 Flag of Sarnaism | |
 The Sarnaism symbol used bySantals | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 5 million[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 India | |
| Jharkhand | 4,131,282[2] |
| Odisha | 403,350[2] |
| West Bengal | 403,250[2] |
| Bihar | 10,407[2] |
| Chhattisgarh | 8,057[2] |
Sarnaism is areligious faith of the Indian subcontinent, predominantly followed byindigenous communities of theChota Nagpur Plateau region across states such asJharkhand,Odisha,West Bengal,Bihar, andChhattisgarh.[3][4]
The essence of the Sarna faith revolves aroundnature worship. Its core principles emphasizejal (water),jaṅgal (forest) andjamīn (land), with adherents offering prayers to trees and hills while believing in the protection of forests.[3] This belief centers around the reverence ofSarna, thesacred groves of village communities, where the village deity, known asGram Deota resides, and wheresacrificial offerings are made twice a year. It is also referred to as "Sarna Dharma" or the "Religion of the Holy Woods",[5][6] and it holds the distinction of being India's largest tribal religion.[1]
The term "Sarna", derived from theMundari language, means "sacred grove" and refers to sites where tribal religious practices take place. However, the term for a sacred grove varies among tribes; for instance, the Santals and Bhumijs call itJaherthan, the Oraons call itKurukh Kuti, and the Hos call itDesauli.[7][8] Additionally, Sarna is etymologically related to the name of theSal tree.[9]
The socio-political movements that emerged among the tribal communities of theChota Nagpur region in the late nineteenth century, such as theBirsa Munda movement, theTana Bhagat movement, and the Dupub movement, shaped a collective tribal consciousness. Though their primary focus was on autonomy in response to colonial expansion, these movements also addressed the preservation of ancestral practices and belief systems by resisting external religious influences. This period laid the foundation for ethno religious identity among tribals, with emerging expressions such as Marangburu practices and Kherwarism among the Santal, Dupub faith among the Ho, early articulation of Sarna and Birsaite path among the Mundas.[10]
Sarnaism, as a religious identity, emerged in the 1930s, following the assertion of a collective indigenous identity asAdivasi by tribal activists in theChota Nagpur region of erstwhileBihar. They articulated a unifying religious identity for the diverse,nature basedancestral practices of tribal communities, with the purpose of asserting Adivasi distinctiveness from mainstream religions of India such asHinduism,Christianity, orIslam.[11][12][13][14] However, initially, the unifying concept was prevalent among theOraons oferstwhile Ranchi under the ethno-religious termAdivasi. Later, in light of socio-political developments, the Oraon andHo communities accepted the Mundari ethno-religious termSarna to represent their religious identity. Sarnaism gained broader acceptance through socio-political leaders likeJaipal Singh Munda,Raghunath Murmu, who spearheaded its cultural and political significance.[15][16][7][17] Sarnaism experienced steady growth after theindependence of India, incorporating diverse tribal communities into its fold, including larger tribes like theSantals, who had initially refrained from accepting its tenets but gradually aligned with the Sarna identity over the following decades. Politically, Sarnaism grew alongside theJharkhand movement, formulated by theAdivasi Mahasabha and its offspring political organization, theJharkhand Party, which was centered on the motifs of tribal identity and the demand for separate autonomy. The movement culminated on 15 November 2000, the birth anniversary ofBirsa Munda, when thetribal-concentrated southern region of Bihar was bifurcated to form the separate state ofJharkhand.[18][19][20]
The adherents of Sarnaism believe in, worship, and revere a village deity as protector of village calledGaon khunt,Gram deoti,Marang Buru,Singbonga, or by other names by different tribes.[21] Adherents also believe in, worship, and revereDharti ayo orChalapachho Devi, themother goddess identified as the earth or nature.
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(April 2023) |
Sarna is place of worship which is sacred grove in Chotanagpur. It is calledJaher thanorJaher gar amongSantal, and can be found in villages.Sal trees are in the sacred grove. The ceremonies are performed by the whole village community at a public gathering with the active participation of village priests,Pahan and assistantPujar in Chotanagpur. The priest is calledNaike among Santal. The sthal typically has multiple trees like sal,mahua, neem, and banyan.
The main festival of Sarnaism isSarhul, a festival in which devotees worship their ancestors. During the festival, thepahan brings three water pots to thesarna. If the water pots reduce in level, they believe the monsoon will fail, but if it stays the same the monsoon will come as normal. Men then offersakua flowers and leaves.[22]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 240,558 | — |
| 1961 | 428,687 | +78.2% |
| 1971 | 951,558 | +122.0% |
| 1981 | 1,391,178 | +46.2% |
| 1991 | 1,820,454 | +30.9% |
| 2001 | 4,075,246 | +123.9% |
| 2011 | 4,957,467 | +21.6% |
| Note: In1981 and1991 census, the religion 'Sarna' was recorded as 'Swarna'. Source: Census of India[23][24][25][26][27][2] | ||
According to the2011 census of India, the Sarna religion counted 4,957,467 followers in India, primarily in the eastern states ofJharkhand (83.33%),Odisha (8.14%),West Bengal (8.13%),Bihar (0.21%), andChhattisgarh (0.16%), with smaller numbers of followers inAssam (301),Punjab (190), andMadhya Pradesh (133).[2]Scheduled Tribes comprise the majority of believers at 92.60%, while Other Backward Classes and Non-Scheduled Communities accounted for 7.39%.[28] TheSantal (30.48%),Oraon (21.35%),Ho (17.87%),Munda (12.48%),Bhumij (1.72%), Lohra (1.70%),Mahali (1.07%),Kharia (0.87%), andBedia (0.64%) are the primary followers. While the rest 4.42% tribal followers belongs toKisan,Kolha,Gond, Kharwar,Chik Baraik,Asur, Bhinjia,Karmali,Kora,Kol,Kawar, Birja,Mal Paharia, Savar,Birhor, Gorait, Parhaiya,Lodha,Chero,Khanwar,Suria Paharia, Mundari,Baiga,Korwa,Sounti, Binjhwar,Nagesia, Mahli, and various generic tribes.[28]
Additionally, there are 506,369 followers ofSari Dharam in India,[2] primarily followed by the Santal tribe of West Bengal, representing 94.43% of the total Sari Dharam adherents.[28] The religious denomination, which often considered as synonyms or sect of Sarnaisim.
As a result ofWestern colonialism andimperialism in Asia, several attempts ofindoctrination andforced conversion were carried out by western Christian missionaries incolonial India, which went on for a century, and have causedsectarian conflict in the tribal areas of theChota Nagpur region. The arrival of the first German Protestant missionaries in 1845 was followed by Roman Catholic missionaries; conflict betweenChristian and Non-Christian tribals became evident in 1947–1948, whenBritish colonial rulers left India.[29]
Also the demand for a separate Sarna religious code has clashed withRSS-backed groups like the Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra, which promote Hindu temples, schools, and rituals in tribal villages. Sarna activists liken these efforts to Christian missionary methods, saying both try to subsume tribal identity, and argue that Sarnaism cannot be treated as part of Hinduism since it worships nature without idols or codified rituals. They insist that only separate recognition can protect their distinct traditions and tribal identity.[30]
 | Theneutrality of this section isdisputed. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please do not remove this message untilconditions to do so are met.(September 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
TheNational Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has suggested that Sarna religion be accorded independent category in the religion code of theCensus of India.[31]Several tribal organisations and Christian missionaries are demanding a distinct census code for Sarnaism.[32][33] The IndianMinister of Tribal Affairs,Jual Oram, had, however, claimed in 2015, "There is no denial of the fact that tribals areHindus."[34] The comment led to protests from 300 tribals, over 100 of whom were arrested by the police to clear the way for Oram, who was going to inaugurate a fair.[35] Adivasi Sarna Mahasabha leader and former MLA Dev Kumar Dhan said that followers of the Sarna religion were not happy with the statement made by Oram and added,"If Jainism, having a population of hardly 60 lakh, can have a separate religion code in the Census forms, why can't Sarnas? This tribal religion have more than 10 crore followers spread over the Fifth Scheduled states likeJharkhand,Madhya Pradesh,Chhattisgarh,Maharastra,Himachal Pradesh,Rajasthan andOdisha. Instead of taking steps to ensure a separate religion code, he is saying Sarnas areHindus".[35]
In 2020,Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's (JMM), which was in power in Jharkhand at that time, passed a unanimous assembly resolution on 'Sarna Code' for the inclusion of Sarna as separate religion in 2021 census, and sent to central government for approval.[36][37]
Many tribal organizations seek its recognition as a distinct religious category for indigenous peoples.[3] Several Christian churches also support the recognition of Sarna as a different religion fromHinduism.[38] But theRSS is against the recognition of Sarna as a separate religion as it believes that tribal people areHindus.[34]
Politically, these communities began to unify in the colonial backdrop, being classified as Animists or tribal religions in Census reports (Gait, 1913; Hutton, 1933; Marten, 1923; Risley and Gait, 1903). They had to identify with these labels or choose another religion. ... A 1932 conference in Chaibasa discussed tribal religion and practices to create a common platform, followed by more conferences (1932–1934) with attendees from Bihar, Bengal, and Orissa. Consensus led to the title Sarna Dharam for Adivasi religious practices.
