Festivals in Jharkhand in November 2025: Rituals, Significance, and Cultural Essence
November is a season of rich cultural celebrations in Jharkhand, where traditions harmonize with nature, family, and spirituality. This month features some of the state’s most cherished festivals, such as Sohrai, Bandna, and the widely celebrated Chhath Puja, each embodying unique rituals and profound meanings that strengthen community bonds and devotion to nature. Here’s a look at the festivals of November 2025, their rituals, significance, and how they are celebrated.
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1. Sohrai Festival
- Date: Likely from November 14 to November 18, 2025
- Significance: Sohrai is a post-harvest festival celebrated predominantly by the Santhal, Oraon, and Munda tribes. It is dedicated to thanking nature for the bounty of crops and honoring the cattle that play a significant role in agriculture.
- Rituals:
- Sohrai Painting: One of the festival’s highlights is the creation of Sohrai art, a unique tribal art form painted on the walls of homes. Women craft elaborate designs using natural colors derived from charcoal, flowers, and mud, often depicting animals, plants, and tribal motifs.
- Cattle Worship: The community bathes and decorates their cattle with turmeric and vermillion, as the animals are considered valuable companions in farming. Cattle are also garlanded and offered special food.
- Dance and Music: Traditional songs and dance performances are integral to Sohrai celebrations. The Santhal people perform the Sohrai dance to the beat of drums, expressing joy and gratitude for the harvest.
2. Bandna Festival
- Date: Typically begins around November 18, 2025
- Significance: Bandna, also called Bandana or Badauli, is a livestock festival celebrated by the tribal communities of Jharkhand, particularly the Munda and Santhal tribes. It is held to honor cattle, as they are vital to agrarian life.
- Rituals:
- Cattle Decoration: Much like in Sohrai, Bandna involves the beautification of cattle. Cows and bulls are washed, adorned with paint and garlands, and their horns are often painted with vibrant colors.
- Sacred Oil Lamps: In the evening, oil lamps are lit near the cattle sheds. Songs and dances are performed to invite divine protection and blessing for the livestock.
- Ceremonial Round Dance: Villagers perform the iconic Baha dance, holding hands and forming a large circle around the cattle. The rhythmic dance is accompanied by traditional drum beats, enhancing the festive atmosphere.
- Animal Games: Unique to Bandna, animal contests and games are organized, showcasing the community’s deep-rooted connection with their livestock. Such events add to the festive spirit, bringing people together.
3. Chhath Puja
- Date: November 6-10, 2025
- Significance: Chhath Puja is one of the most widely celebrated Hindu festivals in Jharkhand and neighboring Bihar. It is dedicated to Surya, the Sun God, and Shashthi Devi, the goddess of strength and longevity. Observed with immense devotion, it involves rigorous fasting and prayers to honor the Sun for sustaining life on Earth.
- Rituals:
- Naha Kha (Bathing and Eating): The first day of Chhath Puja involves a purification process where devotees take a ritualistic bath in a holy river, followed by preparing special meals that are shared with family.
- Kharna (Fasting): On the second day, devotees observe a fast from sunrise to sunset. After breaking their fast with kheer (rice pudding) made with jaggery, the rest of the day is spent in prayer and preparation.
- Sandhya Arghya (Evening Offering): Devotees gather at riverbanks at sunset to offer “arghya,” a ritual where water and seasonal fruits are offered to the setting sun as a gesture of gratitude and reverence.
- Usha Arghya (Morning Offering): On the final day, worshippers return to the riverbank before sunrise to make offerings to the rising sun, symbolizing new beginnings, prosperity, and blessings.
4. Kartika Purnima and Dev Deepawali
- Date: November 15, 2025
- Significance: Kartika Purnima, also known as Dev Deepawali, marks the full moon day of the Hindu month of Kartika. It holds special importance in Jharkhand, where it is celebrated along the riverbanks with an array of lamps. This day is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and the celebration of the gods’ descent to Earth.
- Rituals:
- River Worship: Devotees gather at dawn by the rivers, performing rituals to honor the river and invoking blessings for purification and prosperity. Women offer diya (oil lamps) to the river, which creates a beautiful, serene ambiance.
- Lighting Lamps: Thousands of lamps are lit along riverbanks and temple premises, symbolizing light over darkness and the gods’ blessings. It is a mesmerizing sight as entire neighborhoods are illuminated with earthen lamps.
- Vrat (Fasting): Many devotees fast on Kartika Purnima, considering it highly auspicious. They break their fast after offering prayers to Vishnu or Shiva.
5. Akhanda Ramayana Recitation
- Date: Throughout November 2025
- Significance: Reciting the Ramayana, particularly during auspicious months, is a practice that many Jharkhandi families observe. In November, the Akhanda Ramayana—nonstop recitation of the epic—is undertaken by various communities, often leading up to Kartika Purnima or other significant dates.
- Rituals:
- Ramayana Path (Recitation): The Ramayana is recited over several days without breaks, usually in temples or homes where groups of devotees gather.
- Devotional Singing: The reading is interspersed with devotional songs and bhajans dedicated to Lord Rama, which adds a spiritual rhythm to the gathering.
- Community Feast: The recitation is often concluded with a communal feast, symbolizing the shared joy and blessings of partaking in such a devotional endeavor.
