A drum procession makes its way through the village of Sarjoma. Three women lead the way carrying baskets laden with grain and assorted offerings. The procession makes its way to a large stone which marks a memorial stone.
The Munda community of Jharkhand erects a gravestone to commemorate the death of an individual. The rituals they carry out today are the same ones their ancestors carried out 100s of years ago.
"The rituals and the gravestone keep the identity of the people of the community", says Sinu Munda, an elder of the community.
In addition to the gravestone the deceased's family also plant Sal trees, a tree that is an important livelihood source throughout a Munda's life.
"The person may be gone physically but the stone we erect in their memory, makes them live on forever", Says Community Correspondent Amita Tuti who is also a Munda.
“Video Volunteers gave me a platform to go the extra mile for people”
Avijit Adhikary is a journalist with nearly 8000 days of field experience till date. In the past two decades, he has witnessed the ebb and flow of the media industry in India, with ripples felt in his region too. This includes the rise of digital media, the decline of print...
Take Action
A bridge about to collapse in Bihar
The bridge that was built by the British is slowly chipping off, and fatal accidents are a regular occurrence there. The villagers along with our Community Correspondent are requesting the Government officials to repair this bridge. They are getting assurance that the repair work will start soon though it...