Santhal joy as CM’s ‘Dasay’ greetings turn into a cultural affirmation

]For the Santhal community in Dumka’s Leto village, this year’s Dasay festival carries a special memory. On Monday, members of the Disom Marang Buru Yug Jaher Akhra gathered at the Manjhi Than, offered prayers, and shared sweets — not just for tradition, but for a rare recognition they had long sought. Their cultural appeal had reached the highest office in Jharkhand, and Chief Minister Hemant Soren responded with a public message of greetings.

The Department of Information and Public Relations, Dumka, swiftly put up hoardings across the town carrying the Chief Minister’s festive message. The move was prompted by the villagers’ request, made through local media a day earlier, that Santhals also be included in state greetings for their annual festival. When the hoardings appeared, the joy was palpable. “This acknowledgment feels like respect for our tradition. It makes us feel seen,” said a villager participating in the celebrations.

The Santhals, among the largest tribal communities of eastern India, treat Dasay as a sacred occasion linked to their agrarian cycle and community worship. For many, the absence of a state-level holiday or formal recognition has long been a sore point. While they welcomed the Chief Minister’s words, villagers in Leto and beyond used the moment to renew their demand: a declaration of Dasay as a state holiday. “Every year we want to see the state’s greetings for our festival, and we also want Dasay to have the same official status as other major celebrations,” said community members at the gathering. For them, recognition goes beyond symbolism and represents dignity as custodians of a unique cultural heritage.

From ritual worship at the Manjhi Than to distribution of prasad, the mood in Leto was festive and hopeful. Leaders and villagers such as Sunil Tudu, Suraj Tudu, Kaha Marandi, Anil Tudu, Suryamuni Murmu, Maloti Hansda, Lukhiram Tudu, Muni Hansda, Manik Tudu, Lukhi Soren, Hopontih Kisku, Lalmuni Marandi, and many others attended in large numbers.For the Santhal villagers, the acknowledgement may have been small, but it marked a step in bringing tribal traditions into the broader narrative of Jharkhand’s cultural calendar. Whether Dasay will receive official holiday status remains uncertain, but for now, Dumka’s rural heartland is celebrating a moment of visibility and pride.

Eom

 

Attn Ranchi Desk (Page 2)

From the Himalayas to our Homes: Lahiri Mahasaya’s Gift of Kriya Yoga

By Vidhi Birla

“Banat, banat, ban jai” — step by step, the goal is reached.

With these simple yet profound words, Lahiri Mahasaya encouraged seekers to live fully in the present, giving their utmost to the moment before them, assured that the future would shape itself in divine order.

Lahiri Mahasaya was born on September 30, 1828, in the village of Ghurni, Bengal. In his thirty-third year, while serving as a government accountant in the Himalayan foothills near Ranikhet, he met the deathless Mahavatar Babaji. In a blessed meeting described in Autobiography of a Yogi, Babaji initiated him into the sacred science of Kriya Yoga — entrusting him with the divine mission of bringing this long-hidden yoga technique back to the world.

Returning to his home in Banaras, Lahiri Mahasaya began initiating sincere seekers — princes and peasants alike — into Kriya Yoga. This ancient technique, Yogananda explained, works directly with life force, slowing bodily decay and accelerating spiritual evolution. Its revival in 1861 was, as Yogananda noted, “a fortunate moment for all the human race.”

“As the fragrance of flowers cannot be suppressed,” Paramahansa Yogananda wrote, “so Lahiri Mahasaya, quietly living as an ideal householder, could not hide his innate glory. Devotee-bees from every part of India began to seek the divine nectar of the liberated master.”

The greatness of Lahiri Mahasaya’s life lies in his example: one can fulfil worldly duties as a spouse, parent, and professional, while at the same time living in constant communion with God. His life was a silent yet powerful answer to the age-old question: Is God-realization possible while living in the world? His radiant example proved it is not only possible, but natural, when one lives with inner renunciation.

The joy of God-communion is gently revealed in his enigmatic smile. His eyes, half open to show a nominal interest in the outer world, are also half closed, reflecting his deep absorption in inner bliss. Even today, many devotees testify to the spiritual power of his image — offering protection, healing, and a silent call to deeper meditation. His gaze seems to pierce the heart, drawing the seeker inward to the presence of God, ever ready to guide those who come in sincerity.

His counsel to all was simple: “Solve all your problems through meditation. Exchange unprofitable speculations for actual God-communion… Attune yourself to the active inner Guidance; the Divine Voice has the answer to every dilemma of life.”

Through his foremost disciple, Swami Sri Yukteswar, revered as the “Gyanavatar” or incarnation of wisdom, Lahiri Mahasaya’s spiritual mission was carried forward with steadfast purity. In 1917, Paramahansa Yogananda, disciple of Sri Yukteswar, founded the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS) to disseminate the ancient science of Kriya Yoga as taught by Lahiri Mahasaya. Today, YSS continues to serve as a living channel for his blessings, guiding sincere seekers toward life’s highest purpose: union with God through the daily practice of meditation.

Reverenced as a Yogavatar — an incarnation of yoga — Lahiri Mahasaya’s life stands as an ever-present guide for the modern age, showing that the ultimate purpose of life can be realized, step by step, in the midst of daily duties. For all who sincerely seek God, his words still echo like a divine promise:

“Banat, banat, ban jai.” (“Striving, striving, one day behold! the Divine Goal.”)

Further Info.: yssofindia.org

Eom

 

Attn Ranchi Desk (Page 2 Lead)

Probe initiated after 3 workers injured in mishap at Bokaro Steel Plant

PNS

Bokaro

A mishap at the Steel Melting Shop-2 (SMS-2) unit of Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) on Sunday afternoon left three contract workers with severe burn injuries, casting a shadow over ongoing Navratri festivities in the city.

According to officials, the accident occurred around 3:45 PM during the transfer of molten metal from a mixer to a converter. A technical issue in the crane reportedly led to spillage of the molten metal, which injured the workers present at the spot. They were rushed to Bokaro General Hospital, where they are undergoing intensive care under the supervision of specialists.

Late in the evening, Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Ajay Nath Jha, accompanied by BSL Executive Director (Works) Priya Ranjan and Chas SDO Pranjal Dhanda, visited the hospital to assess the condition of the injured. The DC directed officials to submit detailed reports at the earliest, assuring that the administration is fully sensitive to the matter.

Meanwhile, BSL authorities have initiated an internal probe. ED (Works) Priya Ranjan confirmed that the affected area has been barricaded for safety and that a high-level committee has been formed to determine the exact cause. “The reasons are being examined, and conclusive remarks will be shared once the enquiry is complete,” he said.

Chief of Communications, M.K. Dhan, stated that the management is ensuring the injured receive the best available care and support. “The company is closely monitoring their condition and has made arrangements for comprehensive treatment,” he added.

Expressing concern, BSL management assured that corrective steps would be taken to enhance safety measures and prevent such mishaps in the future. The incident has also prompted renewed calls for stricter enforcement of safety protocols across the steel plant.