Shyam Sundar Mandi :: Santal Cultivation Songs
Shyam Sundar Mandi sings a Herhet song. The word Herhet specifically means the act of de-weeding paddy in the Santali language. However, Herhet is also the umbrella term for all songs sung on the field during cultivation. These would be sung by both men and women in the days of yore, during the various stages of the rice (and in earlier times, millet) cultivation process. Herhet songs are never accompanied by musical instruments, quite naturally, since these are sung while working in the field. The songs would accompany ploughing, sowing, transplanting, de-weeding and every other stage spanning the months of Jyoshti (May-June) till Bhadro (August-September). From October onwards, till the beginning of the next agricultural cycle in the following May, Herhet is not sung.
 
Creator : Ratnaboli Bose
Date : November 2025
Location : Bhurkunda, Purulia, West Bengal
Duration : 3m 27s
Language : Santali
Instruments used : Huka Banam
Source : Live recording
Copyright : ©2026 Daricha Foundation. All rights reserved.
Subject : Santal, Herhet