Sarna Burhi

Sarna Burhi is described as being a goddess associated with spirits, rain, and plants. In the culture of the Munda and Kurukh peoples (both of which constitute part of the Adivasi peoples),[1][2] Sarna Burhi is depicted as the guardian of Sarna, sacred groves of trees that serve as refuges for spirits displaced by human activity.[3] These sites are described by some sources as remnant of old Sal forests which used to cover parts of Bengal's landscape.[1] In the tradition of the peoples who worship at the groves, the Sal trees cause misfortune to fall on any who harm or cut down the trees that make up a Sarna.[4] Rather, the groves are treated as sacred places.[2][4]

Sarna play a significant role in the religious activities of several cultures originating in Bengal, where individual villages often worship their own pantheon of deities.[3] The goddess Sarna Burhi resides in and protects these sacred spaces and as such worshipers of the faith pay homage to her during religious festivals that involve the Sarna.[1][2]

In the culture of the Munda peoples, some villages participate in a religious ceremony held in honor of Sarna Burhi.[2] During the ceremony, several fowl are ritually slaughtered in front of an idol or symbol of the goddess near the Sarna.[5] The worshipers then hold a feast during which the fowl are consumed. A procession, accompanied by music (produced by drums and horns), is then started leading back to the village;[2] the worshipers also spread sal blossoms in their wake, which are later used to decorate the doors of the village's houses.[2]