Kapi Buru (Santali: á± á±Âᱹᱯᱤ ᱵᱩᱨᱩ) is a forested rural area located in Bahalda of the Mayurbhanj district in the Indian state of Odisha. It is culturally significant in Santali history as the traditional place where Raghunath Murmu conceptualised and worked on the Ol Chiki script for the Santali language.
Kapi Buru lies in the Bahalda region of northern Mayurbhanj. Mayurbhanj district is the largest district in Odisha by area and has a significant tribal population, including Santali speakers.
Kapi Buru holds cultural importance in Santali tradition for its association with Raghunath Murmu, the creator of the Ol Chiki script. Local Santali accounts describe the area as a quiet forest where Murmu would go with a notebook and pen to work on developing a writing system that later became Ol Chiki. Murmu often went to the Kapi Buru area during his youth to contemplate and write. It is widely said that he developed the Ol Chiki script here in solitude, working with his notebook and pen in the forest.
Guru Njepel is an annual commemorative observance held at Kapi Buru, associated with the remembrance of Pandit Raghunath Murmu, the creator of the Ol Chiki script. The event is observed on Ot-Kunami the day preceding the full moonâÂÂduring the Santali month of Magh (generally falling between January and February).
Pandit Raghunath Murmu passed away on the seventh day of the month of Magh, a day traditionally referred to as Magh Eyay Aami. Historical accounts within the Santali community note that many followers were unable to attend his last rites at the time of his death. As a result, his followers later began gathering annually on Ot Kunami and Buru Kunami (the full-moon day) to collectively offer homage. This practice has continued every year since his death.
In the Santali language, the word Njepel means meeting or gathering. On this occasion, Santali people from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh visit Kapi Buru to pay tribute to Pandit Raghunath Murmu and to commemorate his contributions to the Santali language, script, and cultural identity.