Towa Dare - O my beloved mother II Marriage song

Santal Marriage I Hor Bapla
By Boro Baski
Santal marriage known as ‘Hor bapla’ in Santali is the most complex social and religious ceremony of the Santals. It begins in the month of Falgun and continues upto Josthi (March to June). Marriage for Santals is not only the communion of two individuals but also the occasion to strengthen the kinship relationship of two families and their villagers. Following are some forms of marriages practiced in Santal parganas, northern part of West Bengal, Assam, Nepal and Bangladesh with little changes according to the practices of the villages.

1. Angir - this is the run-away match with a married or unmarried person;
2. Golaeti bapla- a marriage where two families intermarry, so that a son in each family marries a daughter in the other;
3. Hirom cetan bapla- marriage when the man has a legitimate first wife living with him;
4. Itut bapla- a 'marriage’ where a man forcibly applies sindur on the forehead of a woman, thereby formally making her his wife;
5.Jawae kirin bapla- a marriage where a man is bought to marry a woman who is with child with a non-marriable relative;
6. Kirin bahu bapla- the regular marriage, when a man brings his son a bride for whom he has paid the bride price;
7. Nir bolok bapla- a ‘marriage ‘when a woman enters the house of a man whom she had illicit sex which is often followed by a regular marriage;
8. Tunki dipil bapla- a regular marriage, but without the ordinary feasting, the poor man’s marriage;
9. Ghardi Jawae bapla- A ghardi jawae, who in this way comes to his wife's home and stays there for good.
10. Randi-Chadwi bapla or Sangha bapla - Marriage of a widow, a widower or a divorcee.

In this write up some of the major stages and procedures of Kirin bahu bapla has been discussed that is practiced in Bishnubati village of Birbhum distict.
Marriage preparation:
Kuri-kora nepel (first meeting between boy and girl).
Orak duar nel / Kumba oyong (inspection of the boy’s house.
Seya sutam te tol (Binding with decomposed thread) –Here the phrase Seya sutamte tol is used as metaphor for the confirmation of the said words through offering rice beer to the community.
Jawai dhuti / horok/ bahu bande / mala mudam (engagement ceremony).
Bor kutra (Rice grain given to bride family) - Father of the boy pays 12 or 14 Tins (depending on the village practice) of rice grain for the arrangement of the marriage.
Gira tol- Gira tol is finalizing the date of marriage.
Marriage procedures-
1st day-Mandwa / Chamda- a temporary shed. One of the reasons for installing the branches of two different trees is, two different individuals are coming together to become one. Other reason is Santals believe that Sal, Mohuwa, mango, balck berry trees are auspicious trees where the benevolent spirits reside. Hence these branches are the symbol of the presence of the spirits to witness the occasions and give blessings.
2nd day-Kajrati Chal (Hands over of a small iron container to keep eye-paint).
Dak bapla (water marriage) - Through this ritual parents of the bride groom/bride buy a pond for their son/daughter so that they get a pond after death. The water of this pond is purified from evil spirits that dwell in the water by killing them with kapi, bow and arrow and sickle. Later the water is used in the rituals of the marriage.
Hari tol -
Tarwari dak joro (Semen virility) – There is also another narrative which says, holy water symbolizes the seed (semen); Jog manjhi is the cultural representative of the tribe and the sword symbolizes the erected penis. The deeper meaning is that the seed of the tribe is being given to the groom/bride through his father and mother to their son/daughter, conveying the power of cultural life that they have received from their forefathers being given to their son/daughter so that they too grow and expand their families.
Bariyatok (Groom party goes to the bride’s village for marriage).
Jawai daram (reception of groom).
Jawai dabra (bathing of groom).
Sarha darhi (turban-tying)- With this ceremony the bride’s brother tries to stop the groom from taking away his sister and the groom pacify him by giving him a turban.
Sindra dan (marriage or act of applying vermilion)- Applying of vermilion ceremony takes place above the ground which symbolizes that the groom owns the bride keeping the witness of all the spirits and living beings of the three worlds that Santals believe, Dharti puri (the land), Serma puri (the sky) and patal puri (the underground). The darwa symbolizes the womb of the mother earth.
3rd Day-Uti Baisi (break up meeting); Balaya johar (co-parents in-law greetings); Gidi chumara or bandha pon. It is a reception of newly-wed couple. The grain symbolizes food and wealth; grass - growth and prosperity and basket - the mother earth.
Bride’s family throws Bapla Bhoj.
4th day- Baisi (meeting). mandwa kasi;
chumara/bandapon.
Janga Arub (washing of feet)