NAIKE-
The word Naike means”Nai-e-kamiya okoy” i.e the person who
can serve the best. The santals believe that health, wealth, safety,happiness
of the village come from the blessing of the Bongas and Naike is the man who parse
that blessing from them through his duty. So, Naike is also an important man to
the village. So to say, he is a spiritual head of the village.
As Naike is kind of priest, his selection is done by the men
but mostly by the bongas themselves. To select the Naike, the villagers gather
at Jaher Garh. Three winnowing fans with raw rice are handed over to three
persons who have got power to possess the Bonga in trance. Then a villagers
invokes Marang Buru, Jaher Ayo, Maneke Turuika and request them to choose their
Naike. Each Bonga possesses a man and this is when villager declare him to be
Naike.
Naike is responsible for the worshipping of God and Goddess
in Jaher Garh. He worships God and Goddess only in festive occasion in the
presence of the villagers. Sacrificial fowls, rice for village feast are
obtained from the villagers and other materials like , methi, sindur, rice
powder, oil are arranged by him.
Naike also live a common life like other villager. He also
go to field for crop. When festival’s worshipping are not around he lives like
common man, only when his duty is needed he act as Naike and do worshipping. He
has also no remuneration. In olden days one or two acres of land were being
awarded to him. Now-a-day no lands are awarded. Honor from the villagers is the only remuneration to
him.