Bwisaguis one of the most popular seasonal festivals of the Bodos of

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

. The Bodos call this popular festival "Bwisagu", which means the start of the new year. Bwisagu is a Boro word which originated from the word "Bwisa" that means "year" or "age" and "Agu" that means "starting" or "start" This Bwisagu festival is observed at the beginning of the first month of the Boro year, around mid-April.

Characteristics

The characteristics of the Bwisagu festivals can be classified as follows: * "Gwkha-Gwkhwi Janai" or eating bitter & sour-tasting wild vegetables on the day of

Sankranti Sankranti ( sa, संक्रान्ति ''saṁkrānti or saṅkramaṇa'') means transmigration of the Sun from one zodiac to another in Indian astronomy. Each Sankranti is marked as the beginning of a month in the sidereal solar calen ...

, or the day before the first day of the new year. * "Mwsou thukhwinai" or bathing of cattle * Worshipping gods and goddesses * Worshipping ancestors * Merry-making and enjoyment at the beginning of the new year. Bwisagu, as observed by Kacharis, indicates the pattern which the festival follows over several days. The first day is for the "Makhau" or "Mashau" meant for

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

, on which the cows are bathed in the river. The second day is meant for the "Mansi" or Men but starts with worshiping their gods; the third day is for "Saima" meant for dogs; the fourth day is for "Oma" meant for swine; the fifth day is for "Dao", or meant for

fowl Fowl are birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl (Galliformes) and the waterfowl (Anseriformes). Anatomical and molecular similarities suggest these two groups are close evolutionary relatives; together ...

; the sixth for

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...

and other birds; the seventh is meant for receiving relatives and friends. House cleaning, cattle rites, worship of Bathow and offering food to their ancestors, of new and washed clothes, receiving and visiting relatives, friends, etc. may be said to constitute the formal part of the festival. Worshiping of Bathow is done on the second day of the festival. There is also the - eating cooked fowl with a bitter herb known as "Khungkha" or other wild vegetables with varied flavors. They also offer this to visitors.

Music and dance

Merrymaking is an integral part of this Bodo Festival. Music and dance become a regular feature. Young men play on the " Sifung" (flute), "Kham" (drum), the four-stringed "Serjã", and beat out a rhythm with a piece of split

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...

called "Thãrkhã". Girls dance in bands and play on the Jew's harp called "Gongonã" and small

cymbals A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...

called "jotha".

Rites performed during Bwisãgu

The Bodos perform certain rites on the occasion me the Bwisãgu festival: * They produce a particular tune on the flute, the tune is called "Santravali". It is believed to destroy snake eggs. Because Bodos believe snakes are a foe of all creatures, annihilation of snakes is considered an act of general welfare. * Worship the deities. * Worship to their

ancestors An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder or a forebear, is a parent or ( recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from w ...

. * Bid farewell to the old year. * Pay respect to the teachers and elderly persons. * Exchange love and affection. * Dance and sing songs. * Worship their god (Burãh Bãthou Mahãrãjã) with the hope of more and more production and growth my cultivation. * On the seventh-day bid farewell to "Bwisagu".

Cattle Rites during Bwisãgu

The last date of the month of

Chaitra Chaitra (Hindi: चैत्र) is a month of the Hindu calendar. In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Ch ...

is called by the Bodos as the Bwisâgu for the cows or cattle. On the same day, the Bodos lead the cattle to the tank or the river for bathing. Before taking to the river or tank the cattle are offered paddy and horns and hooves are smeared with mustard oil. The body of the cow is routed with black marking with a mixture prepared from black ashes and mustard oil, using the stem of the Eri tree as the marker. The cows are also garlanded with garlands made of

gourd Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly ''Cucurbita'' and '' Lagenaria''. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. One of the ear ...

and brinjals. Before taking them off the cowshed the owner pays respects to them. While leading the cows to the river for bathing the cowherds sing songs and beat them lightly with the "Dighalati" plant. After taking away the cows from the cowshed, the cow dunk cakes are thrown away and the shed is cleaned. The old ropes (phaga) are replaced by new ones.

See More

Bodo culture Boro culture is the culture of the Boro people in Assam. For long, the Boros have been farmers living in an Agrarian society with a strong tradition of fishery, poultry, piggery, with rice and jute cultivation, and betel nut plantation. They mak ...

References

https://books.google.com/books?id=YuSSBQAAQBAJ&lpg=PT6&ots=XtnJns6DKc&dq=Bwisagu%20assam&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=Bwisagu%20assam&f=false * A study in the cultural heritage of the Bodo by Dr Kameshwar Brahma

External links

{{Fairs and Festivals in Assam Bodo Festivals in Assam New Year celebrations New Year in India