Boro culture


Boro culture is the culture of the Boro people in Assam. For long, Boros have been farmers living in an agriculturist community with a strong tradition of fishery, poultry, piggery, with rice and jute cultivation, and betel nut plantation. They make their own clothing from scratch, such as traditional attires. In recent decades, Boros are influenced by recent social reforms under Bodo Brahma Dharma and the spread of Christianity.

Religion

In the past, Boros worshiped their forefathers. Traditionally, the Boros have practiced Bathouism without an influence of Hinduism in recent times. While some have adopted Christianity and Bodo Brahma Dharma. Bathouism is a form worshiping forefathers called Obonglaoree. The Sijou plant, is worshiped as the symbol of Bathou. In the Boro 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 Boros, mainstream Indian practices such as caste and dowry are not practiced by the majority of Boro Hindus who follow a set of rules called Brahma Dharma.
A large number of Boro people practice Christianity, predominantly Baptists. The major associations being Boro Baptist Convention and Boro Baptist Church Association. Other denominations includes Church of North India, Lutheranism, Believers' Church, Roman Catholic, Pentecostalism etc. Most of the Boro Christians practices are mixture of tribal traditions and Christians traditions.

Music and dance

Bagurumba

The Boros traditionally dance the Bagurumba. This dance is accompanied by the Bagurumba song which goes like this:
Moreover, there are about 15/18 kinds of Kherai Dance like Rwn Swndri, Gorai Dabrainai, Dao Thwi Lwngnai, Khwijema hannai, Mwsaglangnai.

Musical instruments

Among the many different musical instruments, the Boros use: Kham, Siphung, Serja, Jotha, Jabsring, Tharkha, Bingi, Rege.
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.

Agriculture

Rice cultivation - Boros are known as first to cultivate rice in India
Sericulture - Boros are known as first to rear silkworm and produce silk in India

Food

is the main staple food but is eaten with non-vegetarian dishes like fish or pork.

Cuisines

Oma Bedor: Most Boro people like Oma bedor. 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 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 boros mainly during the festivals like Bwisagu and Domasi. Jumai could be of two types, gishi and gwran. 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! Gwran is produced by distillation of the gishi; it tastes like Japanese sake.
The Boros 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 Boros.

Festivals

Bwisagu

Bwisagu is the most cherished springtime festival celebrated by the Boro 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.

Boro attire

Aronai

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. In ancient period Boro warriors used Aronai as a belt in the battle field. At the time of the war, Boro 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 Boro women. In general the length of the Dokhona is 3 metres and width is 1.5 metre, sometimes it depends upon the figure of the body. It is worn to cover the whole body from chest to legs by wrapping one round at a time over the waist. Varieties of Agor 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, it depends upon designers. They are -

Without design (Matha Dokhona or bidon)

Matha Dokhona is actually plain, without any Agor. Used to wear while worshipping of God. It is available with different colours but Matha Dokhona with yellow colour is used as a traditional bridal attire, which is known as Dokhona Thaosi. Along with Hinjao Gwdan, Bwirathi wear Matha Dokhona. The favourite colours are generally Gwmw, Gwthang, and Bathogang. Nowadays Boro women wear different colours of blouse with Dokhona to cover her upper bosom.

Jwmgra

Boro women use Jwmgra to cover upper portion of the body. They wear various colours of Jwmgra with varieties of Agor to beautify themselves. The Hajw Agor is one of the most popular design among different designs.

Gamsha

The Gamsha is Boro male traditional attire. Generally it is 2 metre length & 1.2 metre width. Boro 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 is the most common colour in Boro Gamsha. Gamsha is compulsory to wear while worshipping the god and for Boro bridegroom.
Apart from the above mention attires, Boro women weave many types of traditional cloths such as Sima, Wool, Jwmgra gidwr and Phali etc.

Handmade designs of the Boros

Hundreds of Boro handmade designs are there, which always bloom on the Boro traditional attires. Most of the Boro weavers says that, the Hajw agor and Parwo megon is the most common and important design on Boro traditional attires. In the early period, Boro 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 used by Boro women to decorate their attire -
Khomfri Headgear to protect from sun and rain used by farmer. Which latter develop into Japi, The crown of Assamese culture.