestic property can be obtained through the satisfaction of ancestors. These household deities will save them from diseases, lamentations, pains, sufferings, scarcity and wanting in upcoming year.

On the eve of Fagua, a large variety of food, snacks and delicacies is cooked in every house of the Oraon community. Before the villagers eat this food, they offer worship to their ancestors or household deities. This domestic worship is performed inside Oraon houses with the delicious holiday food and some special materials. No priest is required to perform the worship. Instead, householders play the role of the priest. Before performing the worship the householder usually dresses in a T-shirt and long loin cloth called a Dhuti. In Oraon language this worship is called ‘Miokita’.

As part of this ceremony, a corner of the house is purified with cow dung. Then, an alter is made for performing the rites of worship. For this worship, a pitcher of home-brewed wine, a winnowing-fan, rice, incense, vermilion, three caskets made of jackfruit leaves, three oil-baked cakes, durba grass and water are used. The householder enters into the house carrying

10 The Role of the Oraons in the Work of Evangelization in Chatanagpur, op, cit., p. 52.

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these materials on a winnowing-fan and sits down in front of the alter, facing eastward. First of all, he puts the three caskets that made of jackfruit-leaf on the altar. Then, he makes a sign with vermilion on the three caskets and puts a little amount of rice and durba grass into them.

Next, a live hen with vermilion pasted on its forehead, is placed on the altar. After this is done, the householder recites the following prayer, while scattering rice on the hen: ¹¹

E emahAya purkhAro, andA nimAge i dARen AragAA lAgadAm. Rausi rAge Amake uiyA, eRapAntArin Amake sAthA bAA.

(trans. Oh our ancestors ! we are dedicating this sacrifice for you, do not foster anger against us, do not give sufferings and pains to any family members).

After offering prayer, the householder slaughters the hen and smears the altar with the blood of the hen. Next, some candles and incenses are bunt. Finally, home-brewed wine is poured on the oil-baked cakes, and the cakes are scattered to the four directions (east, west, north and south) of the altar in honor of the ancestors, while uttering the following prayers:¹²

e emahAya purakhAro ne emahAya sAnni kohA rAdAra. nimA mAlA AmbA lAgadAma hormArage khAttAlAgadAma, oneka mokhake, emahAya AkkA bAlakAna chemA nAnake, ti-nA Amake khARaA.

(trans. Oh our ancestors ! All of you drink and enjoy it. Forgive the mistakes if we have done any willingly or unwillingly, do not hate us, do not anger with us.)

Thus, the ceremony is completed. After the worship, the householder drinks a cup of home-brewed wine and asks other male members of the family to drink wine with him. But the females of the family are prohibited to drink the wine, reflecting the male bias of this ritual.

11 Bangladesher Oraon Adibasi, p. 60.

12 Ibid, p. 60.

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After the wine is drunk, all the family members enjoy the delicious elegantly prepared food.

After eating, they continue to celebrate with dancing, singing and applying colored marks on the foreheads of one another, characterizing adherence to the Oraon community.

Ingredients of the worship Householder performing the ancestor worship