LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 19:10 October 2019
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

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Archetype of the Bathou Religion: An Analytical Study

Mrs. Kanery Basumatary, M.A.


Abstract

Bathou religion is the traditional religion of the Bodo community with the philosophy of ‘sacredness’. It has unique characteristics of specific culture. Bathou religion has played a significant role in the socio-cultural life of the Bodo people. The socio-culture, custom, traditions and lifestyle of the Bodos are related to this religion. Bodos worship the Bathou as supreme God. The name of the supreme God of Bodos is also known as bwrai or sibrai (“eldest of all”). The Bathou religion has been practiced since time immemorial. There is no idol worship in Bathou religion. There is no founder and written record of when and where it was founded. Traditionally they had no fixed place for worship like temple or church. Now-a-days they are used to building a fixed place for worship which is called “Thansali” (Bodo word). A Sijou tree (Euphorbia splendens) is planted at the middle of the Bathou fencing as a symbol of Bwrai Bathou as Supreme God. Besides ‘Sijou’ a Tulsi tree is planted adjacent to the Sijou at the right side signifying truthfulness and a ‘Jatrasi’ tree is planted on the left side of Sijou, defining wisdom. Bathou is surrounded by a circular fence of split bamboo in five rows. In this analysis, attempt has been made to explore the design or structure of Bathou and the role and meaning of every element of Bathou and its relation to the socio-cultural life of Bodos.

Keywords: Bathou religion, Bodo community, Sijuo tree, thulsi plant, jathrasi plant, structure of the Bathou.

Introduction

The Bodo tribe is the largest among the ethnic groups in the state of Assam. They started to settle in the plains of Assam since the second millennium BC. The Census report of 2011 shows the Bodo population nearly 2 million in Assam and the total Boro speakers of Assam is 4.53%. Bodos are not found only in Assam. They had ruled a kingdom from Cooch Bihar to Naga Hills establishing a capital at Dimapur. They ruled the whole of Assam up to the twelfth century A.D. Linguistically they belong to Tibeto-Burmese group and ethnically they belong to a stock of the Indo-Mongoloids. The Bodo language has got the recognition as one of the recognized Indian languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE DISSERTATION IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.


Mrs. Kanery Basumatary, M.A.
Research Scholar, Bodoland University
Kokrajhar- 783370, BTC, Assam
nkanery@yahoo.in Cell Phone: 7002650742

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