Bodo Tribe

THE BODO TRIBE SIDDHI KACHHARA

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INTRODUCTION

Bodos (pronounced BO – ROs) are members of an indigenous tribe that inhabits a good part of northern Assam. They are one of the 17 dominant ethnic groups belonging to the great Kachari race that inhabit the Brahmaputra valley since ancient times.

They are mostly located in and around the Brahmaputra river valley.

Bodos were one of the earliest settlers of Assam. And today, they are one of the largest ethnic groups in the state.

Though they are spread all over North-East India and in neighbouring Bangladesh and Nepal, they are predominant in Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri districts of present-day Assam.

The Boro along with other cognate groups of BodoKachari peoples are prehistoric settlers who are believed to have migrated at least 3000 years ago. The Bodo-Kachari were also some of the first people to rear silkworms and produce silk material and were considered to be advanced in rice cultivation in Assam during this time period

The Bodo consist of a large number of tribes. Their western tribes include the Cūtiyā, Plains Kachārī, Rābhā, Gāro, Mech, Koch, Dhimāl, and Jaijong; the eastern tribes include the Dimasa (or Hill Kachārī), Galong (or Gallong), Hojai, Lalung, Tippera, and Moran. The Bodo were formerly dominant in Assam until about 1825. The total number of speakers of Bodo languages in India was estimated at about 2.2 million in the late 20th century.

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The present Bodo Lutheran church in Patkijuli (P.Andersen,2012)

RELIGION Boros are polytheists. They worshiped dozens of Hindu deities like Shiva, Durga, Kali, Ram, and Krishna along with tribal deities like Bathou or Shijou, Mainao, Mairong, and Agrang.In 1971, about 95% of Boros were Hindus and 5% were Christians.

Traditionally, Boros practised Bathouism, which is the worshiping of supreme God, known as Obonglaoree. The shijou tree (in the genus Euphorbia) is taken as the symbol of Bathou and worshiped. It is also claimed as the supreme god. In the Boro language, Ba means five and thou means deep. Since Boros believe in the five mighty elements of God – land, water, air, fire, and ether – the number five has become significant in the Bathou religion.

In addition to Bathouism, Boro people also follow Hinduism, especially Hoom Jaygya.

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FESTIVALS Bwisagu is the major seasonal festival celebrated by the Bodos.

Their popular folk dance is known as the Bagurumba (also pronounced as "Bagurungba"), which mimics the movements of the fluttering butterflies, and hence is also referred to as the "Butterfly Dance".

JOTHA SIFUNG

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SERJA

THORKHA

Famous for its myriad colours and merriment, it is celebrated during mid April.The other festivals celebrated by the people are Hapsa Hatarnai, Wngkham Gwrlwi Janai, Domashi. The Boros traditionally dance the Bagurumba. This dance is accompanied by the Bagurumba song. Moreover, there are about 15/18 kinds of Kherai Dances.

Among all the Kherai festival includes singing, dancing and drumming celebrated with much rejoice.

Bodo man in 1909

Bodo man at present

Aronai is a small Scarf, used both by Men and Women. Aronai is the sign of Boro tradition and is used to felicitate guests with honour, as a gift. In winter it is wrapped around the neck to warm up the body and generally used in the performance of Boro dance (P. Anderson 2012)

In ancient times, Bodo warriors dorn aronais woven by their wives around their waist as a belt during battle.

During dancing, it is worn on one side of the shoulder and tied with another aronai worn around the waist.

As Halfdan Siiger(1950) stated in his manuscript, a vest (Jombainai) might ‘be worn under a shirt, but is very often worn without any shirt’. It is woven in double threads, tabby.’. Length 236, height 120 cm A long type of Bamboo-topie, kōpri (khophri)/Phalli is used in the planting season only, that is the rainy season.

Small turban may be used by all men the larger turban may be used by headmen only. The small turbans may have various colours, whereas the larger turbans for headmen are always white.

MALE C Aronai

CLOTHING

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The Gamsa is the traditional dress of Bodo men.

They wear it from their waist till the knee. It is usually striped or chequered and available in attractive colors. This is quite similar to the quintessential Indian bathing towel called Gamchha.

kōpri (khophri)/Phalli

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Sometimes the gamsas were also bought ready- made in the bazaar, but sometimes it was only the thread for them and the cloth woven locally.

Gamsha can be different colours but green with white (in border) is the most common colour in Boro Gamsha.

Gamsha is compulsory to wear while worshipping the god and for Boro bridegroom.

Phalli

Nowadays, Bodo men rarely wear the Gamsa though.

They have switched to the modern shirt and pant attire now A string of cotton 'janji gunsa' (janji gunsha) worn round the waist-line to keep up the gamsas.

Surprising information is that gamsas and the Bengali dhotis, later on, are usually worn without any supporting sting or belt, but just tied together.

Red and white Male Jombainai cloth of checkered pattern in silk (Danish national Museum 2015)

FEMALE CLOTHING

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Aronai : It is a small beautiful scarf worn by both men and women in varied ways according to occasion.

During dancing, it is worn on one side of the shoulder and tied with another aronai worn around the waist.

The hajw (hill) agor is the main agor used in the edges of an aronai. Without it, it is not an aronai.

(Danish national Museum 2015)

Dokhona : The dokhona is the main traditional dress worn by Bodo women, covering from chest to ankle, and is usually 2.5 to 3 metres long and 1.5 metres wide. Different flowery designs, known as agor, are woven into the dokhona in varied colours.

Jwmgra : A jwmgra (also known as jwmbaigra or pasra) is a large scarf for the upper portion of the body. Generally it is about 7 feet long and 1 feet 9 inches wide.

Bodo woman in 1909

Red and yellow dokhna in silk

Table cloth-Agor Phalli

BODO WEAVE Weaving is an integral part of the Bodo culture, with every household having a handloom.

The main traditional colour is gwmw (yellow), usually used in combination with gwthang (green) and bathogang (parrot green). However, they are woven in other colours too, like gwja (red), neel (blue) and solay rong (violet). A plain dokhona without agor is known as matha or salamatha.

The cloth is made of a mixture of eri silk (weft) and cotton (warp).

(Danish national Museum 2015)

With “eye of the tortoise” and “hill” patterns

Some of the commonly woven agors are: Phareo Megon (Pigeon's Eye), Daorai Mwkhreb (Wrinkle of Peacock), Pul Mwbla (Variety of Blooming Flowers), Daosha Mwkhreb (Wrinkle of Chicken), Maoji Agan (Footprint of a Cat), Dingkhia Mohor (Fiddlehead fern, locally known as dhekia), Thaigir Bibar (Elephant Apple's Flower), Muphur Apha (Bear's Footprint), Agor Gidit (Shape of a Diamond), Gandoula Agor (Dragonfly Design), Sikhri Agor (Butterfly Design), Laosong Agor (Design by a Bodo girl named Laosong), Gongar Thaiship (Fruit of a Nuni Tree), Hatorki Agor (Star Design).

RAW MATERIALS OF BODO WEAVE The basic raw material used is acrylic, cotton and sometimes silk.

Cotton cultivation, yarn spinning and dyeing was traditionally practiced by the tribal’s, but gradually the weavers discontinued these activities

TOOLS AND IMPLEMENTS

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The tools necessary for weaving consist of yarns (acrylic, cotton or silk), spindle, spinning machine, warp drum or pegs and a loom (loin or throw-shuttle). Most of these tools are made of bamboo and sometimes wood.

(Danish national Museum 2015)

VILLAGE HOOK

P. Anderson 2015

VILLAGE LOOM

BOBBIN

YARN REEL

Bodo woman weaving in the present time

In Khujrabguri No.2 village in Bodoland, Sama Brahma weaves for 6-8 hours a day every day at her bamboo pedal loom, and only occasionally takes a day off (The wire).

A yarn reel (dangon natha or daina natha) : is used to collect the yarn when it has been spun at the spinning wheel. The yarn reel is made out of wood and bamboo. The handle is of wood. The spindle is used by hand, where the handle allows you to hold it to spin

Most of the Boro weavers says that, the Hajw agor (hills) and Parwo megon (pigeon's eye) is the most common and important design Bodo woman weaving in 1949-1950

Of late years the women have been buying dyed cotton thread at the bazaars.

Previously they dyed the cotton themselves or bought dye from the Bhutanese’.

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All pictures from Danish national Museum (2015)

ORNAMENTS 1.Khumani Khera: An earring whose top part consists of a lotus-shaped carving, encircled by a frame, below from which hangs three flowery/bell-shaped plates. The top of the circular frame is adjoined by a hook which is fastened to the pierced hole in the ear lobe while wearing.

2.Khorom Pula: This earring is also known as puti. Halfdan Siiger in his well-known 1950 manuscript on the Bodos suggested that this earring derived its name from khorom, meaning wooden sandal, and pula, meaning flower. This earring indeed resembles the toe knob of a wooden sandal. They are made of mixed metal, nickel, and silver.

3. Suki Mala : Also called thanka-siri, this necklace is made up of 62 old 4 anna coins, belonging to years of the British Raj, and one bigger coin. Possibly a mix of nickel and silver.

On one of them, it is possible to recognise the head of George V (Emperor of India from 1910 to his death in 1936).

4. Chandra Har: A heavy necklace of five layers hung on the chest. This necklace is worn by rich and affluent families.

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5. Amulets covers (maduli) : ‘Small copperbox with an amulet inside to protect against all kind of evil. Adults have it hanging tied to the janji gunsa (a cotton string around the waist). Children have it hanging from a string worn around the neck, around the wrist, or in a string around the waist-line’

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6. Asan/Ashan : It is a generic name for bangles and bracelets. Siiger in his manuscript divided the bracelets into ashan sunsra ("hollow") and ashan muta ("thick"). A small bangle is called ashan suri and a big one is known as ashan sangkha.All may be worn on the wrist but the heavier among them may be for the ankles

7. Ashan mutha: The bracelet cylindrical and narrow in the middle. Along the backside is a closing mechanism. It is made of hammered sheet metal with patterns of bulbs along the middle and across the bracelet towards the sides.

The pair of sandals made of wood (Khwrm/Khorom): The feet catch a string between the big toe and the other toes. The string then goes to both sides over the feet to be tied into holes at the sides of the sandal. The Danish Museum Inventory states that it is a pair of wooden sandals with holes for strings of plant fibers.’

Materials: Wood and string of grass or other straw

Danish national Museum (2015)

Medicine Bag: this bag is ‘used for keeping medicine’ The ‘locally made’ medical bag is made of a red outer cloth of about 1 x 1 metre embroidered in ‘pheasant eye’ pattern (Parou mecom, ‘pheasants eye’, of black cotton ending in fringes about 7 cm. from the border along the sides. The pattern is similar to the Danish ‘goose eye.’

There are added ‘tufts of white hare-skin’.

Vegetarian food

Rice wine in preparation

FOOD Rice is a primary food item in the Bodo cuisine. Bodos eat boiled rice like anywhere else in India. Plus, they make steamed rice cakes (pithas) out of rice powder.

Rice is also used to make alcoholic drinks such as rice beer and wine.

The rice wine is called Zu Mai. Cooked silkworms

Fish and dried fish are regulars. Bodos also love their pork and eat it fried, roasted, or curried.

Pork meat is referred to as Oma Bedor. Another interesting meaty component is the silkworm. Silkworms are a delicacy in Bodoland.

REFERENCES Gabil, D., 2021. NANGANTI | The Bodos and their Traditional Dresses Online (Dokhona, Jwmgra, Aronai). [online] nanganti. Available at: <https://www.nanganti.com/ethnic/bodo.php#:~:text=The%20dokhona%20is%20the%20main,the%20dokhona%20in%20varied%20colours.> [Accessed 24 February 2021].

Stories by Soumya. 2021.| Bodo People Of India - Their Culture And Lifestyle - Stories by Soumya. [online] Available at: <https://www.storiesbysoumya.com/culture-bodo-people-india/> [Accessed 25 February 2021].

Norden.diva-portal.org. 2021. [online] Available at: <http://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:875116/FULLTEXT01.pdf> [Accessed 25 February 2021].

Swadesi | Made in India. 2021. STUNNING BODO WEAVE - Swadesi | Made in India. [online] Available at: <https://www.swadesi.com/news/bodo-weave/> [Accessed 25 February 2021].

Bodo.bodonews.info. 2021. What and What is the Bodo Culture? Let's come know here.. [online] Available at <https://bodo.bodonews.info/2021/01/what-and-what-is-bodo-culture-lets-come.html> [Accessed 25 February 2021].