Santal cosmology unfolds like a living tapestry, where sky, earth and the unseen spirits weave everyday life into something downright magical. At its heart stand two towering figures: Marang Buru, the “Great Mountain” or sky deity, and Jaher Era, Mother Earth herself. Together they set the stage for everything that follows.

From a formless expanse of water, Marang Buru cast down a spear that split chaos into sky above and earth below. Jaher Era rose from that newly born soil, blooming forests, rivers and fields. When push comes to shove—drought or monsoon—the Santals turn to these primal parents, believing every falling leaf and rippling stream carries their breath.

Crowds of bonga, minor spirits, inhabit every pool, tree and hillock. Clan ancestors slip between worlds at will, guiding rituals held in the sacred Jaher grove. No chainsaws or tractors dare breach those hidden temples, where ancient oaths still echo under rustling leaves. Recent rallies at COP28 even saw tribal voices citing this living bond with nature, pressing global leaders to honor promises on carbon neutrality.

A favorite creation tale describes the first man, Hor-Chiko, and woman, Kona-Chika, emerging from a hollow bamboo tube after Jaher Era whispered life into its fibers. Side by side they tilled earth, teaching descendants to dance the harvest Sohrai and celebrate Karam beneath flowering branches. Each festival marks a chapter of the cosmic saga: seeds planted, rains summoned, ancestors remembered.

Layers of existence—upper sky realms, the earthly plain, and shadowy underworld—stay in constant conversation. Seasonal rites and offerings to the bonga keep that dialogue humming, ensuring harmony between human ambition and nature’s whim. Roots run deep here; every household pot and plowshare carries whispers of Marang Buru and Jaher Era, reminding all that creation isn’t a one-time act but an unfolding story still being written.