Who is Thakur Jiu? Guide to the Santhal Supreme Deity
Thakur Jiu is the supreme deity of the Santhal people, one of the largest Adivasi (indigenous) communities in India. The Santhal live primarily in the eastern Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar, with significant communities also in Bangladesh and Nepal. Their language, Santali, belongs to the Austroasiatic family - deeply distinct from the Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages of most surrounding communities. Thakur Jiu is the creator god at the head of the Santhal religious cosmology. His worship is a living tradition today. This guide describes Thakur Jiu specifically as he is understood in Santhal tradition - a distinct religious system that should not be conflated with either Hindu tradition or the traditions of other Adivasi communities.
A note on tribal specificity. This guide describes Thakur Jiu specifically as he is understood in Santhal tradition. The Santhal are one of many hundreds of distinct Adivasi communities in India, each with its own religion, deities, and cosmology. Thakur Jiu is not the god of “Indian tribes” generally; he is specifically the supreme deity of Santhal religion.
Key Takeaways
- Thakur Jiu (also written Thakur Ji, Thakur Baba) is the supreme deity of the Santhal people, one of the largest Adivasi communities in India.
- His name is Santali; Thakur is a term of great respect meaning “lord,” and Jiu is an honorific.
- The Santhal live primarily in the eastern Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar, and speak Santali, a language of the Austroasiatic family.
- In Santhal cosmology, Thakur Jiu is the creator of the world, of the first beings, and specifically of the first Santhal couple - Pilchu Haram (first man) and Pilchu Budhi (first woman) - from whom the Santhal people descend.
- His worship is preserved in the oral tradition of the Santhal community, particularly in the Bonga ritual specialists who serve as religious mediators.
- His worship coexists with the veneration of many other Santhal deities and spirits, including the bongas (ancestral and nature spirits), the specific deities of the Santhal sarnas (sacred groves), and the ancestor spirits of individual families and clans.
- The Santhali Sarna religion, of which Thakur Jiu is the central figure, has been recognised in some Indian census categories as a distinct religion from Hinduism.
Who is Thakur Jiu?
Thakur Jiu is the supreme deity of the Santhal people, at the head of the Santhal religious cosmology.
Definition - Thakur Jiu
The supreme deity of the Santhal people of eastern India. His name is Santali; Thakur means “lord” (a term of great respect), and Jiu is an honorific. He is the creator god who made the world and the first Santhal couple, from whom the Santhal people descend.
The Santhal are one of the largest and oldest Adivasi (indigenous) communities in India, with over ten million members. Their language Santali is one of the major Austroasiatic languages of South Asia, related to Munda languages spoken by other Adivasi communities and to Southeast Asian languages like Khmer and Vietnamese (though only distantly). This linguistic connection reflects deep historical roots and suggests the Santhal and related communities may descend from populations who lived in the Indian subcontinent before Indo-Aryan-speaking populations arrived.
The creation
In Santhal tradition, Thakur Jiu created the world and the first beings. Different Santhal communities preserve different versions of the creation narrative, but a common thread describes the emergence of the primordial world and the shaping of the first Santhal ancestors. Read Thakur Jiu creates the world and creation from water.
The most beloved element of the Santhal creation is the story of the first Santhal couple: Pilchu Haram (first man) and Pilchu Budhi (first woman). According to Santhal tradition, Thakur Jiu created them and from them the Santhal community descends. Their story is preserved in Santhal oral tradition and continues to be told at community gatherings and festivals. Read Pilchu Haram and Pilchu Budhi and the first Santhal couple.
The Santhali Sarna religion
The Santhali religious tradition is sometimes called Sarna (from the sacred groves - sarna - that are central to its practice). It is a distinct religious tradition, not a branch of Hinduism or of any other larger tradition.
The tradition holds that:
- Thakur Jiu is the supreme creator god.
- Below him are various levels of bongas - a broad Santhali term covering ancestor spirits, nature spirits, deities of specific places, and various other supernatural beings.
- Sacred groves (sarnas) are the physical sites of worship - protected patches of forest that hold specific bongas and are treated as sacred sites.
- Ritual specialists called ojhas (healers, seers) and jog manjhi (elders with specific ritual roles) serve as religious specialists for the community.
The recognition of Santhali Sarna as a distinct religion (rather than as a branch of Hinduism) has been a contested political issue in modern India. Some Indian census categories have recognised it separately; others have included it under Hinduism. The Santhal themselves have a movement asserting the religion’s distinctness.
Sacred groves
Sacred groves (sarnas) are the central physical sites of Santhal religious practice. They are patches of forest, often at the edges of Santhal villages, that have been protected from cutting or disturbance for generations. They are considered the specific dwellings of Thakur Jiu, of bongas, and of ancestor spirits.
Worship at sacred groves involves specific offerings - traditionally including animal sacrifice, rice, and rice beer (called handi, a Santhal traditional drink). Rituals are performed by Santhali religious specialists at specific festival times. Major Santhal festivals include Sohrai (a harvest festival), Baha (the flower festival), and various clan-specific rituals. Read the sacred grove and the sacred grove spirits.
Ancestor worship
Ancestor veneration is central to Santhali religious practice. Ancestors are understood to continue as bongas after death, remaining in relationship with their descendants and requiring specific ritual attention. Household ancestor shrines, offerings at meals, and specific ritual observances at ancestor sites are part of ordinary Santhal religious life. Read the ancestor spirits, the ancestor who became a deity, and the ancestor house spirit.
The relationship between the living and the ancestors is understood as continuous and reciprocal. The ancestors provide protection and blessings; the living provide the ritual attention that maintains the ancestors’ proper status and prevents them from becoming angry or troubled spirits.
The Santhal in modern India
The Santhal have been politically and culturally significant in modern India in several ways. The Santhal Rebellion of 1855-1856 against British colonial rule was one of the first major anti-colonial uprisings in South Asia, predating the Indian Rebellion of 1857 by two years. Modern Santhal literature, in the Santali language written in the Ol Chiki script (developed in the twentieth century), is one of the most developed Adivasi literary traditions.
The Santhal religion and its supreme deity Thakur Jiu remain central to Santhal community identity today. The maintenance of the Sarna religion, sacred groves, and traditional festivals continues to be a matter of active practice for millions of Santhal.
Thakur Jiu compared to other tribal supreme deities
The concept of a supreme creator god appears across many Adivasi traditions in India.
| Tribal tradition | Supreme deity | Region | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santhal | Thakur Jiu | Eastern India | Living tradition |
| Gond | Bada Deo | Central India | Living tradition |
| Ho | Sing Bonga | Jharkhand | Living tradition |
| Toda | Teikirshy | Nilgiri Hills | Female creator |
| Khasi | U Blei | Meghalaya | Living tradition |
| Mizo | Pathian | Mizoram | Living tradition |
Each tribal tradition is its own, with its own supreme deity, cosmology, and ritual practices. The pattern of a supreme creator god is widespread, but the specific traditions should not be conflated.
Read the stories
Thakur Jiu and Santhal tradition appear in several stories on the site:
- Thakur Jiu Creates the World
- The First Santhal Couple
- Pilchu Haram and Pilchu Budhi
- Creation from Water
- The Sacred Grove
- The Sacred Grove Spirits
- The Ancestor Spirits
Thakur Jiu is what Santhal tradition kept as its supreme deity - the great lord at the top of a religious world that includes ancestor spirits, sacred groves, and the many bongas of the Santhal cosmos. His worship is a living tradition today, tended by Santhal communities across eastern India and preserved in the oral songs, rituals, and daily observances of the Santhal people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Thakur Jiu?
Thakur Jiu is the supreme deity of the Santhal people, one of the largest Adivasi (indigenous) communities in India. His name is Santali; Thakur means “lord” (a term of great respect), and Jiu is an honorific. He is the creator god who made the world and the first Santhal couple.
Who are the Santhal?
The Santhal are one of the largest Adivasi communities in India, with over ten million members living primarily in the eastern Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar, with significant communities also in Bangladesh and Nepal. They speak Santali, a language of the Austroasiatic family that suggests very old roots in the region predating Indo-Aryan expansion.
Who are Pilchu Haram and Pilchu Budhi?
In Santhal tradition, they are the first man and first woman - the primordial Santhal couple created by Thakur Jiu, from whom the Santhal people descend. Their story is preserved in Santhal oral tradition and is one of the foundational narratives of Santhal identity.
Is Santhali religion the same as Hinduism?
No. Santhali religion (sometimes called Sarna) is a distinct religious tradition, not a branch of Hinduism. Its supreme deity Thakur Jiu, its cosmology of bongas (ancestor and nature spirits), its sacred groves (sarnas), and its ritual specialists are specifically Santhal. The recognition of Sarna as a distinct religion in modern Indian census categories has been a contested political issue, with the Santhal community itself advocating for its distinctness.
What are the Santhal sacred groves?
The sarnas (sacred groves) are patches of forest protected from cutting or disturbance for generations, treated as the specific dwellings of Thakur Jiu, bongas, and ancestor spirits. They are the central physical sites of Santhal religious practice. Worship at them involves specific offerings including traditionally animal sacrifice, rice, and rice beer (handi). Major Santhal festivals are celebrated at these groves.
Is Thakur Jiu worshipped today?
Yes. Thakur Jiu is worshipped as a living deity by millions of Santhal today. The Santhali Sarna religion remains an active tradition. Sacred groves continue to be maintained; ancestor rituals continue to be performed; annual festivals continue to be celebrated. His worship is not a historical matter but a current religious practice.