In the dense forests and fertile plains of Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal, the Santhal tribe lives in harmony with nature’s rhythm. Among India’s largest Indigenous communities, the Santhals have long followed the sun—not just for farming, but for celebration, song, and survival.
When the day’s heat retreats, and the sky softens into dusk, the village awakens in a new way. This is when the Santhals dance.
Life Before Light, Labour After Dawn
For most Santhal families, the day starts early. Before the sun even crests the horizon, women are sweeping courtyards, lighting wood fires, and prepping for hours in the fields. Farming rice and millets in humid heat means work must happen while the sun is still bearable.
As the sun climbs, so does the intensity. Many carry water, wood, and tools across open fields with little or no sun protection—thin cotton scarves and mud-covered skin are their only shields.
Skin That Carries the Story
Decades under the sun leave quiet marks: tanning, fine lines, hyperpigmentation, and in some cases, lasting skin damage. Most Santhals don’t have access to dermatology, let alone sunscreen. “We cover with cloth, but the heat finds you anyway,” one woman says.
Their skin carries not just the sun’s effects, but the strength of their work. And still, they greet each evening with music.
Dusk: The Hour of Joy
The Santhals are known for their vibrant tribal dance—the Santhali dance—performed by lines of women in red-bordered sarees, shoulder-to-shoulder, arms interlocked. It begins not at sunrise, but when the sun sets.
As light fades, drums echo through the trees. Men play the tumdak and tiriyo, while women sing and sway. It’s a ritual of release—from work, heat, and weight.
For them, sunset is not an ending but an invitation: to move, to laugh, to belong.
Let the Light Be Gentle
At East24, we believe in stories like these—not just of protection from the sun, but of how people live with it. From sunrise labour to sunset dance, the Santhal way reminds us: the sun doesn’t just burn, it also binds.
It’s time sun care reached every skin under its watch.
