‘Baha’ in
Santali means flower. Baha is one of the main festival of santals. After the
harsh winter when the spring season arrives, trees starts getting laden with
flowers, bees starts buzzing from one tree to another and the atmosphere is
filled with chipirings of birds. To celebrate this beautiful transformation in
nature Baha festival is celebrated. This is the time when sal tree also starts
bearing flowers. Sal trees are considered sacred by the santal community.
Baha
festival is celebrated inside the premises of Jaherthan where men and women
dances separately in tunes of ‘Tamak’ and ‘Tundah’. Bahasereng(song) is also
sung in the praise of almighty during the festival. Sal flowers are first
offered to the almighty and then distributed among the people.
Baha Song
Jai GosainTeherjdoNaikedoy
Num kana do
Jai GosainTehejdoNaikedoy
Nalkah kana ho
Ketetedoynalkah kana
SekejSekejsade kana ho
Ruileyruileyruiley kana
Tokaghatyredoynalkah
TokaGhatyredoynalkah kana ho
Jaigosainsosoghatyredoy
Num kana ho
Jai gosainmeralghatyredoy
Nalkahhosor ho
Sekejsekejsade kana ho
Ruileyruileyruiley kana
MEANING-
This song is about the purificatory
bath that the Naike(village priest) takes on the first day of the festival.
He is cleaning his head with curd in
the Meralghat
While taking bath in the water a fine
whirling sound is produced on the surface of the water which is then carried
along across the ghat with fine breeze.
Other traditional dance forms of santals.