Bodo culture is the culture of the Bodo people in Assam and is influenced by the land and the surroundings where they currently live. For long, Bodos are known as farmers, agriculturist community with a strong tradition of fishery, poultry, piggery, rice and jute cultivation, and betel nut plantation. Bodos also cultivate mustards and corns. They also make their own clothing from scratch, such as traditional attires. In recent decades, Bodos are influenced by recent social reforms under Brahma Dharma and the spread of Christianity.
Religion
In the past, Bodos worshipped their forefathers. In recent years, Bodos practice Bathouism along with Hinduism. While some have adopted Christianity and Bodo Brahma Dharma.
Bathouism is a form worshipping forefathers called Obonglaoree. The Sijou plant (belonging to the Euphorbia genus), is taken as the symbol of Bathou and worshiped. It is Supreme God. In the Bodo Language Ba means five and Thou means deep. Five is a significant number in the Bathou religion. The Sijou tree has five ribs and a pair of thorns in each rib. It signifies a couple. God creates human being through couple.
Despite the advance of Hinduism amongst the Bodos, mainstream Indian practices such as caste and dowry are not practiced by the majority of Bodo Hindus who follow a set of rules called Brahma Dharma.
Music and dance
The Bagurumba
The Bodos traditionally dance the Bagurumba.This dance is accompanied by the Bagurumba song which goes like this :
Bagurumba, Hai Bagurumba..
Jat nonga bla khul nonga bla..
Thab brum homnanwi bamnanwi..
Lagowmwn kha.. hwi lwgw lagowmwn kha...
Moreover there are about 15/18 kinds of Kherai Dance like Rwn Swndri, Gorai Dabrainai, Dao Thwi Lwngnai, Khwijema Fonai, Mwsaglangnai, etc.
Musical Instruments
Among the many different musical instruments, the Bodos use: Kham, Siphung, Serja, Jotha, Jabsring, Tharkha, Bingi, Rege etc.
Siphung : This is a long bamboo flute having only five holes rather than six as the north Indian Bansuri would have and is also much longer than it, producing a much lower tone.
Serja : This is a violin-like instrument. It has a round body and the scroll is bent forward.
Tharkha : It is a block of bamboo split into two halves for clapping.
Kham : It is a long drum made of wood and skin of goat.
Food
Cuisines
Oma Bedor : Most Bodo people like Oma (Pork) bedor (meat). Boros prepare pork meat with different flavors and style. It could be fried, roasted, and stewed. The first type is pan fried. The second flavor is made by roasting (or smoking) the meat in the sun for several days. The third one called "oma khaji" is cooked by mixing blood and meat, - it tastes very rich in fat.
Onla : Onla is a gravy made from rice powder and slices of bamboo shoots cooked lightly with oil and spices. Chicken or pork can be added to onla.
Zu mai or Zwou : Rice wine is produced by the bodos mainly during the festivals like Bwisagu and Domasi. Jumai could be of two types, (A) gishi (wet) and (B) gwran(dry). (A) Gishi is brewed by fermentation of rice, when a piece of plum is added to the gishi mixture during fermentation, the product taste like plum wine! (B) Gwran is produced by distillation of the gishi, - it tastes like Japanese sake.
The Bodos examine the strength of the wine by throwing a cup of beer in the fire. A flash of fire indicates the strength of the wine.
Narzi : A bitter gravy that is made from dried jute leaves. Pork or fresh water fish can be cooked together to generate distinct taste. Narzi gravy tastes like Japanese sea weed soup! Others like Dau Bedor, Jinai and Samo are also likely taken by Bodos.
Festivals
Bwisagu
Bwisagu is the most cherished springtime festival celebrated by the Bodo people at the advent of the new year. 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. Among all the Kherai festival includes singing, dancing and drumming celebrated with much rejoice.
Bodo Attire
Aronai
Aronai is like a small Scarf, used by both Men and Women. Aronai is the sign of Bodo tradition and is used to felicitate guest with honour, as a gift, in winter it is wore on neck to tie the neck and also in the performance of Bodo dance. In ancient period Bodo warriors used Aronai as a belt in the battle field. At the time of the war, Bodo women would weave Aronai within a single night and present it to the warriors as they set out for the battlefield.
Dokhona
Dokhona is the traditional dress of Bodo women. In general the length of the Dokhona is 3 mitre (mu) and width is 1.5 mitre (mu), sometimes it depends upon the figure of the body. It is worn to cover the whole body from chest to legs by tying one round at a time in the waist. Varieties of Agor (design) and different types of colours are weaved for Dokhona. There are mainly two types of Dokhona- Plain Dokhona & Designed Dokhona. It can be divided into some sub types (according to design), it depends upon designers. They are -
Without design (Matha Dokhona or bidon)
- Plain (only line without design)
- Design with plain border line (pari lanai)
Designed (Agor gwnang)
- Whole body designed (mwdwm gongse agor)
- Designed in border (jing jing aaolo agor lanai)
- Slightly designed in body as well as border (gejwraobw ese agor erdernai)
Matha Dokhona (bidon) is actually plain, without any Agor (design). Used to wear while worshiping of god. It can be different colours but Matha Dokhona with yellow colour is used as a traditional bridal attire, which is known as Dokhona Thaosi (pure Dokhona). Along with Hinjao Gwdan (bride), Bwirathi (Woman receptionist of bride and bridegroom in Bodo marriage) wear Matha Dokhona. The favourite colours are generally Gwmw (Yellow), Gwthang (Green), and Bathogang (Colour of parrot’s feathers). Nowadays Bodo women wear different colours of blouse with Dokhona to cover her upper bosom.
Jwmgra
Bodo women use Jwmgra (Scarf) to cover upper portion of the body (Length-around 2.5 mitre, width-around 1 mitre). They wear various colours of Jwmgra with varieties of Agor (design) to beautify themselves. The Hajw Agor (mountain design) is one of the most popular design among different designs.
Gamsha
The Gamsha is Bodo male traditional attire. Generally it is 2 mitre (mu) length & 1.2 mitre (mu) width. Bodo men used to cover the portion from waist to knee by tying it in the waist. Gamsha can be different colours but Green with white (in border) is the most common colour in Bodo Gamsha. Gamsha is compulsory to wear while worshipping the god and for Bodo bridegroom.
Apart from the above mention attires, Bodo women weave many types of traditional cloths such as Sima (like a bed cover), Wool (big wool scarf), Jwmgra gidwr (big scraf) and Phali (Handkerchief) etc.
Handmade designs of the Bodos
Hundreds of Bodo handmade designs are there, which always bloom on the Bodo traditional attires. Most of the Bodo weavers says that, the Hajw agor and Parwo megon is the most common and important design on Bodo traditional attires. In the early period, Bodo women who didn’t knew how to weave traditional attires, faced difficulties in getting married. Among the popular handmade designs, the following are 10 mostly used Agor (design) used by Bodo Women to decorate their attire -
- Hajw Agor (design of hills)
- Bandhuram Agor (design first crafted by Bandhuram kachari)
- Phareo Megon (design like Pigeon eye)
- Daorai Mwkhreb (Winkle of peacock)
- Phul Mwbla (Varieties of bloomed flowers)
- Dingkhia Mohor (design representing fern leaf)
- Bwigri Bibar (design representing the flowers of plum)
- Muphur Apha (design representing the footprint of bear)
- Agor Gidir (design like a Diamond shape)
- Gorkha Gongbrwi Agor (design representing twill).
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