Janak Jhankar Narzary introduce people working in Bithorai Afat

Janak Jhankar Narzary introduce people working in Bithorai Afat

Music Lwithwma   10:12:00 AM

I was a theater maker during my 7 years of student life in school and college from 1960 to 66. Let me introduce the personalities of my theater team all of them were associated with Bithorai Afat a Bodo students literary and cultural club founded by Prasenjit Brahma, Kamal Kr. Brahma, Jagadish Brahma, Jogen Brahma, Charan Narzary and others. pictures from left top to right: Purnima Basumatary, Fulmati Narzary, Bhanu Brahma, Bharati Brahma, Anu Brahma, Guni Brahma, Pratima Brahma, Janak Jhankar Narzary, Arup Gwra, Ganesh Brahma, Jogen Basumatary Indra Koch, Shachin Basumatary, Hitoraj Brahma, Prasenjit Brahma, Ramnath Narzary, Sarat Narzary, Nilkamal Brahma, Tiken Narzary, Ghanakanta Basumatary, Daneram Basumatary, Hiramba Narzary, Kamal Kr. Brahma, Jogen Brahma,. Most of them have left for their last destiny of life. I left Kokrajhar, my theater land in the mid of 1967 for fine art in Santiniketan, a turning point of my life.

10 Fishing tools and Implements of Bodos that you may not know

10 Fishing tools and Implements of Bodos that you may not know

History Lwithwma   9:33:00 AM

Fishing has great socio-cultural significance in the Bodo Society. There are various myths and beliefs with regard to fishing. Bodo people go for two types of fishing- individual fishing and community fishing. Individually, people can fish in water which is not very deep and in case of community fishing they go for deep water. For both the purpose the Bodo People use different types of tools which are made by them. It had been the ancient tradition that a Bodo man without the ability to make the basic fishing tools for him got lesser importance in the society.

10. Jekhai

 

9. Chen/Chenburung

8. Khokha

7. Pholo

6. Kobhai

 

5. Khakhi

 

4. Chagse

 

3. Zulakha

 

2. Chen Gidir

 

1. Suli and Khanthi

 

 

7 Traditional Musical Instruments of Bodo You May not Know

7 Traditional Musical Instruments of Bodo You May not Know

Music Lwithwma   12:39:00 AM

Since the immemorial, the Bodos have been maintaining a very rich musical heritage. Like any other civilized society of the ancient times, the Bodos have been using music as a medium of expressing their joy and sorrows. For the purpose, they made variously musical instruments with various skills from their natural resources which are easily available around them and those are of very fine quality. Some of these traditional instruments are still prevailing in use and some on the verge of extinction. Since ancient times Bodos have been able to niche a glory to their culture through their traditions dance and music. Shown here are some rare musical instruments which are still being used by the Bodo people for their traditional music purpose.

7. Kham or Madal (More than 200 years Old)

 

It is the Bodo musical drum which is big and long in size.

6.Siphung or Flute in English (More than 200 years Old)

It's the long-sized Bodo flute having five holes only.The length of the flute may vary from 25” to 30”.

5. Jotha (More than 200 years Old) 

It is a symbol which is like musical instrument beaten together in pairs.It is equal in size and shape with those used by the musicians of authentic Indian music.

4. Serza (More than 150 years Old) 

It is a kind of violin used by the Bodos and have four strings and traditionally played by a small bow made of bamboo strip.The bow string is made of a small bunch of hairs of a horse’s tail.The Sijou (Euphorbia spledens) log is the best known for making Serza.

 3. Jangirenga (More than 200 years Old)

It's a kind of instrument which is made from Bamboo sticks which produce the different pitch of Sound according to its stick size.

2. Thorkha (More than 100 years Old)

A bamboo clapter which vary from 2`1/2  feet to 3 feet in length.The clapter have two internodes and three nodes - the nodes are  in the upper,middle and lower respectively.The lower nodes save the clapter from being complete split away.

1. Zabkhring or Zapshing (More than 200 years Old)

It is made of wood in half moon style having some round suffocations on its body to adjust the metallic discs coins like by pins.These dies produce harmonious musical sound during the playing.

Heritage of Mech Kingdom

Heritage of Mech Kingdom

History Lwithwma   8:59:00 PM

 

 

History: The proposed Bodoland area and the present Assam State along with its surrounding areas were dominated by the absolute majority of the Mech (Bodo) people as well as historically ruled by the Mech (Bodo) kings. Thousands of years before the Mahabharata era, most of undivided India were ruled by Mech Kings. Chikra Mech alias Chikna Narayan Dev or Chiknath Narayan Mech was the founder king of this territory.

Chikra Mech had established the historical Mech (Bodo) kingdom in the Chiknajhar area of the Kokrajhar which is still a golden heritage location. Not only Chikra Mech, even the Rangpur princely province located in Bangladesh was ruled by the historically renowned Mech King Mahirangaa Danav, who was also popularly known as Maayrong Raja Mahirangaa.

The present Koch Behar and its distinguished royal state was also ruled by Naranarayan and Chilaray whose grandfather was Haowriya Mech, while on the other hand Dambaru Mech was their forefather who belonged to the historical Mech Royal dynasty. Kumar Prithviraj Narayan Dev Mech, the 19th royal descendant of the Bodo King Chikra Mech also said that the recall of the heritage and historical identity of an ethnic tribe or community is a must for better survival of the community as a whole.

Words by The president of the Royal Union of Koch Mech (RUKM), Prithviraj Narayan Dev Mech

Kachari Male and Female (Early photograph by DR.Simpson)

Kachari Male and Female (Early photograph by DR.Simpson)

History Lwithwma   8:55:00 PM

 

 

History: The Kacharis,called by Mr. Hodgon as Bodo, are diffused throughout a very wide extent of country. It appears certain that they were at one time the dominant race in the upper valley of the Brahmaputra,but though they overran a country pre-occupied by Aryans, and many of them adopted the religion and languages of the more civilized race with whom they thus came contact, their physiognomy to this day shows that they have, as a rule, managed to retain their purity of blood, and their northern physical traits have not, like those of the Ahom,been obliterated or modified by intermixture with the Aryan people.