21/09/2025
"Ancestor worship among Indian Tribes"
Dr. Kailash Kumar Mishra
#डॉकैलाशकुमारमिश्र
India's population includes approximately 8% from tribal communities, commonly referred to as Adivasis, Janjatis, Mooljatis, Vanavasis, or Vanyajatis. Officially recognized as Scheduled Tribes under the Indian Constitution, these communities inhabit forests, hills, plateaus, and remote areas, living in sync with nature. Their distinct lifestyle, dietary practices, festivals, rituals, customs, deities, spiritual beliefs, and deep connection with the earth set them apart.
As a native rancher, my background in anthropology has instilled in me a deep connection to the land and its people. I have a passion for exploration and cultural exchange. Fortunately, I've had numerous opportunities to travel across India, engage with diverse tribal communities, and gain insight into their unique customs and traditions. My journey is ongoing, and I invite you to join me in discovering the significance of ancestor worship and respect in tribal societies. Through this lens, you'll see how seamlessly they align with India's Hindu heritage, revealing a profound connection that dates back centuries.
Through personal observations, this article highlights examples of enduring traditions and practices within tribal communities. Notably, despite geographical and literary distances, most of these communities remain deeply connected to broader Hindu traditions. Their vibrant oral traditions and folk practices demonstrate a remarkable alignment with the larger cultural heritage, underscoring the resilience and diversity of India's sacred tapestry.
In ancient India, monarchs and rulers regarded tribal communities as an integral part of their kingdom and society.
Emperor Ashoka's historic edict emphasizes the importance of prioritizing the welfare of remote forest communities, inhabiting mountainous and densely forested regions, who have embraced a life of simplicity. This ancient directive embodies the enduring principle of putting the needs of the most marginalized and disadvantaged groups first.
Located in Jharkhand's Simdega district, Ramrekha Dham is a picturesque waterfall sacred to the Munda and Oraon tribes. According to local legend, Lord Rama, accompanied by his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, sought refuge here during their exile. A striking natural rock formation, resembling a massive hearth, is revered as the site where Sita cooked meals using the sacred water. This storied site has fostered a deep connection between the tribal communities and Hinduism, as they identify with Rama and the Ramayana, weaving their cultural heritage into the ancient epic.
Located near Chainpur in Gumla district, the Tanginath hilltop is a sacred site featuring an array of deities, including multiple Shiva idols, other Hindu gods, and a notable Gautam Buddha statue. The name "Tangi" originates from the axe discovered at this site. This revered location serves as a convergence point for local tribes, who offer worship and prayers. Daily rituals are performed by the Pahan, a local priest, who tenderly worships the Shivling. Tanginath holds great significance as a unified spiritual hub, attracting people from all tribes to gather, pray, and connect with their shared heritage.
Located in Gumla district's Ghaghra block, Devaki—a sacred site whose name translates to "abode of gods" in the Oraon language—boasts an array of revered natural and spiritual attractions. These include a river, a cave, and multiple Shiva lingams, all of which hold supreme significance for the local tribes. The site has recently been enhanced with the construction of a modest yet majestic temple, further solidifying its importance as a sacred destination.
Elderly tribals in Bishunpur recounted, "During his exile, Lord Rama traversed this very route, accompanied by local tribes who were deeply devoted to him. Rama showed them immense affection, earning their heartfelt reverence. They lovingly provided him with fruits, roots, and tubers. The tribals affectionately chanted 'O Ram O Ram,' which over time evolved into 'Oraam' and eventually became 'Oraon,' the name now synonymous with our tribe."
During my visit to Bikaner, Rajasthan, I discovered the fascinating origin of the city's name. It is attributed to King Vikram Singh, affectionately known as 'Bika,' and his Bhil friend, Nera. According to legend, when Bika faced difficult times, Nera generously offered his wealth. In gratitude, when Bika's fortunes turned, he founded a city, naming it Bikaner – a combination of their names, symbolizing their enduring friendship and mutual support.
The Jagannath Puri temple showcases a remarkable fusion of tribal and Hindu traditions. The temple's main deities, Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra, were crafted by Sabar tribespeople, a sub-tribe of Bhil. Notably, they used wood, rather than stone or metal, for idol-making, reflecting their unique cultural heritage.
The Vishnu Purana's Chitrasutra provides creative freedom in woodwork and idol morphology, allowing the Sabar tribals to infuse their traditional craftsmanship into the temple's icons. Before the Ratha Yatra, Sabar tribals perform puja in the temple's sanctum, highlighting their integral role in the temple's rituals.
Every 12 or 19 years, the wooden idols are replaced with exact replicas, meticulously crafted by Sabar artisans to preserve the original tribal features. This seamless blending of traditions demonstrates that tribal and Hindu customs complement each other, with folk traditions enriching scriptural knowledge.
Rather than existing as binary opposites, tribal life and Hindu life are interconnected, with each influencing the other in a beautiful symbiosis. This harmonious exchange underscores the rich cultural diversity and shared heritage of India's tribal and Hindu communities.
Understanding the notion of ancestors in tribal societies necessitates an examination of their distinct cosmology and cultural paradigm. This overview will highlight key components that underscore the importance of ancestral heritage in these communities.
Ancestor worship and tarpan (offerings to ancestors) hold significant importance in most tribal communities, where ancestors are revered as mediators between gods and humans. The Jarawa tribe of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands exemplifies this, communicating with their invisible deity through their ancestors as if they were family members.
Their daily rituals involve standing before the sun and offering fish, bananas, coconuts, and other essential items to their ancestors, accompanied by animal blood and local liquor. No food or resource is consumed without first being offered to their ancestors.
Jarawa youths, before venturing into the sea for fishing, pray fervently to their ancestors from their boats:
"Respected, grand, powerful, divine, and omnipotent ancestors, equivalent to gods, present everywhere - in the sea, sky, earth, home, and boat - protect our family members, children, lactating and pregnant women, and the elderly we've left behind. Grant us a safe and bountiful catch, and ensure our return."
Simultaneously, their family members pray:
"O omnipotent ancestors, our people have gone fishing with nets. Protect them from turbulent seas, storms, venomous snakes, and dangerous creatures. Keep their boat safe from sinking and shield them from death."
In the coastal areas of Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, ancestors guide their children on safe sea navigation, indicating favorable times to venture out. Tribals interpret this guidance through observations of the sand's color, believing their ancestors enter the sand to safeguard their people.
This profound reverence for ancestors underscores the deep spiritual connection and sense of protection that defines tribal communities.
In Sikkim and the Darjeeling Hills, particularly around Kanchenjunga, the Lepcha tribe reveres their ancestors through offerings of liquor, fruits, blood, and other items. These ancestral spirits serve as their primary deities and guardian spirits. According to Lepcha belief, their chief guardian spirit resides on Kanchenjunga's highest peak, possessing ancient wisdom, medicinal knowledge, and sacred texts, watching over and protecting their community.
Despite embracing Buddhism for generations, the Lepchas have retained their indigenous traditions, ancestral worship, and cultural heritage. Buddhism's inclusive nature allows it to coexist harmoniously with their ancestral customs, thoughts, and tribal rituals. Even during significant life events, such as house construction, the Lepchas invoke their ancestors' blessings.
Notably, Christian Lepchas also honor their clan's ancestors and the guardian spirit, often referred to as the "seed of the universe." They proudly maintain their Lepcha identity, blending their Christian faith with indigenous traditions. This cultural synthesis reflects the Lepchas' deep connection to their ancestral roots.
The Gond tribe, spread across Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and West Bengal, is the second-largest tribal community after the Bhil. The entire Gondwana region is named after them. In Gond tradition, ancestor worship and tarpan (offerings to ancestors) are unique, taking place within the home. They establish their ancestral deities, Duma Dev, in a sacred corner called Nukang Ada, worshiping them continually.
Key aspects of Gond ancestral worship:
- Nukang Ada: A sacred corner in prominent Gond households, housing Duma Dev, off-limits to women except daughters-in-law who have given birth to a son.
- Duma Dev: Protector deity, revered by family members, sought in times of hardship.
- Death rituals: Visam gotri relatives (distant maternal relatives), Akku Mama, facilitate purification, construct death pillars, and perform rituals.
- Ancestral temple: Ana Kuduma, where souls of same-clan individuals are enshrined, believed to increase influence and protect against evil.
Rituals and practices:
- Elaborate death rituals transform the deceased into Duma Dev.
- Verification: A chick is offered rice to confirm the soul's entry into Nukang Ada.
- Community worship: Ancestral deities worshiped with sacrifices, tarpan, and liquor offerings during deity festivals.
- Respectful establishment: Ancestral deities are not immersed but respectfully placed in homes.
The Gond tribe's unique traditions and practices underscore their deep reverence for ancestors and community ties.
The Santal tribe follows a unique funeral tradition, incorporating both cremation and burial. In the case of burial, a sacred ritual involves placing fire in the deceased person's mouth. Additionally, a few strands of hair from the head and fingernails are carefully cut and preserved. After the burial, these hair and nail clippings are ritually immersed in a river.
Regardless of whether cremation or burial is chosen, the Santal tribe considers it essential to perform all post-death rituals. For children who have undergone the "Chacho Chhathiar" coming-of-age ceremony but pass away prematurely, burial on ancestral land is mandatory. Conversely, children who have not completed this rite of passage are not buried on ancestral land, following traditional Santal customs.
The Santal community follows unique death rituals, guided by superstition and tradition. To prevent the spread of contagious diseases, they refrain from putting fire in the mouth of individuals who died from epidemics or infectious diseases, fearing it would spread the disease rapidly throughout the village. Instead, they opt for burial or modify their cremation practices.
During death rituals, the Santal community openly consumes liquor (Pochay). The village head (Godait) announces the deceased's procession, prompting villagers to gather quickly. While the men prepare the body for departure, the grieving family's women:
1. Bathe the body
2. Dry it with cloth
3. Apply oil to the face and feet
4. Cover it with a shroud
The men then carry the body on a cot or bier to the designated site.
Cremation:
1. A wooden pyre (Sara) is prepared
2. If the deceased is the father, the son lights the dry grass in his mouth and ignites the pyre
3. After cremation, the son collects a bone from the remains, washes his hands, and returns home
Burial:
1. The body is circled around the grave three or five times
2. Placed inside the grave
3. Fire is put in the mouth
Post-cremation/burial:
1. Participants wash hands and feet outside the house before entering
2. Consume liquor
3. The son places the collected bone in a small clay pot called "Jara-VAHA"
The grieving family's women:
1. Whitewash the house with cow dung
2. Discard impure utensils
3. Bathe in a river or stream
For a week, relatives and family members visit the grieving family to offer condolences.
These rituals reflect the Santal community's unique cultural practices and traditions surrounding death and mourning.
Santal Funeral Rites: Ninth-Day Rituals and Bhandan Ceremony
Ninth-Day Rituals (Anna)
Nine days after the passing, the son performs "Anna." He takes the Jara-VAHA (container with remaining bones) outside the village and places it on a wooden lamp. With the bone wrapped in his fist, men and women pour water from leaf cups onto his hand. The son then breaks the lamp and container with a wooden stick. Everyone proceeds to the river for bathing.
After bathing, the men create a makeshift altar on the riverbank, offering flattened rice, milk, sweets, and other items in the deceased's name. The son immerses the Jara-VAHA in the river. Upon returning home, the son's wife or sister washes his feet at the doorstep, and he changes into saffron clothes.
Bhandan Ceremony
Four to five days before the Bhandan ceremony, relatives and family members are informed. The house is cleaned and painted, and after bathing, all present receive chuda (flattened rice) and jalpan (water).
In the courtyard, a mandoli (worship place) is created for worship in the deceased's name. Wealthy families sacrifice a bull; others may sacrifice pigs, goats, or chickens according to their means. Relatives and villagers also make sacrifices in the deceased's name.
The family hosts a feast (Bhoj-Bhat), feeding and serving all present. Some sacrificed meat is cooked in the village street, reserved for men, but the family members performing Bhandan refrain from eating it to maintain the deceased's connection with the house.
Spirit Possession and Divination
During the rituals, some male participants may enter a trance-like state, believed to be possessed by the deceased's spirit. They are offered soup and rice, and in the deceased's form, ask family members for water. The possessed individual then shares insights into the family's future, happiness, sorrow, and potential calamities.
Feast Timing
The Bhandan feast can occur six months or a year after the ceremony, depending on the family's financial situation.
While working with the Bhil tribes near Udaipur in Mewar, I discovered their deep devotion to Lord Shiva. Fascinatingly, they've created a miniature India through folk tales and Shiva lingas within a 30 km radius of hills, known locally as "Inya Pahadi." Twelve Dwadash Lingas are strategically placed around the hill. The Bhils refer to their deity's sanctum as "Devra."
During my visit to one Devra, Bhopa, the Bhil priest, shared insights into their ancestral worship. Nearby, he pointed out "Gotrajez," a sacred site honoring Bhil ancestors (Gotr means clan, Jej means ancestors). I observed unique sculptures at cremation sites, depicting individuals' lifelike stories. One sculpture showed a pregnant woman, another, a truck driver.
Curious, I asked Bhopa about the significance of these sculptures. He explained that they represented ancestors who met untimely or tragic ends, becoming restless spirits. To pacify them, the community would worship, sacrifice, and install sculptures in Gotrajez.
Bhopa emphasized, "Our ancestors are revered like deities. We worship and perform rituals for them, believing their pleasure ensures our well-being." He pointed to the truck driver sculpture, sharing the story of a Bhil ancestor who died in a distant accident. Through rituals and sculpture installation, his spirit transformed into a benevolent protector of family and village.
This encounter revealed the Bhils' profound respect for their ancestors and their belief in the interconnectedness of life, death, and spiritual harmony.
Our journey continued to Haldighati in Mewar, where we arrived during Pitru Paksha, a 16-day Hindu period dedicated to honoring ancestors. Here, women, particularly unmarried girls and newlyweds, create vibrant folk art called "Saanjha" on their homes' southern outer walls.
Saanjha's primary material is cow dung, which girls collect along with flowers, leaves, colored paper, and other items each morning. In the evening, they craft a square-shaped space, always topping it with stars. To create a canvas-like surface, they apply a mixture of wet clay and cow dung.
Experienced elderly women guide the girls in this process, incorporating various materials like jowar grains, bajra, cowry shells, foil, bamboo, and red soil for the distinctive geru color. Flowers like Gul Tiwari, Genda Lal, Chameli, Barahmasa, and Sadabahar add local charm with their petals.
The Ahaga plant's seeds are used to create intricate details. A geometric triangle represents the first human figure, placed on the canvas's upper left side. Daily drawings of the sun, moon, and stars complement this central figure.
Each morning, the previous day's artwork is erased, except for the human figure, sun, moon, stars, and crow. New elements are added daily, following a specific sequence:
- Day 1: A single flower or similar figure
- Day 2: "Paglya" (two-legged figure)
- Day 3: "Teen Tiwari" (three windows)
This intricate folk art tradition showcases the region's unique cultural heritage.
The designs and motifs created during Saanjha are carefully selected to correspond with each day of the festival. For instance, on the sixth day, "Chhabri" is crafted, and on the ninth day, "Nau Maatrika" takes shape. The canvas, known as Gohali, can vary in shape, being rectangular, circular, or triangular, depending on the location.
Throughout the festival, girls create an array of figures, including:
- Hand fans (Bandarwala Beejna)
- Three windows (Teen Tibadi)
- Squares (Chopda)
- Five bachelors (Paanch Kunwar)
- Flowers (Phool)
- Sticks (Chhadi)
- Seven (Satiya)
- Eight-petaled flowers (Aath Pankhuri Ke Phool) or octagons (Ashtakoni)
- Musical instruments (Bajot)
- Ten dishes (Das Pakwan)
- Sacred threads (Janeyu)
- Ladders (Seedhi)
- Plows (Hal)
- Dantali trees
- Sweet dishes (Ghevar)
- Hand fans (Chhavri)
- Lamps (Deepak)
- Date palms (Khajur)
- Musical instruments (Iktara)
- Seven sages (Sat Rishi)
- Metal castings (Dokra)
- Female figures (Dokri)
- Images of Meera Bai, a renowned poet
- Pairs of drums (Nagade Ki Jodi)
- The king's procession (Badshah Ki Sawari)
According to legend, Saanjha is observed during Pitru Paksha to honor a woman named Saanjha, who lived in the region. Orphaned as a child, she was married to a lame Brahmin who mistreated her, and her step-sister added to her suffering. After enduring immense pain, Saanjha passed away and is believed to have ascended to heaven, becoming a goddess who protects girls from exploitation and ensures their well-being.
The tradition of Saanjha has deep roots and broad significance, distinctively rejecting orthodox and pseudo-Brahminical influences. Instead, it embraces an independent and unique heritage, reflecting the people's stamp on eternal Sanatana traditions. Women have reclaimed their rights within this tradition, which continues to revere ancestors while adapting its methods. This cultural space is distinct to Hinduism.
The Dusadh community took initiative to perform priestly duties independently, without opposition from Hinduism or Brahmins, remaining an integral part of Sanatana society.
The Naga tribe holds its elders and ancestors in high esteem, revering them within their village boundaries. Unfortunately, most Nagas have converted to Christianity due to coercion through fear and temptation. Initially, they were not made Catholic Christians, as it was feared they would continue worshiping their ancestors and multiple deities.
Naga people deeply reverence spirits, performing rituals after victories with festivities. Their unique funeral rites include placing two spears with the deceased for safe passage. Elderly men and women hold decision-making authority and command respect.
Historically, Naga men would fight for marriage, with the stronger warrior claiming the woman after beheading the weaker. The severed head was revered as a brave ancestor.
A poignant example is the Brahmaputra River village, where British colonialists took youths, promising return within 15 days. The villagers still await their return, gathering every 15 days and annually for seven days.
Every 12 years, a mourning fair commemorates the lost ancestors, reflecting the enduring connection between tribal society and Hindu mainstream. This eternal tradition warrants serious study and preservation.
्जू_मैथिल #गलबज्जू_मैथिल #कैलाशकुमारमिश्र #आदिवासी Kailash K Mishra Kailash Kumar Mishra FolkBrain
