Lady of the Sacred Grove
Santal · deity · perennial · Recorded classification
Santali jaher 'sacred grove' + era/ayo 'woman, mother'; cognate with the Sarna Burhi.
Domains
- sacred groves
- vegetation and trees
Powers
- guards the village sacred grove and its sal trees
- secures communal welfare, rain and protection from epidemics
Sources
- Jaher Era ('Lady of the Grove') is the Santal goddess of the sacred grove (jaherthan), worshipped especially at the spring Baha festival.: Troisi, J. (2000). Tribal Religion. Manohar. (scholarship); Culshaw, W.J. (1949). Tribal Heritage. Lutterworth. (scholarship)