Art and Culture

Giridih is woven with rich cultural and traditional values. The vibrant culture and customs add to the life of the city. Giridih was carved out of earlier known Hazaribagh district and made a new district on the 6th of December 1972. Amidst the growing urbanization one can find the roots of social and cultural  still embeded here. The city has emerged as a secular place where people from different sect and ideologies reside together in great harmony. The city together celebrates different festivals like Diwali, Holi, Eid and Christmas and more. The several historic monuments in the city reflects glimpses of its glorious past. Being an emerging city, Giridih doesn’t have night life culture, vibrant discotheques and mals but is bestowed with many beautiful natural sites and religious places. The people residing in the city have great faith in their values and traditions.

Religion in Giridih

Giridih is home to people belonging to different sects. From the followers of Hinduism  Jainism and Islam you can find all practicing their sects with ease in this part of Jharkhand. The city is jutted with numerous Temples, Mosques, Churches and Gurudwaras. The people of every religion live together with communal harmony and adds to cultural richness of the city life. Parasnath temple which is a well known Jain pilgrimage destination in India is situated in Giridih district is also visited by people belonging to other sects.

Culture of Giridih

The city also has Langta Baba Samadhi Sthal which is located in Kharagdiha, about 30 km North West of the town on road towards Jamua. The Samadhi Sthal is revered by both Hindus and Muslims in the city. Harihar temple is another famous Hindu temple in Giridih district. The Shiva Lingam in the premises is said to be one of the largest in India with the height of 65 ft. Hindu pilgrims from all corners of the region visits the place during Shiva Ratri festival.

Languages in Giridih

Hindi is the common language of the city. However in tribal dominated are a Santhali is also spoken by tribals of the region. All governmental advertisements, communication, programs and public activities are generally conducted in Hindi. In educational institutes English is also used as a formal language for communications. Due to the usage of Hindi language in the city, travele find it easy to communicate with the inhabitants of the region. The communication and languages  used in the city is quite understandable thus it does not create any communication barriers.

Folk Songs and Dances of Giridih

The cultural and traditional mosaic of Giridih is shaped by generations of communities living since centuries. The tribes such as Kols, Bhils, Santhals, Banjaras, Bihors, Chero etc. have left a strong impact on the culture and tradition in this area. Influence of Buddhism, Jainism and Islam can be felt in the region. The oldest known cave paintings were found in region is known as Shabars. The folk music of the region is influenced by the music of Bihar and West Bengal. The folk music in the region not only sung for entertainment but the music conveys great social and ritualistic message in the society.

Folk dances of Giridih

Jhumar is one of the most preferred music forms in Giridih . The folk dance is mainly practiced by Santhali peoples using their traditional drums and conches. Jhumar is sort of group performance, which is performed with folk songs. The dancers sway in time to the intoxicating rhythms produced by the musical instruments. The city is steadily becoming urbanized and the modern songs has started penetrating the region, Yet the folk songs and dances are still relevant in the current times and are performed during special seasons and auspicious occasions by the locals and reflect the prevailing culture in the city.

Costume in Giridih

In Giridih women generally adorns Sari and Salwar Kameez. The saris in Giridih are quite famous for their tribal art designs and fabric. On special occasion, women prefer draping colorful saris over blouses. The women in the region are found of tribal jewelry made up of colorful glittering stones. Bindi is vital part of the makeup without which the women rarely leaves their houses. With increased urbanization the youth of the day are preferring western outfits like Jeans and T-Shirts. However young girls prefer wearing Salwar Kameez. Men in the region generally wear Pajama, Kurta and Cotton Pants. The sari with Ghunghat is compulsory for the women in the region. With the increased modern penetration the youth in the city has been seen experimenting with western outfits lately.

Festivals in Giridih

Giridih is a secular region and the inhabitant celebrates all the major festivals like Holi, Diwali, Eid and Christmas with great joy and enthusiasm. The celebration in the region is accompanied by shopping, purchasing sweets, putting rangoli etc. People in region also celebrate famous tribal and local festivals with exuberance and excitement. The festival of Karama has huge importance among the tribal communities. On the auspicious day the devotees worships Sal tree and observes fast for 24 hours. The Sohrai festival is celebrated by the tribal inhabitants in honor of the cattle. The domestic animals are washed and worshiped on the day. Some time bullfights were also organized in order to derive fun out of the festival. Sarhul is yet another most famous festival among the tribal community. This festival is celebrated in order to worship “Dhartimata” who is believed to protect the village from natural calamities and negatives energies.

Cuisines of Giridih

Rice is the main staple food in the region. The people in the region rarely use spices in their recepies. Some of the famous dishes relished by the inhabitants are litti chokha, dhuska, dudhauri, kera-dudhauri, etc. The inhabitant’s uses different flowers in their cuisine as vegetables such as flower of Drum stick, flower of Pumpkin etc were widely used. Commonly used sags are palak, bhathua, beng, koinar, gendhari, kataei, saranti, sunsunia, methi, Sarso and chana. “Maad Jhor” is the most preferred substitute for daal that is prepared by boiling saag in starch of rice. Mushrooms are most desired food during the monsoon. The inhabitants likes eating dried mushrooms with flavored sauces.

Art and Painting in Giridih

Giridih is quite famous for its exotic tribal art and painting. The beautiful wall paintings of the region thrown light on its much preserved art and culture since centuries. The Kohbar and Sohrai painting are the traditional paintings of the region. The motif style includes flower, birds, indigenous designs etc. The Madhubani paintings are also very famous in the region. The Paitkar painting practiced by tribal’s are carved on stones signifies the journey of human after death. The village paintings are considered auspicious symbols related to fertility and fecundity being painted on the walls.