Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research ISSN NO: 0022-1945
Some Traditions, Common Beliefs and Worshiping Among the Namasudras of Assam
1. Dr. Debendra Kr. Bezbaruah, M.A. Ph.D., D.Litt
Principal ,Kamrup College ,
Chamta,Nalbari (Assam)
2. Dr. Tribeni Bezbaruah, M.A.Ph.D.
Associate Professor ,
Department of Assamese, North Kamrup College ,Baghmara
Abstract
In the Brahmaputra valley of Assam the Namasudras are known by Chandalas and Charals and in the Barak valley they are known as Changa . Since 1872 the Chandalas had made an organised effort to use the term ' Namasudra’ instead of Chandala so that they could get rid of the social stigma of untouchability. Because the term 'Chandal ' was used in derogatory sense and they were looked down upon by the Hindus. But the term ' Namasudra' does not imply any derogatory sense, rather in the word 'Nama' is used to mean Bipra or Brahman. In this background specially the Namasudras of Barak valley sought legal way for replacing the term ' Chandala' by the term ' Namasudra '. As a result of their persistent effort, as per order of the commissioner of Shilhet , the term 'Namasudra' was included in the census column in the census of 1891 instead of the term ' Chandala'.
Under this brackdrop depending on the secondary sources like books here in this article an attempt has been made to highlight some of the traditions ,common beliefs and the different types of worshipping prevailing among the Namasudras of Assam.
Key words: Namasudra, Gorakhanath Thakur, go-faguna , garu bihu birth
Methodology : The article is prepared depending basically on secondary data . Some of the traditions, common beliefs and the different types of worshipping are prevalent among the Namasudras from very ancient time . These are important to the village life of them as these traditions, belief and worshiping help them in controlling their society and to lead them smooth simple life. Here an effort is made to highlight the following aspects of their traditions, belief and worshiping :
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1. Common belief relationg to cows. 2.Garu bihu or Go puja i.e. worshipping of cows 3.Go-faguna 4. Last rites of a dead cow 5. Worship of Gorakhanath Thakur 6. Worship of three Name Thakur and 7. Ban Durga puja Let us highlight these one by one as follows . 1. The traditions and beliefs relationg to the cows
The Namasudras who depends on cultivation and fishing as their livelihood follow some traditions and beliefs handed to them over the generations. They worship cows as an incarnation of Vishnu . Like any other Assamese the Namasudras keep cows for two purposes - one to plough the land with the ox and then to milch the cows.
The common beliefs and traditions associated with cows are described below .
1. Ploughing is prohibited on the day of the full moon and Amabashya ( the day of the conjunction of the sun and the moon ) Because it is believed that on those two days cows are suffer from acute pains . As a result the oxen gets rest once in every fortnight. It is purely scientific.
2. Never touch a cow with your legs . One whose leg touches a cow has to seek forgiveness by touching the cow.
3. They believe that a cow is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu . They believe that if they catch hold the tail of cow, then they will get rid of the fear of ghosts. Because according to their beliefs a cow being the incarnation of Lord Vishnu cannot be touched by any ghosts.
4.According to their belief a woman in her menstruation cannot enter a cowshed , because a cowshed is considered a temple og God . Besides, it is a popular belief that if a woman in her menstruation period enters a cowshed the animals will fall prey to various diseases .
5. According to their belief cows and goats should notbe kept in the same shade. Because it is a traditional belief that if cows and goats are kept in the same cowshed cows may be infertile.
6. Donating a cow with a bride is a traditional custom . It is considered a noble donation .
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7.When a man dies donation of an ox to the priest who performs the last rites is rather mandatory because it is believed that the soul of the dead can cross the river Baitarani catching hold of the tail of the ox .
8. When a conterminous disease such as Cholera bears out in a village , the floors of the houses and the yard are washed with cow dung , which , it is believed that kills the germs of the disease.
9. If a cow gives birth to calf in the month of Bhadra (July -August ) its milk is considered improper for offering to the gods .
Namasudras regard cows as god and perform some traditional festivals associated to cows . These are Garu bihu, go faguna, the cremation or burying a dead cow, puja of Gorakhyanath thakur , puja of tininath thakur , Sarak or Siva Puja .
i. Garu bihu : The Namasudras of Assam celebrate Garu bihu . Byt there is difference between the garu bihu celebrated by the Assamese and Bengali Hindus and Namasudras .On the day of Garu bihuevery Assamese household makes a garland of lao (guard) bengena (brinjal , raw termeric . Then the cows are taken to nearby river or beel and given ceremonial bath . In the evening the cows are tied in the cowshed with new rope and a new cow is welcomed by washing it ceremoniously and feeding it with salt . ii. Gam bihu or magh bihu celebrated by the Namasudras Like the Assamese society the Namasudras also offer prayer to the cows in their own style . On the eve of the Magh bihu every household of the Namasudra commmunity washes cows in a river , beels or pond ceremoniously .They spend the whole night of uruka making merriment with a feast in the bhelaghar ( a temporary cottage made for only one night ). Then the members of a households take bath and lit chaki ( earthen ) lamp before a Tulsi plant . Then they enter cowshed taking a cilim (a type of pipe for smoking) in hand and wash the feet of the cows .Then they perform a series of traditional process to serve the cows. First, the horns of the oxen are smeared with mustard oil and implant a tilak i.e. a spot of vermilion on the forehead of the of the oxen .In the second place , they worship the cows by putting rice and dubari ban at their feet .Thirdly, they mix the pitha guri ( a kind of powder made of rice ) with water and using a chilim with this mixture they implant on the body of the cows . It is called gorur pitha khowa parba ( i.e. it is a festival of feeding cake to the cows ). Fourthly , the cows are allowed to go out from the cowshed . If coming from the cowshed the eldest of the cows smells the spot first , then it is believed that the flood will wash away that place in the next year
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iii. Go-faguna The culture that continues among the Namasudras is Go-faguna' . The main objective of the 'Go- faguna’ is to rid the cows from the disease. With this objective the cowherds celebrate 'go-faguna' festival on the day of full moon in the month of Faguna (February -March ). The early in the morning they take their cows to rivers or beels and give them a thorough wash .They avoid the traditional laru ( a stick to beat the cows ) and instead of it they use some all small braches of trees like bish katali , kumiraksata , kanyardal etc. to lead the cows to the rivers or beels . Then they let the cows to move freely and eat grass on the field In the evening they tie the cows in the cowshed and fill up inside the cowshed with some small branches of different trees like Bish katali , kumira kata , Banyar jal , kali kaitha and thirteen of thorns . iv. The last rite of a dead cow The Namasudras burry a dead cow . They dig a hole of four to five feet death and place the dead cow in it , the head towards north . The owner of the cow pays his respect by placing rice and dubari on the dead body . Then he stands back to the whole and scatter earth without seeing it . Then the hole is filled up with earth , they go home and enter home after having bath . v. Worshipping of Gorakhya Nath Thakur The worshipping of Gorakhya Nath Thakur has been done by Namasudra people of Assam and other people of undivided Goalpara and undivided Kamrup district. The meaning of Gorakhya' is one who tends and keeps cows . In fact , the god of cows is worshipped on this day . It is known as 'Rakhal puja' in Goalpara and Kamrup district . Once this rakhal puja was celebrated in Goalpara and Kamrup district in a big way . In Kamrup district in the month of Bohag and Jeth ( May-June-July ) Rakhal puja was celebrated in evbery household in the evening in front of the cowshed. Now-a-days though Rakhal puja or Gorakhya puja has lost much of its importance it is still being celebrated in certain localities and by certain communities. On this day the cowherds place bananas , bhog , chira, muri , etc. on the door step of the cowshed and the neighbours come and kneel down in front of the cowshed in prayer of the cows. In goalpara district it is known as Goroknam , Gor nam , or Gonnathar puja . As the people offer prayer in front of the cowshed it is also called 'Goli puja', or Goail puja . It is known as Rakhal puja in Goalpara district, Garakhia Sabah in upper Assam and Gopal Sewa in lower Assam .In this worship no priest required to play role . In this worship two thans i.e. altars are arranged in the cowshed with banana leaves - on towards the east and the other towards the west. The Hindu gods are worshipped on the altar in the east and the altar in the west is for the Pirs of Muslim community. That the Hindus and the Muslims worship cows in the same bears quite important significance.
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The main objective of this puja is that the cows should remain free from all diseases to increase the number of cows , to give more cows . The traditional belief of the Namasudras is that Gorakhyak Nath Thakur is none other than Srikrishna. Every one having cows arrange puja of Gorakhyak Nath Thakur almost every day in the month of Bohag . Of course they arrange this p[uja any day in a year . The main objective of this puja is to rid the cows of all sorts of diseases and also bless the new born so that it does not suffer from any disease. The puja continues throughout the month of Bohag . The main elements required in this puja is a front part of a banana leaf , a cord , a brass pot , a handful of grain , a bamboo stick (used for tending cows) , a pair of betel-nut , durba , Amsara , vermilion , flowers, non-boiled rice , laddu etc. In worshipping the Gorashy Nath the house owner has to take two programmes : First , during the puja the house owner has to place a ghat (a brass pot ) to pray to Gorakha Thakur and secondly one from amomng the people assembled there would read our rana and the cowherd will utter in a chorus - 'Hoichcha' . As per the first programme by placing a ghat i.e. brass pot the owner of the house prays thakur . In doing so he is to clad himself in white clothes and sit in the yard facing east . He is to draw alpana on the ground measuring five feet square . He is to keep a few grains of rice and some leaves of durba . Then the brass pot full of water is placed on the rice grains and durba .A banana leaf is placed in the right side of ghot and an echari (stick for tending cow) and some items like a cord (used for tiying a cow) are kept on the banana leaf facing east . Towards the left side of the ' ashana' (seat ) other items like milk and laddu made of the powder of fried rice are kept and right side of it dhoop (incense) and dhuna ( a kind of resin which when burnt sends forth a pleasant smell) are lit and a candal of mustard oil is lit in the right side of it. After this process is over, vermilion is smeared on all the elements used for puja . Anjali (offering of flowers with devotion) is followed, the member of the family kneel down in prayer and the sound of chanting of Hari echo in the air . As per the second programme as soon as the pathak utters 'rana', the cowherds utter in chorus (Hoich cho ) . Some of the rana or siklee are given below . Pathak Rakhal Rana Rana Hoichcho Phulke Rana Hoichcho Gai kini lam Hoichcho ( Buying a cow ) Dudh diye kee Hoichcho Amar Gookhyer Hoichcho Ghat Sa Hoichcho
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Sindur sai Hoichcho (want vermilion)
It is followed by songs sung by the elders wishing welfare of the cows. This type of songs is called lachari. One among the people assembled there will sing a song and the others will repeat it in unison . Some of the lachararies are mentioned below . 1. Hoichcha : Our husband brings money by selling milk and celebrate Gorakhya puja in the month of Bohag . 2. Hoichcha : The husband of an honest woman is like the summit of a hill and the husband of a dishonest wife is like boatman of a broken boat. 3. Hoichcha : Gorakhyanath was in the heaven , came down to the earth , Hoichcha, people began worshipping Gorakhyanath. Dhani : Garakhyanath Thakur Nande Hari bol Hari bal All the people utter in unison Hari bol (call the name of Lord Krishna ) After lachari , the cowherds bless the cows and the new borns . They enter the cowshed and wash the feet of the cows with water of the ghat . Then they apply mustard oil on the horns of the cows , smear vermilion on the forehead of the cows and offer flowers in prayers . Then cowherds bless the cows and the new born by chanting slokas . For example : (a) Sat neungale kapale sit Bachar Bachar Damur dicha aa (b) Gair nam chinadui Bina jale Gobar Guli aa After that the cowherds come out from the cowshed and stand in quee in front of the people assembled there . Prasads are distributed among all assembled there . In Goalpara district if a cow falls victim of a disease the house owner offers prasads to the cowherds . In lower Assam when a cow falls sick , a bhog prepared with rice powder , milk , banana and sugar is offered to the cowherds . The cowherds bless the household profusely. In upper Assam when a cow , buffalo , or a goat falls sick they invite cowherds and feed them to their heart's content . The cowherds bless the sick cows , singing some nams (sings) , Trinath Puja The Trinath puja has been mentioned in Skandha Puran . The term 'Trinath' is used to imply three Naths (Lord) namely Brahma, Bisnu and Maheswara . There is a 'pachali' praising these three Naths . According to this ‘pachali’ when the Kali Kal i.e. iron age emerged Narayan assumed the roles Brahma , Bishnu and Maheswa at Nabadwip . At that place when a poor Brahmin was coming back to
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his home with his milch cow from grazing field , his cow was lost. But he tried to search it again and again here and there but could find it . So he was very much sad and therefore he decided to commit suicide by jumping into a tank . Then Narayan appeared before him and advised him to worship Trinath to rid himself of his worries and assured him that he would be blessed with wealth besides his lost cow if he worshipped Trinath. The Brahmin not only regained his cow but also much wealth after he had worshipped Trinath. Since then people started worshipping Trinath. The Namasudras who depend on cultivation for their livelihood also perform this puja to get their cows rid of illness and when their cow is lost .The main elements of the puja are (i) three petals of dhatura flower, (ii) an agloti kalpat (front portion of a leaf of banana ), Ghot (a pot ) , amsara , Tamul- pan ,(beltel-nut) ,(iii) three pieces of Tamul ( betel-nut) placed with a pen, (v)An earthen lamp filled with mustard oil still burning, (vi) paddy and (vii)Batacha (a sweet prepared with sugar ) . There are several songs sung at the time of Trinath puja .
For example:
1. O' tininathhe
Sadhan najani ami , bhaganer bihin
O' hare bhaganer bihin
taba jadi kara daya amar
dekhai dinhiner
tininath aiy , tininather aiyre
Lagaya chander rajar rahia kothai
7. Ban Durga Puja
The youth of the Namasudra community celebrate Ban Durga Pja on the last day of the month of Pua . They began preparation for the puja from the beginning of the month of Aghon itself . The young boys of the locality go to every household , sing and beg money for the celebration of the Puja . They carry bamboo sticks and hit the ground of the courtyard singing songs. They are given rice, dal of matimah and money .The youths place the idol of Durga on the altar in the last day of the month of Puha . The priests perform the puja and prasads are distributed among the devotees .
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In lower Assam the women specially in Nalbari district, the childless women smear soft earth on a pira ( a sitting arrangement made of wood ) , grains are scattered on it and the women daily
worship Ban Durga offering Naibey.
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References :
Hutton , J.H. 1977(fourth impression ): Caste in India . p 145 Bhattacharjee , Narendra Nath , 1987 Bharatiya Jati Varna Pratha pp. 58, 132 Bandyopadhyay, Sekhar,2011 : Bandyopadhyay, Sekhar : Caste, Protest and Identity in Colonial India, p. 12 Ray Dhanya Ram ,2015.: Namasudrar Dastabez, Pratham Khanda, Guwahati: Techno Ed. Publication .p.2 Das, Dr. Narayan and Rajbanshi ,Dr. Paramananda 1996(2006): Asamiya Sanskritir Kanika ( The Particles of Assamese Culture ). p.286 Bardoloi ,Nirmal Prabha , 1972 (, reprinted in 1991): Asamor Loka Sanskrity .p p 93, 94
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