At the Sarhul festival the marriage of the sun-god and earth-mother
is celebrated, and this cannot be done till the _sal_ tree gives
the flowers for the ceremony. It takes place about the beginning of
April on any day when the tree is in flower. A white cock is taken
to represent the sun and a black hen the earth; their marriage is
celebrated by marking them with vermilion, and they are sacrificed. The
villagers then accompany the Pahan or Baiga, the village priest, to
the _sarna_ or sacred grove, a remnant of the old _sal_ forest in
which is located Sarna Burhi or 'The old women of the grove.' "To
this dryad," writes Colonel Dalton, "who is supposed to have great
influence over the rain (a superstition not improbably founded on the
importance of trees as cloud-compellers), the party offer five fowls,
which are afterwards eaten, and the remainder of the day is spent
in feasting. They return laden with the flowers of the _sal_ tree,
and next morning with the Baiga pay a visit to every house, carrying
the flowers. The women of the village all stand on the threshold of
their houses, each holding two leaf-cups; one empty to receive the
holy water; the other with rice-beer for the Baiga. His reverence
stops at each house, and places flowers over it and in the hair of
the women. He sprinkles the holy water on the seeds that have been
kept for the new year and showers blessings on every house, saying,
'May your rooms and granary be filled with paddy that the Baiga's name
may be great.' When this is accomplished the woman throws a vessel
of water over his venerable person, heartily dousing the man whom the
moment before they were treating with such profound respect. This is no
doubt a rain-charm, and is a familiar process. The Baiga is prevented
from catching cold by being given the cup of rice-beer and is generally
gloriously drunk before he completes his round. There is now a general
feast, and afterwards the youth of both sexes, gaily decked with the
_sal_ blossoms, the pale cream-white flowers of which make the most
becoming of ornaments against their dusky skins and coal-black hair,
proceed to the Akhara and dance all night."