Kinudih village observes Sohrai Khuntaw cattle ritual

Residents of Kinudih village, about 15 kilometres from Jamshedpur, observed Sohrai Khuntaw, a cattle-related ritual during the Sohrai festival. Families cleaned and worshipped their cows and bullocks as part of the observance.

The celebration also included communal singing and dancing to traditional instruments, including the mandar and nagara. People of different generations took part.

Notable Points

• Sohrai timing: Sohrai is generally observed after harvest on Kartik’s new moon, in October or November. Santals in Santal Parganas observe it from 10 to 15 January.
• Livestock and evening observances: Sohrai practices include bathing livestock, anointing their horns and foreheads with vermilion mixed with oil, and offering rice and vegetables. One described evening rite sacrifices a black chicken to Gaurea, the spirit of the cowshed, with Tapan, a fermented rice drink.
• Sohrai wall art: Sohrai art is made on mud walls to welcome the harvest and celebrate cattle; festival patterns are erased afterwards. In the Hazaribagh-associated painting tradition, women pass the skill from mother to daughter, and animal motifs include young animals.