Santhal Tribe Wedding

Weddings in India are usually about lights, clothes, and big ceremonies. But travel a little deeper into the forests of Jharkhand, Bengal, or Odisha – and you’ll find a celebration that feels like a heartbeat of the earth itself.
This is the Santhal tribe wedding, or what they lovingly call the Bapla.
No priest, no mandap, no court papers – just songs, laughter, dance, and nature as the only witness. Here, marriage isn’t between two people – it’s between two families, two communities, and the entire village, and is raw, joyful, and deeply spiritual and has 5 unique aspects.

In a Santhal tribe wedding, the whole village becomes one family. The moment the Rai-bar – the matchmaker – nbrings the good news, celebration begins.
There are no fancy invitations or catering menus. Every home cooks, every hand helps, and everyone shows up.

As the drums (mandal) start beating and flutes sing their tune, men and women join the Jhoomar dance. Circles form, shoulders sway, and laughter fills the air.
Children run around barefoot, old women clap in rhythm, and somewhere in between, two young hearts are bound for life.

The Santhals don’t just celebrate a wedding – they celebrate being together.

In most weddings, priests chant mantras to bless the couple.
But here, it’s the elders – the Naike or Manjhi – who guide the rituals. Their words are not from a book but from experience, spoken in the rhythm of their mother tongue.

When the couple sits before them, the air is filled not with Sanskrit hymns but with folk songs and laughter. The Manjhi Hadam – the village head – blesses them and later even helps resolve any conflict that may arise between the two.

It’s simple, grounded, and wise. No show, no fear – only faith in human goodness.

The Santhal Bapla marriage lasts five days – each day weaving love a little deeper into life and nature.
On the first day, both families gather to formalize the relationship.
Then come the rituals of Sakrat and Ita Bonga, where rice, flowers, and Handia – a homemade rice beer – are offered to their deities Marang Buru and Jaher Era.

There’s something deeply moving about watching a couple seek blessings under the open sky – no idols, no walls, just trees and wind as witnesses.

On the fourth day, during the Juro ritual, their hands are tied together with a sacred cloth as they walk around a tree or a stone seven times, while everyone sings.
And finally, under the shade of trees, comes Sindoor Daan – the groom applies vermilion on the bride’s forehead. So no fire, no pandit – just laughter and love.

Here’s something that sets the Santhal wedding apart – they reject dowry altogether.
Instead, the groom’s family gives a small symbolic gift called Gonong – maybe Rs.5, or a goat. Not as a price, but as a gesture of respect for the bride and her family.

It’s their way of saying: “We’re not buying love; we’re honoring it”.
In a world where money often overshadows emotions, this small custom feels revolutionary – quietly teaching what true equality looks like.

When the groom’s procession (Bapala party) enters the bride’s village, the drums grow louder, flutes join in, and the air comes alive.
Men and women, young and old, join hands and form a circle – this is the Jhoomar dance, the soul of the Santhal community.

There’s no stage, no spotlight, no rehearsed step – just hearts beating in rhythm.
The bride and groom join in, and soon, it’s hard to tell who’s family and who’s guest. Everyone becomes one big, dancing circle of joy.

The Santhal tribe wedding teaches us something profound – that love doesn’t need decoration, just connection.
It starts with the whole village celebrating, guided by elders, blessed by nature, bound by dignity, and completed in dance.

It’s a wedding where the earth is the witness, and the forest sings the vows.

So, next time you hear the echo of drums in a Santhal village, imagine it – hundreds of people, laughing, singing, dancing under open skies – celebrating not just a marriage, but life itself.