Beyond Western Romanticism: A Study of Santali Poetry

This paper examines the emergence and development of Romanticism in Santali poetry, moving beyond the framework of Western Romanticism to explore its indigenous aesthetic and cultural roots. In Santali literary discourse, Romanticism is understood as Ramajan, a concept that emphasizes emotional intimacy, imagination, and a deep relational bond between human beings and the universe. The study traces the origins of Romanticism in Santali poetry from the publication of Baha Dalwag (1936) by Paul Jujhar Soren, the first Santali poetry collection, to its expansion in the post-independence period through poets such as Sarada Prasad Kisku, Gorachand Tudu, Panchanan Marandi, and Dr. Krishna Chandra Tudu. By analyzing selected poetic texts, the paper highlights how imagination, dreams, nature, nostalgia, and emotional longing shape Santali Romantic expression. The study argues that Santali Romanticism developed organically from folk traditions and indigenous worldview rather than merely imitating Western literary movements.