Context
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The 15th President of India, Droupadi Murmu, assumed office with a ‘Johar’ greeting to the country.
About Johar
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Photo Credit: The Statesmen Essentially means ‘salutation and welcome’, is used within the tribal communities of Jharkhand, and in parts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
- According to several tribal leaders from Jharkhand, the word also means ‘paying respect’.
- Tribal communities are nature worshippers and follow Sarna religion code, although it is not an official religion.
Do all tribal communities use the word for greeting?
- There are 32 tribal communities in Jharkhand who speak different dialects.
- Almost all, including tribal Christians, use the word along with some other words for salutation.
- The word, is predominantly used by Santhali, Munda and Ho communities that share some similarities.
- People belonging to the Oraon community use the word ‘Jai Dharam’, apart from Johar, as a salutation.
Is there only one form of ‘Johar’ salutation?
- There are at least four types. One of them is ‘Doboh Johar’, which is used between people where one among them has a higher standing. Ratan Tikrey, a former member of Tribes Advisory Council (TAC) said that in ‘Doboh Johar’ there is a ritual where the person with a tumbler full of water bows in front of the person of higher standing.
Reference: IE
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