Teacher Didi

This santal lady is a school teacher in Mayurbhanj district, elder sister of Shakuntala Mandi.  She is very laborious and sweet . I made her sketch while she was having breakfast. first day when me and Bisva reached there , as a custom santal serve a pot filled with water. This show the respect towards the guest. According to the tribe custom every elder person among the guest will receive the water pot which we call it Lota dak, After that few drops of water we drop in the ground in the name of Marang Buru the  God of forest, Karam gosain ( goddess of wealth) and goddess of forest which we call her Jaher Era, the wife of forest God.

In the evening we had mandi daka, which is really delicious with mango chatni. and chili namak. he had this food in shed. In summer its cool . we did not feel so much hot inside the shed. we joined the procession of guru gonke . they were celebrating  birthday of Gurugonke one of the most famous personality among santhals, they adore him like a god , he was the father of santhal, he developed a scripte for santhal and other tribal comunities. he wrote lots of poetry essays and stories etc. Me and Biswa joined this group and documented the procession. we all like Shakuntala and we both wore the traditional cloth. It was fantastic. I never did this thing in NID too. But I donot know in her village it just happened. people wre walking without chaples and umbrella. they were shouting three -four nara, like

1.ol cheke do ced kana?
- Adiwasiat med kana .

2. sodu kanhu birsa bir!
- babo tahen japid thir.

3. Guru gonke ak atma patal khon ?
- rakab ma rakab ma!

4. Guru gonke ak atma sorog khon ?
- Argon ma argon ma! all these.
After the procession we reached manjhi than ,the worshiping place of village head man. they made tant . lots of women and child and old people were also there. every one were sitted in the mated ground  some are in the chair like some sound and music players and guest. me and shakuntal were recording the event.

Santhal in mayurbhanj that day they offer few fruite dhuna and sunum sidoor ... what ever in general pooja required. They make a pind they clean that place with cow dung and water and pour rice and after that they place lota dak. they keep his photo and garland him with forest flowers. when I saw I also felt so surprised that what are things these local people are doing how much they believe on this miraculous man.

After pooja we all came home. went river to take a bath, the river has water generally in summer river dried but it has water, cristal clear water , we had clicked photo. I was afraiding of naxalite they could approch us . but later i find it that thaey are much far far from us . but I was also afraid of  wild animals and cobra crocodiles when I was going to take bath i asked Shaku's brother cetan that are there any crodiles also comes? he said no. But Shakuntala already told me all these creature must be around who knows? So, the fear was also with me. before bath me and Biswa went for field. I did much erlier, but i was waiting for Biswa that when he will come back. I was calling him again and again no response from Biswa . I thought might be some ghost or naxalite had took him or might be some animals. but did not stoped callling his name again and again , later he came out slowly and said I am not getting suitable place to decend in the river. I thanked God ! He is safe . other wise her mother could scold me that where have you lost my only one son.

I asked Cetan where should take bath ? Here only . there was a small stone, its like polised and oiled stone each and every grain were shining. I was so afraid of that river water . who knows from where which water snak will apear and take you in your stomack. I was waiting in the side to wait some shoud enter in water first. I saw Cetan went inside the water in deep ,again Biswa he was swiming , I was still wondering of crocodiles . Because I saw in National geography chanel how dangeriously they bite. even that rever was also shady and it was the time of evening. Another boy who was in the other side of river searching some pables or something else putting headphone in his ears, I was also bothering about him that might some leopard will come from the back and will take him. He will never realised how he reached in the middle of the dence forest. with us another boy was there he was not even moving from his place he was waiting for us to finish our activity. When I was conform enough that I can go inside there is no harm i went and in the med of the river I was triyng to touch the ground I didnot touched the ground, but Biswa shown me that see I touched the ground. I was no believing he might laing to me , how is seeing that his feet is touching ground or not?

Mayurbhanj is the land of forest and tribes.