Social Folk customs of the Sonowal and Thengal Kacharis
by Suravi Gohain Duwarah | 2022 | 50,902 words
This essay studies the customs and folk traditions of the Sonowal and Thengal Kacharis of Assam—both of Mongoloid origin and part of the Tibeto-Burman linguistic family. These tribes possess rich customs, traditions, and oral histories. This study explores the similarities and differences between the Sonowal and Thengal Kachari tribes by emphasizin...
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Part 1.1 - Description of Baithou or Bathou Puja
Baithou (Bathou) Puja is one of the most important religious observances of the Sonowal Kacharis. They observe this puja on the first Sunday of the lunar fortnight (Suklapaksha) in the month of Phalguna and it last till the third day. Presently this festival is celebrated in most of the Sonowal Kachari inhabiting areas. People participate with great enthusiasm and grandeur in this festival.
This is celebrated after the Shivratri on the lunar fort night (Suklapaksha) and the main puja starts on the second Monday. They do not celebrate this before the Shivratri. Many legends are there related to the celebration and observance of the great Baithou (Bathou) Puja of the Sonowal Kacharis. One legend goes in this way: Lord Shiva and Parvati in the name of ‘Madhopurukh� and ‘Hureswari� lived in a hut near a mountain. Madhopurukh advised to them that they should sit near a �Jamuk� tree and sacrifice a grasshopper near the �gondkhoroi� tree. This was asked to do for the safety of the cattle. Accordingly the boys searched some grasshoppers and sacrificed those with the leaves of �Ulu kher�. While doing so the boys enjoyed the process and even used to sing songs and the musical instruments that were used while singing were placed near a Jamuk gos.
Later on a boy belonging to the �Hogral� clan and �Bhekari� family was also in search of a grasshopper. The tale is not clear whether he did not search the grasshopper or due to laziness he went near the �Pujari� and told him that there was no grasshopper. So the pujari asked him to sacrifice himself instead of the grasshopper. The Sonowal Kacharis believe that after this incident the celebration of the Bathou puja started among them. Based on this legend there is the use of Jamuk kath in the Pujari’s borghor and in the main post of the mandir, the gondhkhoroi wood is used. They have a belief that the three trees came out of Shiva’s uposthor. The root part was gondhkhoroi, middle part was hiju tree and the forepart was jamuk tree. According to this legend the Bathou puja is celebrated in different districts of Assam. As a part of the field study I was present at the Baithou puja celebration at �Gajai Manai Khetro� at Boginadi in Lakhimpur District. An informant[1] informed that before the start of the puja in the Sunday evening they have a custom of bringing doom from the Bhuruli Sal (Prakriti Sal) and is kept in a plantain leaf, the sharp edge of that manda is kept towards the southern direction. They also have the custom of washing the manda in �madhopurukhor ras� and a chaki is lit, tamul paan is offered and a hen is sacrificed. The meat is then cooked and distributed as Prasad among those who are present at the puja. Since this is Prakriti Xal so the pujari of the main sal do not take this Prasad. After this fire is lighted in the main mandir and people sit around the fire. One among these take bathe and bow down before the fire in wet clothes and then he prepares nine bundles with ulukher. Two bundles are tied in the northeastern corner of the mandir, two in the pillar of the south eastern corner, two bundles are kept in the borsang of the borghor of the pujari and the folk musical instruments used for performing Haidang geet are brought and kept in the mandir. One bundle is then is kept for the baithou, one to the akhirbodiya and the last bundle to the geet ghai. They have the custom of roasting alive an �aluwa rongor kukura� and each one is served this with madhopurukhor ras. An elderly person sings a jujona and they have a belief that if the meaning of the jujona is not properly explained by the person, they do not except the prasad. This custom is known as �Deo Nomuo� Onusthan by the Sonowal Kacharis.
The next day i.e. on Monday they have the custom of collecting a �bhar� of rice and rice beer in the borghor of the pujari by the barik of the village and then they gather in the main mandie. Then they prepare �Xanti jol� by mixing rice, tong loti paat and rice beer. Then the Karmis are sanctified by giving them �Xanti jol� to carry on their duties. The people who are given the responsibilities are Baithou, Deodhai of Baithou, Saikia, Deodhai of Saikia, Phulkonwar, Akhoiphutuwa, Da-dhoruwa, Muradhora, Tikadhora, Patpora, Xolitabota, Pantamul Kota, Majindar and Barik. Only these people are given the permission to touch the items used in the puja. Some other customs like akhoiphutuwa and mala gotha are done before the main puja starts. Various other pujas are also conducted like the Xuna-nuxuna debota puja, dhekit dola-salonir hoite born puja etc. After this a red cock is then sacrificed and offered with tamul paan. When the puja starts in the main mandir there is another puja known as Bhuruli-Habuki performed in the �Bhuruli sal�. These two pujas are performed parallelly. The pujari of this puja is known as Saikia. The deodhai of bathou puja and �baithou� do not except the �prasad� of this puja. Some rice, salt, pithaguri, tamul paan and a chaki is lighted in this puja. They do not have the custom of using �Madhopurukhor ras� in this puja. Phulkonwar offers a hen and another from the public is sacrificed on this day. The Prasad of this puja is distributed by Saikia and the Deodhai in the name of all the gods and there the Khandar sacrifices a pair of animals and perform the puja. The animal is sacrificed by using a ulukher in the neck of the animal. They conduct this puja to appease the �Bagh debota�
The place in which the puja is to be performed people prepare akhoi, halodhi, borpitha, sai and then the people who go for performing the puja is then divided into two group one is Gatigiri and the other is Baghpuja or Borgatiyal. Gatigiri group goes to the southern direction and borgatiyal to the northern side. There is a custom of a competition of �Koni junj� between both the groups. The bagpuja group makes a dhip in the shape of a tiger under a tree and it is coloured like a tiger using pithaguri, halodhi, sai, akhoi guri and then the tiger is covered by plants like baghdhekia and bammeteka. In the mouth of the tiger the leaves, prasad, nimokh, pitha, akhoi, tamul paan, madhopurukhor ras are kept and saki is lighted and a hen is sacrificed. The head of the hen is kept and the remaining parts are brought to the open field.
The puja continues that whole night. Next day i.e. on Tuesday with the Prasad of the puja an elderly person is given a meal from different �khels�. This custom of giving a meal to them is known as �Buhapuha�.
Then the custom of performing �Haidang geet� starts. Taking the instruments of �Haidang geet� from the Pujari’s, people start performing haidang geet from the house to the mandir and then returns back. When the group of people starts performing haidang geet in the Pujari’s house, the young boys and girls start dancing bihu. Then the festival comes to an end.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Informant: Pramod Sonowal