JOURNAL OF CRITICAL REVIEWS

ISSN- 2394-5125 VOL 7, ISSUE 19, 2020 and Beliefs of Mayamara Vaishnavite Community of Majuli Island

Dilip Das

Assistant Teacher,797 No. Danghdhara LPS, Lakhimpur

ABSTRACT: This paper seeks to explore the rituals and beliefs related to birth, puberty, marriage and death of mayamara vaishavite community of Majuli Island. This study is based on first-hand observation of this unique religious group. This paper has been divided into three sections. First section explores birth rituals, second part deals with rituals related with puberty, maturation and marriage. Finally, third section of the paper presents death rituals of the vaishavite community. It is observed that mayamara community people practice some unique religious ceremony in their life cycle.

KEYWORDS: , Mayamara Vaishnavite Community, Rites and , Matak-Kaibartta, Majuli Island.

I. INTRODUCTION Systematic enquiry of the ritual phenomenon in human society is a field of investigation of fairly recent origin. A host of scholars from sociology, social anthropology, psychology are become interested in the field of rituals in early part of 19th century. In the ethnographic description of rituals in diverse culture given by scholars like Edward Tylor, James Frazer, Bronislaw Malinowski, Emile Durkheim and many others used the term ritual to denote two separate sets of activities. The first in the sphere of religious activities (prayer, ceremonial worship, chanting, arrange of gestures and movement, activities with sacred object) which practice with specific intension of spiritual communication with a Supreme Being. Second sets of human activities are identified as rituals are those associated with individual life cycle as they move from one social setting to the next. These are universally and naturally occur in all societies in the world. These are considered as a never-ending process of human life. Smith (1889) and Frazer (1890) construct rituals and used the term to described religious life in a comparative context. Max Gluckman (1965) conceptualised „ritual‟ as a conventionalised set of performances which are believed to “protect, purify or enrich the participants and their group” by mystical means beyond sensory observation and control. Ritual performs many functions in individual life and society as a whole. Ritual can channelise and express emotion, guide and strengthen with additional personnel forms of behaviour, assist or challenge the status quo, bring about change or restore harmony and balance.

The evolutionary scholars like Tylor, Frazer, Morgan and others explain religion as an evolving belief system. Rituals are understood as the first stage of this evolution. Tylor termed original stage of ritual as „magic‟ or the pre-religious stage or the animistic stage. Tylor in his book Primitive Culture (1958) goes on to define rituals as practices in his animistic stage that are emotive to the point of being dramatic, non-rational and rooted in magical beliefs. On the other hand functionalist viewed ritual is a social phenomena which established an inter relationship between society and religion. According to Durkheim, ritual is a human behavior that takes place in the domain of the sacred. Following Durkheim‟s view point, Talcott Parsons opinion in his book Sociology of Religion is that rituals are human practices within the realm of the sacred which are characterised by their essential non-rational or transcendental nature. Parsons also opinion that unlikely human rational behaviour are occurs within a means-end relationship but rituals behaviour exists outside the means-end relations. Sigmund Freud, a Psychoanalytic, in his book Totem and Taboo defines rituals as those notable non-rational or formalised symbolic beliefs of any kind which are distinct from pragmatic, belief that is rationally linked to empirical goal. Modern social and cultural anthropologists have tried to provide a men interpretation of religious practices by treating rituals as a symbolic components of a culture. Edmund Leach defined rituals as culturally oriented behaviourial patterns which seek to make a symbolic statement about beings relationship with a Supreme Being.

North-East region of with diversity of communities, cultural and religious group reveals a rich variety of rituals performed at birth, puberty, adulthood, marriage, death etc. Assam the heart of north-east region constituted divers ethnic group having their own culture and religion. Saint Srimanta Sankaradeva (1949-1568 AD) has been proselytising a revision of orthodox Hinduism popularly known as neo-vaishnavism. After demise of the vaishavite saint the vaishnavism has divide into four independent sectarian division calls Samhati/Sanghati viz. Brahma-samhati, Purush-samhati, Nika-samhati and Kal-samhati and gradually some 3925

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ISSN- 2394-5125 VOL 7, ISSUE 19, 2020 other sub-sets and semi-sub-sects seem to have appeared within the body of the vaishnava order. Mayamara is one of prominent sub-sets of vaishnavism of Assam developed by Sri Sri Aniruddhadeva (1553-1627) a nephew of Sankaradeva. The monastery establish by Aniruddhadeva is called as Mayamara Satra. He was a disciple of Gopla Ata (1476-1541), founder of the Kala-Samhati order of Assam vaishnavism. Scholars use various terms such as Moamara, Moamariya, Mayamariya, Mayamara, Matak, Moran etc. to mean both religious sect and a community consisting of its followers. Different of communities of Assam such as Maran, Matak, Ahom, Chutia, Kaibartta, Bodo, Matak-Kaibartta follows Mayamara vaishnava religion. Majuli is second largest river island in the world that enormously deserve the glory of a global heritage site for its unique beauty and cultural creativity of indigenous communities. The Matak-Kaibartta is one of indigenous ethnic group who preserve mayamara cultural in this island since 17th century. The primary concern of this Paper is to provide an overall idea about the rites and rituals performed at different stages of life of mayamara vaishnavite community people of Majuli Island.

II. METHODS AND MATERIALS The study was based on field observation on rituals and religious conviction of Matak-Kaibartta people of Majuli during their socio-religious activities. Both primary and secondary data are used for the study. Primary data has been collected in irregular intervals in three homogeneous mayamara community inhabited village viz. Deka Senchowa, Senchowa Alengiati and Bhuramara No. 2 of Majuli Island during 2011-12. While secondary data are collected from books, articles, research papers and unpublished research work. Data are analyses through descriptive method.

TABOO FOR PREGNANT WOMEN A pregnant woman can do every household work. But she is restricted to do hard work. She is not allowed to go outside at dusk or early morning so that evil spirit may harass her. She is not allowed to cross river because women body remains weak at that time. She is also not allowed to visit cremation ground. They believe if a maternity visit cremation ground may delay her delivery even child may dead before birth. Pregnant woman is not allowed to sit on stone and threshold. A pregnant woman is prohibited to sew clothe, even it is prohibited to push thread in needle. They believe if pregnant women do so the baby will be birth as blind or lamb.

They believe maternity should not see solar or lunar eclipse and should not keep step on earth during earthquake. After earthquake maternity takes bathe. They believe if a pregnant woman watch eclipse the womb baby may damage and born as lamb. She is also not allowed to come near to snake bitten person.

Another important taboo is that a pregnant woman or a prospects father should not kill anything and tie-up something with rope. They consider if prospects father do so baby may tie-up itself with nerve and dead inside stomach. A pregnant woman need not observe much dietary restriction. She is restricted to eat spadix, pine apple, twin banana etc. A pregnant woman is prohibited from having physical contact with her husband from three months of pregnancy.

BIRTH RITUAL After giving birth of child defilement (asauca) is observed for one month. Only boiled rice provides for two days to the maternity. In third day special dish jaldia is offered to her. After completion of seven days lineage wash cloths clean house and household‟s utensil. Maternity is not allowed to go out of premises up to one month since it is treated as asauca. During asauca family member cannot attend in any religious activity. After completion of one month they perform xudi. On this day father shaves the child hair. They approached to satradhikar of nearest satra for naming of the new born. Sometime, parents naming the child following same alphabet of the name given by satradhikar. Before eruption of milk teeth, boiled rice is given to mouth of the child by maternal uncle. This ceremony is known as annaprasana.

III. RITUAL OF PUBERTY AND MENSTRUATION Girl‟s puberty takes place at first menstruation. Mayamara community people termed first menstruation of a girl as pushpita. They practices ritualistic function at first menstruation of a girl call tulanibiya. When a girl menstruates for first time they believe she has stepped into adulthood. Girl‟s mother calls aioties to do primary rituals of first menstruation. Aioties were entering the girl into a detach room wearing her plain silk cloth by chanting uluni. She has to stay in this room for four days. Male person is not allowed into this room. She has to sleep on straw surface. In fourth days aioties are invited to fulfill first ceremonial bathe call saridinia. After completion of bathe aioties set around the girl and welcome her to new stage of life. Parents move toward a priest for looking a good day for tulanibiya. If priest advice them to performed tulanibiya within seventh, ninth

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ISSN- 2394-5125 VOL 7, ISSUE 19, 2020 or eleven day without keeping fasting, they believe that the girl has bright future. During menstruation women are rusticate to cook, serve food, sleeps on bed and can‟t go outside home.

WEDDING RITUAL Hindu dharma sastra define four stages of life, of which grahastha ashram or married life is significant one. Mayamara community people get married following their traditional customs. They believe that wedding is not involved only bride-groom but also entire community, friend, family and relatives as everybody participate in their forthcoming married life. Basically arrange and love marriage is popular among them. Mate selection is the first step of marriage. In arrange marriage, parent select prospective bride/groom for their son/daughter while in love marriage, boy and girl select their life partner. After mate selection family member ask priest to suggest auspicious date for arrangement of ring ceremony. They follow three main processes of wedding namely pre- wedding custom, wedding day ceremony and post wedding ritual.

Pre-Wedding Custom In pre-wedding rituals include juran, teldiya, pani tola and gathiyan khunda. Juran ceremony takes place prior to wed. In juran’s day groom‟s mother visits bride‟s house along with her relatives and bring pair of muga and pat mekhela chaddar, make-up kit, scented hair oil, perfume, golden ornament, vermilion, mirror, hair brush or comb. When juran arrive bride‟s mother welcome them with xhorai contains tamul-paan covered with a gamosa. Inside the tent juran team takes a seat and burn incense stick. Groom‟s mother throws rice and aioties chanting uluni and singing wedding song. Friend and relative get the bride into tent covering her head with a chadar and sit beside groom‟s mother. Groom‟s mother keeps a betel and ring on the bride‟s hair partition and pours oil (teldiya) on it. There after she applies sindoor on bride‟s forehead with an outer layer of betel nut. Procession to bring holy water (panitola) is an important ritual of marriage ceremony. Along with aioties bride‟s/groom‟s mother goes to river pool to bring holy water. In the river pool bride‟s/groom‟s mother place three bamboo stamps and tied it with thread to make a circle. And then placed areca-nut and coin in the circle and draw holy water. In gathiyan khunda ritual aioti pound wild turmeric root and apply its paste with oil on bride‟s/groom‟s body. In this ceremony seven aioti (including bride/groom) enter into cloth enclosure space and paste gathiyan singing gathiyan songs…. Satjani Aiotia Oi Ram Gathiyan Khundisu Oi Ram Varti Agare Pata Hari ae Uluni Ajoka Diya This is an act of purification and cleansing ceremony in which bride/groom pasted with turmeric powder as a part of their beautification process.

Wedding Day Ceremony Early in the morning of wedding day daiyan diya ceremony is observed. In this ceremony curd is sent to bride house from groom‟s home. Bride eats half of the curd and remains return to groom‟s house. In the noontime of wedding day na puruxor sharddha is performed in honour of nine past generation. After completion of na puruxor sharddha reception held for invited guest. In reception people serve delicious dish with rice, fish, meat, sweets to invited guest. Thereafter, groom getting ready to go bride‟s house after taking a ceremonial bathe with holy water under bei. Groom wears traditional dresses dhoti, kurta and silk shawl and proceeds toward bride home along with his relatives and friends. Bride‟s mother welcome groom with a kiss in front of wedding tent gate and offer him milk and areca-nut. Prospective sister-in-law wash feet on tamuli pira and brother-in-low hold him for few seconds. This welcome function is call suwagitula. During suwagitula bride‟s mother throw rice to groom party and welcome them to wedding tent. Groom has to pay heavy amount of money as a token of love to his sister and brother-in-law and his/her friends. Bride‟s party amusement with groom‟s party and finally marriage procession is allowed to enter into bride premises. This is the most exciting moment of marriage ceremony.

Mayamara vaishnavite community people solemnise wedding in front of sacred Bhagawata. After completion of suwagitula groom move towards the main wedding tent where bhakat vaisnava sits around sacred Bhagawata. Groom seat place in front of the Bhagawata and barjatri sit behind him. Aoties are sing juranam criticising about the bride-groom. Groom‟s father bow on knees toward bhakat baishnava and makes request to get the bride into the wedding tent. Khel headman conducts the whole ceremony in a ritualistic manner. He request bride‟s father for kainyadayn. Mother gets the bride into wedding tent. Father keeps his daughter‟s hand on prospect son-in-low and makes a formal public declaration that from today he handover his daughter‟s 3927

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ISSN- 2394-5125 VOL 7, ISSUE 19, 2020 responsibility to him. Groom applies sindoor on bride‟s forehead. Aoties were blessing them by chanting uluni. After that bride-groom take a vow in front of scared Bhagawata. Khel headman addresses some rule regulation that follows after got married. Again newly-wed takes promise to go on with these rules in front of scared Bhagawata bow down on knee. Wedding rite is over when couple bowing and offering a gamusa to elders present in the wedding as sign of honour. After completion of wedding rite bride leaves parent house and moves to groom‟s house.

Post-Wedding Ceremony Post-wedding ceremony starts with ghargasaka. Groom‟s mother greets her son and daughter-in-law in front of the entrance. She offers three rice ball, milk and areca-nut to eat. She performs aroti and blessing them to happy married life. She leads the bride to show every corner of the house. Entering into the kitchen bride throw rice and open the lid of the cookware. Kuba-khubuni observes in third day of wed. In this day newly married couple has to pound rice and from that day they can sleep together. The eight day from the day of marriage is known as anthmongola. In this day the newly-wed visits together to father-in-law home. Mother-in-law cooked eight special dishes on this occasion. Newly married couple has lunch with the family members and back to home. This is an informal ceremony celebrates with close family members. Anthmongola celebrates in day time because the bride-groom can‟t hold night at bride‟s parent‟s home. From this day parents and relatives of bride‟s and groom‟s side can visit each other house.

IV. DEATH RITUAL Shomshan-Yattra (funeral procession) Death is a universal truth phenomenon of human life. Conception of death and disposal of a dead body is varied from society to society. People of mayamara religious sect believe immortality of soul and rebirth. They believe that if somebody done good work in his life time he will die in a good way and those who do bad work he will be die with suffering in various diseases and accident. They burn dead body in cremation ground accepts some exceptional cases for instance dead due to unnatural causes like suicide and snake bite, they buried the dead body. Sometimes snake bitten dead body is floated in the river on a bier made of banana tree. They believe that after snake bites a man never die at all. So, if expert snake charmer gets the body he may cure the patient.

When a man at the doorstep of death the family members and relatives feed him honey, milk, butter etc. This is the last meal for the person during his life time and they believe that it is most important to serve. They believe that if someone of the family unable to feed him, the ghost may disturb him again and again.

People considered as ominous if a man dies inside home. So, dying person is at once carried out of house and lay down on courtyard with the head turned towards north. They keep burning incense sticks, resin, jumuthi, iron, mustard seed and basil plant keeps near the dead body to protect from supernatural spirit. Pasted turmeric is burnished on the dead body and holy basil leaves keep on eyes. Wife erases his vermilion by the feet of his dead husband. Villager comes with a hoe, a piece of wood or bamboo for cremation. They prepare a bier with bamboo-cane and place the dead body on it. Lineage member praying to god for peace of departed soul bow down on knees. Son or if dead person has no son then lineage members carried the bier to cremation ground and other takes part in funeral procession. A person with burning resin move ahead of the procession. Mourner chanting devotional song with playing tal and mridang behind funeral procession if the dead person is a khel headman.

In cremation ground, funeral pyre is constructed with wood within four poles in a rectangular shape. The dead body placed over seven stapes of wood and keeps more three stapes over on it. Eldest son or in absence of him any other son, if the dead person has no son then close relative performs mukhagni. Mukhagni performer i.e. kriyadhari burned the pyre moving seven times around the pyre. Ashes are buried into a small pond digging near the pyre and place a bamboo frame on cremation ground for future recognition. Before leaving cremation ground mourners plant banana tree, sow mustard seed and keep an earthen pot in side bamboo frame.

Before entering into premises, mourner takes bathe and ceremonially cleanse themselves at the gateway by warming their feet over fire into which stone and cotton-seeds are put. Entering into premises mourner chews lemon tree leaves and takes another bathe.

Chua (ceremonial defilement) When a person dies, it brings defilement (chua) to family members and to other direct descendant. Mayamara vaishnavite community people observe defilement period for 12 days. During the period of defilement they

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ISSN- 2394-5125 VOL 7, ISSUE 19, 2020 observe some common rites. The lineages of the dead are fasting for first three days from the date of death. They can intake rice-powder, milk, seedless banana and other fruits in fasting period. They absent from taking meat, fish, egg, some kind of pulse and mustard oil up to ten days. They never shave beard, cutting nail and hair and even they can‟t use shop for bathe.

Kaj-Karma (funeral ceremony) After cremation of dead body people of mayamara sects observe three main funeral ceremonies namely tilani, and kaj. From the date of a person death, his lineage keeps fasting for three days. After completion of three days they performed funeral ceremony called tilani. After death of a person his lineage member i.e. vamsa- pariyal can‟t intake non-vegetarian food until all funeral ceremony is over. Practice and participation of religious activity is also restricted to them. In the day of tilani, kiriya diya ritual observes in which gaonboha gives kiriya to each sons of the death person. They are not allowed to sit on any wooden made furniture. They generally sit on basta or mat made of banana leaf. They were also restricted to from shaving, nail cutting, wearing shoes, pants, shirts etc. All lineage people of death person are restricted to eat meat, fish, oil, turmeric and any kind of spice. Daha observes on eleven day. In this funeral ceremony devotees read Bhagawat-Kirtan and distribute mah-prasad among devotees. In this funeral ceremony black pulse and big banana is very essential. On the twelve day from the death of a person last funeral ceremony kaj is observe. Devotees sing devotional song with playing tal and mridanga for peace of the departed soul. Mah-prasad is distributed among devotees after completion of chanting devotional song. Next day a non-vegetarian feast is arranged for the mourner. From that day sons and wife of the death person allowed to eat non-vegetarian food.

V. CONCLUSION It is observed that mayamara community celebrates numerous socio-religious festivals marked by various rituals on diverse occasions for verity of purposes. In their social system rituals play contradictory roles of both social cohesion and economic ruin. In the sense of cohesion any ritualistic gathering help to increases unity and resolve dispute among them. For instance, though funeral rituals are organised in honour of the dead person, practically it benefits the living. David Mandelbaum opinion that “rites are performed for the dead generally, but it has an important effects for the living. A funeral ceremony is personal in its focus and is societal in its consequence.” In that sense rituals act as legal and judicial institution. However, extensive girl‟s puberty, marriage and funeral ceremonies such as tulanibiya, barbiya, mritakar kaj-karma are a great drain of economic resources and make them beggary.

VI. REFERENCE

[1] Dutta, S. (1985). The Matak and their kingdom, Allahabad: Chugh Publication. [2] , D. (2008). The Mataks and their revolt against the state in 18th century Assam searching for ethno- religious roots. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institution of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS), Kaolkata, January 16- 17. [3] Gluckman, Max (1965). Politics, law and ritual in tribal society. Aldine Publishing Company: Chicago. [4] Mandelbaum, David G (1958). Social uses of funeral rites. Eastern Anthropologist, 1, 5-24. [5] Maheswar Neog (1982). Socio-political events in Assam leading to the militancy of the Mayamariya vaisnavas. Calcutta. [6] Poyil, M. (2009). Farewell ritual and transmigrating souls: Secondary funeral of the Attappadi Kurumbas. Anthropologist, 11(1), 31-38. [7] Zaman, R. (2003). Chomangkan: Death ritual of the Karbi, Indian Anthropological Association, 33(1), 41- 53.

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