Findings and Discussions

As has been mentioned, Dandakatta or Bhelwa Phadi ritual is performed by the Oraon tribe. As the tribe believe in ancestor worship and nature worship, in Dandakatta they remember their ancestors and the forces of nature.

Dandakatta is not only performed for testing the fortune; but as a ritual of auspicious beginning. It is performed before the beginning of any important event or work to get blessings of god. For instance, Dandakatta is performed when a pair of oxen is bought and brought into the house, or it can also be observed on the occasion of house warming. Any important work of the Oraon tribe is normally initiated after Dandakatta. There is no particular date fixed for Dandakatta as it can be done corresponding to the occasion of auspicious work. It is obligatory for the Oraon to perform Dandakatta at least once a year despite occasional household or individual performance. Its annual performance takes place on the very next day of Karma festival⁴. But it can also be performed on any day of the year before any auspicious occasion.

20.3.1 Materials Used in Dandakatta Ritual

In this ritual a number of materials are used and these materials have symbolic significance with cultural meanings. The materials are as follows:

• Amm (water)

• Arkhi (a kind of alcoholic drink made from flowers of mahua tree (madhuca long folia))

• Arwa/ Abdha tikhil (a type of raw rice)

• Bhelwa dahura (branch of bhelwa tree)

• Chulha khajja (soil collected from the hearth)

• Dhup-dhuwan, diya/khajj tatthi (earthen lamp) and agarbatti (incense sticks)

• Gobari/Maiend/saare (cow dung)

• Jhara (a kind of alcoholic drink made from rice)

• Kancha/dhibba (coins) (as token fees)

• Kanto or binthi (knife)

• Keter (a kind of winnowing plate made up of bamboo strip)

• Kher bee (egg of fowl)

• Koila powder/ Koiela chind (charcoal powder)

• Lota (a round water container made of brass or copper)

• Sakhua (sarai) atkha or sakhua kheta (leaf cup or bowl made of saal (Shorea Robusta) leaves)

• Tatkha (mango leaves and branch)

• Tikhil gunda (rice powder/flour)

20.3.2 Ritual Process

This ritual is obligatory, as has been discussed, before starting any auspicious work.

20.3.3 Steps Followed in Dandakatta

Step 1: First, a part of the floor inside the house is cleaned and gobri (cow dung) mixed with water is smeared on the surface by the performer. Participants sit at a distance from the place marked for performance of Dandakatta.

Step 2: A ritualistic shape/diagram or symbol is drawn using white rice flour (tikhil gunda), charcoal powder (koila), and soil from the hearth (chulha khajja). The shape/ design is drawn on the surface where cow dung was smeared.

Step 3: Kherbee (egg) is kept at the centre of the diagram on the heap of tikhil (rice).

Step4: Bhelwa dahura (bhelwa branch) is chopped into three long pieces using the kanto (knife) marked for the purpose. The first piece is slightly sliced along the length and split; the second piece is cut into three small pieces and all are sliced along the length and split to obtain six small split pieces.

Step 5: The rest of the five small sliced pieces are mixed with tikhil on the keter (winnowing basket which is convex with depression inside).

Step 6: All five pieces of bhelwa dahura placed in an inverted manner along with rice are picked up using both the hands and thrown back on keter after a small prayer or chant. If all of the pieces fall in the same position as they were picked up, it is considered a good omen. In case of any discrepancy, trials are repeated till all pieces fall in the desired position. The pieces which do not fall according to desired position are picked up and placed on the keter for further trial. Others, which fall in the right position, are kept aside. It is like a probability exercise in picking up lots without replacement. However, in this case the probability is expected to be always one as trials are repeated till all the pieces fall in right position⁶. This trial is conducted in odd numbers. Generally, it is considered a good omen when all of the five pieces turn into the proper side in five throws. Otherwise, it is considered a bad omen. So, this process is repeated till the proper side of the pieces are obtained, but it is not appreciated.

Step 7: All the items except tikhil on the keter (winnowing basket) and bhelwa twig which is fixed with another split bhelwa piece are collected in a kheta (bowl) and kept aside.

Step 8: The performer goes outside the house to throw all the collected items. It is their belief that collected items are thrown at crossroads that are received and taken by creatures of Nature. Usually the rice grains which are thrown are taken by differ­ent creatures. The ant takes it to abysm; birds take it in every direction, and so on. The belief is that happiness and prosperity follow the reverse of the directions towards which the items are carried.

Usually, the best time of worship is evening as items used in the ritual could be thrown by the performer unnoticed at a three-way or four-way cross roads. After throwing the items, the performer returns to the house holding a knife and lota, (a small spherical water container of brass or copper) and shouts the householder’s name. Outside the house at the gate or door a conversation takes place between the performer and one interrupter (may be the head of the family or any participant) and the process is known as tokna⁷.

Step 9: After re-entering the house, the performer asks the head of the family to drop a few drops of jhara (rice beer) and arkhi (wine made from mahua flowers), considered as holy water, in the name of ancestors at the place where Dandakatta was performed. Dropping of jhara or arkhi on the sacred place or the process of dropping is called tapvan. This supports the argument that people see the god in the shape of human form; that is why they offer gods what the human considers useful to them. The attribution of a human body and human qualities to a god is conceptualised in terms of anthropomorphism (Mackintosh 1910-11:120). A devotional offering (prasad) made of egg and rice is eaten by the performer. Women are prohibited to eat this offering but male members of the family are not prohibited. After taking prasad all involve in entertainment; they eat, drink, sing, and dance. This is secular part of the ritual.

Tokna

Performer:- Mangra Erpa Ekda Hikai? (Is it Mangra’s house?)

Interrupter:- Nin Aindra Bhalam Hikday, Chor - Chilhar to Malday? (Who are you? Aren’t you a thief?)

Performer:- Bhala, En Choran Gutthi Maldan. En Ratu Mahrajas Hi Bel Jharia Kerka Rahchkan, To Murukh Amm Onka Laga Lagi. Aaa nwge En Aas Ghee Airpa Beddan, Aikda Hike?

(No, I am not a thief.

Tokna:- Aindar Akhoye Nin, Thakday ka Aindar Nanday, Nin Kanto- Binthi Dharchaka Raaday, Lota Gutthi Dharchakaday, Nin Choray Hikdai Ka Aindra Hikday.

(What do you know? You are cunning and you are holding a knife and a lota. I doubt, if you aren’t a thief.)

Performer- Mala ain Choran Maldan, Nel Jharia Kerka Rehachkan.

(I am not a thief; I had gone for labour work)

Tokna:- Achha. Thik Rai, Iddim Airpa Hike, Bara.

(Okay, fine, this is the house, come)

20.3.4 Chants During Dandakatta Ritual (in Contemporary Kurukh Language)

20.3.4.1 Chant in the Name of Earth and Ancestors while Dropping Water/Arkhi/Jhara

Aide, Inna Murma Padda Nu, Karam Be Kare. Dharti Hi Naame Kare Ain Chuaaba lagadala. Aiman hormarin Dav Leka Uike.

(Hey, today, in Murma village (name of actual village in which the ritual is conducted is taken. Murma is the village where field study was conducted), on the second day of Karma, in your name, in the name of earth, I am dropping. Keep us healthy.

20.3.4.2 Prayer to God Dharmesh While Throwing Rice and Bhelwa Branch

Aide Inna Murma Padda Ghee Dharti Nu Ukka Raadam Awur Dandakatta Lagadam, Karam Basi Ghee, Mangras Airpa Nu. Hormarin Dav Keka Uike, Aayo-Baba. Ninim Hikdi Hurmi

(Hey, today, we are sitting on the land of Murma and we are doing Dandakatta on the second day of Karma, in the house of Mangra. Keep all healthy, mother-father. You are everything.)

The above conversation is an example of tokna process which is a small part of Dandakatta ritual. After this process, members of the family shut the door of the house so that no evil re-enters the house. That is why when the performer comes after throwing objects used in the ritual and knocks on the door, they confirm that he is not a person who can harm them.

The Oraon is an agrarian tribal community. People are agriculturists and primarily engaged in the cultivation of paddy. So, in each phase of agriculture; whether it is time to prepare the field before agriculture, to plough, to pluck the seedlings, to transplant saplings or at the time of harvesting; Dandakatta is performed. Naturally, success in each stage of cultivation, it is believed, depends on successful observation of Dandakatta. This does not mean that it is performed only by cultivator families. Families involved in non-agricultural works also perform it. The ritual is organised on every auspicious occasion such as Phagu, Khaddi (Sarhul), Hariari, Kadleta, Karam, Nawa-Khani, Sohrai, Khalihani, Maghe (name of rituals and festivals), and various rites of passage such as pregnancy and birth rites, puberty rites, marriage rites, funeral rites, re-admission rites⁹, and even during entry into dhumkuria (dormitory).

During a field visit by the first author in 2019, it was reported that only the Oraon tribe perform Dandakatta ritual. However, the Oraons who are converted to Christianity do not perform this ritual as they don’t believe in traditional religious ideology of the community and its Supreme God Dharmesh. There is a myth related to the Dandakatta ritual that tells why the ritual is so important to the Oraon tribe. According to this myth, when the rainy season came, God Dharmesh gave them (brother and sister duo) seeds to sow. As the crops grew in the field, the rats, grasshoppers, and lizards began to destroy them. Seeing this they were very upset and discouraged. Then Dharmesh came and told them to do Dandakatta ritual to ward off the pests and protect crops (Pereira 2007:89). Since then, they are still performing this ritual as it gives protection to themselves, their crops, and animals. The ritual prescribed for protecting crops from pests is now performed on various occasions for welfare and wellbeing. The ritual also has the potency to protect them from the evil eye and misfortune. The concept of the evil eye is closely related to belief of divine power given to some men for something good, but misused for evil (Paudel 2018:40).

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