Birhore tribe

Bihore
It is a tribe of the Bihar State. Their inhabitation place is Chhota Nagpur, Hajaribagh,
Ranchi and Palamu districts of the Bihar State. Due to their living pattern they are in two
categories - Uthlu and Janghi
Those, who are wandering for foods in the jungle, are known as nomadic or uthalu and
those, who are settled in a village, are known as Janghi. These divisions has created an
economical variation, in which janghi are proceeding towards the stability in comparison
to uthalu. Janghi are near to Hinduism, while uthalu are in their traditional pattern. They
go to forest for food collection and during this work, they establish their temporary
house, where they establish their traditional god- Sarna. The temporary group of the
Birhore is known as Tenda.
Birhore male wears only a piece of cloth on his waist, which is known as “Karia”.
Another cloth (Gamchha) is on his shoulder. Women ear sari but they do not cover the
upper portion of the body.
Basically they are hunters. They kill the monkeys (gari), Hanuman (Baboon), Rabbit
(Lamba), Goat (Lavna), Squirrel (Kulahap tur). They are very famous for this work.
They sell the leather of the monkey in the market.
Birhore are divided in many groups and every group has its name on the name of a plant,
tree or animal (it is known as totem). According to Sarat chandra Rai, they are divided in
37 group or gotras. They have full faith on their totems. They do not kill them. They do
not marry within their group or gotra because every male and female member of the
group is brother-sister for each other. After the marriage of a Birhore male, he becomes
the full member of his clan. Now he follows every prohibition of his group.
Due to their forest based life they prefer to live jointly. So Birhore form a joint family in
general. Nuclear family is also found among them. The position of the woman is not
good. They do all indoor and outdoor work from morning to evening. Property is
inherited from father to son. If a person has no son, In that case property goes to his
daughter.
Birth ceremony
When a Birhore woman becomes pregnant, every worship of witches and evil spirits is
stopped till the delivery. No sacrifice is done. The pregnant lady does not eat the flesh of
the head of the sacrificed hen or goats. If she eats, all the members of the clan face many
difficulties. To cross the river is a social taboo for a pregnant lady. That lady can not see
the dead person. New hut is made for the delivery. She looks after by a aged woman
(Kusayan) of that family. She lives atleast six days in that hut after the delivery. Males
are prohibited for this hut.
Birth of a child of either sex is the matter of fortune. So males go to the forest for hunting
to see their fate. House becomes impure after the birth. So no worship or sacrifice is done
in that family before the celebration of Thathi(a ritual of purity of the family).
Thathi (chhatthi of the Hindus) is celebrated on the seventh day of the birth. On that day
every woman of the clan cuts her nails and the hairs of the newborn child is cut. After
this ritual mother of the newborn child comes back to her previous hut. Sacrifice of the
he-hens is performed on the names of their local gods (Chaurasi pahar and Mahali matti).
They also take the liquor of rice of two pitchers.
The oldest man of the clan gives his blessing. The oldest person of the family gives a
name to him. He takes two granules of the rice and a glass of water. He say a name and
dips the rice from both hands in that water. If the granules of the rice joint to each other,
it is a sign of a correct name and that name is given to the child.
Kanchhedan(Ear priking)- it is done in the year of the birth. In their local language it is
known as “Thutuei Lutuer”.
When child becomes the age of six month. Food is given to him first time.
At the age of ten boys and girls sleep in their Gittiora(a type of youth room, where they
live)
Marriage
It is very important institution for Birhore. No body can deny from the marriage even
their spirits, ghosts also. They are monogamy in general practice. But they are free for
polygamy ( a man has more than one wife). In their langiage polygamy is known as
“Hemus vapla”. If second was previously widow, such marriage is known as “Sandha
vapla”When marriage is done by the consent of their parents, such marriage is known as
“Sadar vapla”.
The bridegroom side offers marriage proposal. After getting the consent of the marriage,
father of the bridegroom goes to bride’s home with his relatives for Lagna. It is a ritual,
in which they come with colored rice by turmeric, threads and some amount. Bride side
also on the groom’s place does the same ritual. On the eight day of the Lagna, marriage is
done.
Marriage takes its full shape, when groom paste the mixture of vermilion and oil on the
middle of the head of the bride and bride also pastes a tilak on his forehead. Use of
vermilion is the clear indication of influence of Hinduism among them.
Death ceremony
To bury a dead person and burning is in practice both among the Birhore. If death occurs
of a pregnant lady, she is buried. They have faith in soul.
Where death of a person is occurred, the ash is spread at that place and is covered by a
pot. After the cremation, when community persons return to the dead person’s home, they
open that covered place and search the sign on the spread ash. If any kind of sign is
found, it is the indication of death due to the effect of evil spirit. No evidence of sign is
the indication of natural death. If sign is of foot, death is due to the god of home. If sign
is of tiger, death is due to the god of jungle. If sign is of a line, death is due to the god of
rope.
After the occurrence of death, the effected family is considered as impure up to seven to
nine days. During this period hunting, dance, liquor and to eat meat are prohibited. On
the tenth day after the death, the house of the dead person is cleaned and women cut their
nails and take bath at the bank of a river. If death is of a male, widow of the deceased
person wears a new sari (Randi). All persons of the clan cut their hairs and take bath.
On the same day, the dead person is established as a forefather. A biradari bhoj(dinner)
is also given. Now the normal life again starts.
Religion
Birhore life is fully wrapped with spirits. Social, economical, family and political lives
are bound with the worship of different spirits. Every good or bad work is associated with
spirits.
Sinbonga is their main god, who is more powerful to all other spirits and it is present in
the form of Sun. he is the creator of the world. He does the welfare of the every man.
Budi mai and Devi mai are also important deities. They take their interest in the welfare
of the males of the clan. They give every thing to a male, if they are pleased. A piece of
painted wood by the red vermilion represents them.
Hunting god is Chandi, who is represented by a stone. They worship him before going
for hunting.
Every group has its own god. Main community god is Ora bonga. Member of a group
fells ill due to the unhappines of this god. Janghi Birhore say this god as Budhabonga.
They have faith in the existence of the ghost. Every family has its many ghosts due to the
occurrence of deaths in that family. These ghosts are known as “Homrome”. Their living
place is fixed in every family. They are ghosts but they do welfare of the family.
Their main god and spirits are- Devta, Bhalu veer, Bagh veer, Hanuman veer, Bander
veer, Koya veer, Hurand veer, Budi mata and Buda baap. They offer sacrifice to all of
them according to their work.
Uthalu Birhore do not celebrate any specific festival due to their nomadic life style.but
Janghi Birhore celebrate many festivals due the process of acculturation and settled life.
They celebrate Sarhul on the month of March, Navajone in July, Karma in september,
Sohrai in November and Maghi in January or February. but all these festival are
borrowed by the adjacent tribal communities.
They have also faith in the magic. Magician is known as Mati, who is empowered by the
god Shiva(a Hindu god). They do many works for his community men. It is a type of
sorcery.
So Birhore is an example of mixed culture but their god, spirit and witches and their
worship pattern make them a part of Hinduism, which is a clear fact.