Murma Jatra of Jharkhand: Unearthing the Tales of Tribal Cultural Confluence

Abstract

Tribal belief systems are deeply rooted in symbolism and ritualistic practices. These rituals have been passed down through generations in the form of folklores, in both written and oral forms. Oral history percolates through stories, legends and myths that offer insights into the deeper meanings behind these beliefs. Murma Jatra, a historic two-day fair of Jharkhand, India, celebrated each year on Kartik pratipada, on the eighth day from Mahanavami Puja, is one such rich cultural heritage that reflects the belief system, the values, and customs of the Oraons and Mundas, the two major tribes of Jharkhand. The cultural legacy of Murma Jatra has come down to the present generation through folklore and folk narratives. Today the state fair of Jharkhand, the Jatra, is an interface of the tribal way of life in the past and the progress made in contemporary times. The cultural beliefs, rituals, myths, music, dance, costumes, and the Adivasi root are being celebrated at the Murma Jatra for the last four hundred fifty years or more. Popular belief dates its origin somewhere around the 1530s-40s. Since then, it is reinventing itself but the essence of the Jatra remains intact. The Jatra entails not only the worship of gods and goddesses but also homage paid to spirits and ancestors. Murma Jatra is also an event with its own cultural, social, and economic significance. Oraons from forty villages of three parhas take part in the procession to the Jatra Sthal. Not only the Oraons but other tribal communities, from the state and beyond, also take part in it. This article hopes to foreground and retrace the folktales and folk narratives related to Murma Jatra. It tells the tales of the confluence of gods, goddesses, spirits, ancestors, and the Oraon community of Jharkhand. It also focuses on the Munda-Oraon stories of blood brotherhood.