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Santal people: Difference between revisions

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A yearly round of rituals connected with the agricultural cycle, along with life-cycle rituals for birth, marriage and burial at death, involve petitions to the spirits and offerings that include the sacrifice of animals, usually birds. Religious leaders are male specialists in medical cures who practice divination and witchcraft (the socio-historic meaning of the term, used here, refers to the ritual practice of magic and is not pejorative). Similar beliefs are common among other tribes on the Chota Nagpur Plateau like the [[Kharia people|Kharia]], [[Munda people|Munda]], and [[Oraon]].<ref name=tr />
A yearly round of rituals connected with the agricultural cycle, along with life-cycle rituals for birth, marriage and burial at death, involve petitions to the spirits and offerings that include the sacrifice of animals, usually birds. Religious leaders are male specialists in medical cures who practice divination and witchcraft (the socio-historic meaning of the term, used here, refers to the ritual practice of magic and is not pejorative). Similar beliefs are common among other tribes on the Chota Nagpur Plateau like the [[Kharia people|Kharia]], [[Munda people|Munda]], and [[Oraon]].<ref name=tr />


Smaller and more isolated tribes often demonstrate articulated classification systems of the spiritual hierarchy less well documented, described as animism or a generalised worship of spiritual energies connected with locations, activities, and social groups. Religious concepts are intricately entwined with ideas about nature and interaction with local ecological systems. As in Santal religion, religious specialists are drawn from the village or family and serve a wide range of spiritual functions that focus on placating potentially dangerous spirits and co-ordinating rituals. These rituals include animal sacrifice, including cows, very unlike Brahminical Hinduism.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bisoee |first1=Animesh |title=Brave show of support for arrested Santhal |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/jharkhand/brave-show-of-support-for-arrested-santhal/cid/1691348 |access-date=31 May 2019 |work=[[The Telegraph (Kolkata)|The Telegraph]] |date=28 May 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=tr />
Smaller and more isolated tribes often demonstrate articulated classification systems of the spiritual hierarchy less well documented, described as animism or a generalised worship of spiritual energies connected with locations, activities, and social groups. Religious concepts are intricately entwined with ideas about nature and interaction with local ecological systems. As in Santal religion, religious specialists are drawn from the village or family and serve a wide range of spiritual functions that focus on placating potentially dangerous spirits and co-ordinating rituals. These rituals include animal sacrifice, including cows, very unlike Brahminical Hinduism.<ref name=tr /><ref>{{cite news|last1=Bisoee |first1=Animesh |title=Brave show of support for arrested Santhal |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/jharkhand/brave-show-of-support-for-arrested-santhal/cid/1691348 |access-date=31 May 2019 |work=[[The Telegraph (Kolkata)|The Telegraph]] |date=28 May 2019 |language=en}}</ref>


According to the [[2011 Indian Census]], for combined Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Bihar, 63% recorded their religion as 'Hinduism', while 31% practice other religions and persuasions (mainly [[Sarna sthal|Sarna dharam]]), and 5% practice [[Christianity]]. [[Islam]], [[Sikhism]], [[Buddhism]] and [[Jainism]] are followed by less than 1% of the population.<ref>{{cite web|title=ST-14 Scheduled Tribe Population By Religious Community|url=https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/SCST-Series/ST14.html|url-status=live|access-date=3 November 2019|website=census.gov.in}}</ref>
According to the [[2011 Indian Census]], for combined Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Bihar, 63% recorded their religion as 'Hinduism', while 31% practice other religions and persuasions (mainly [[Sarna sthal|Sarna dharam]]), and 5% practice [[Christianity]]. [[Islam]], [[Sikhism]], [[Buddhism]] and [[Jainism]] are followed by less than 1% of the population.<ref>{{cite web|title=ST-14 Scheduled Tribe Population By Religious Community|url=https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/SCST-Series/ST14.html|url-status=live|access-date=3 November 2019|website=census.gov.in}}</ref>
16,952

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