A Case Study from the Tiwa Tribe Highlighting the Hybrid World of S´Akta¯ Tantra in Assam
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religions Article The Dead Speak: A Case Study from the Tiwa Tribe Highlighting the Hybrid World of S´akta¯ Tantra in Assam Sravana Borkataky-Varma Department of Philosophy and Religion, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 S. College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA; [email protected] Received: 5 July 2017; Accepted: 25 September 2017; Published: 11 October 2017 Abstract: In this paper, we shall examine how possession is understood in Assam, India. We are aware that the larger northeastern frontier of India retained indigenous practices, religious festivals, and beliefs in a plethora of exotic goddesses, rituals, which have continued unabated through modern times. This has resulted in cross-pollination between the Vedic or traditional Brahmanical or orthodox Hindu practices and the indigenous practices, which in turn has yielded a hybrid world of S´akta¯ Tantra rituals and practices. Keywords: Tantra; Assam; Possession In this paper, I examine how possession is understood in Assam, India. We are aware that the larger northeastern frontier of India retained indigenous practices, religious festivals, beliefs in a plethora of exotic goddesses, and rituals, which have continued into the present. This has resulted in cross-pollination between traditional Brahmanical or orthodox Hindu practices and indigenous practices, which in turn has yielded a hybrid world of S´akta¯ Tantra rituals and practices. This article is based predominantly on fieldwork conducted over four years and secondary texts. During these years, I documented many sessions of “speaking to the dead” in the Tiwa Tribe. The Tiwa are a culturally rich tribal community in Assam, India. The Tiwa’s intersection with mainstream Hindu religion, S´akta¯ Tantra, is rather complex. I first will present a case study of a Mother Tantric who frequently co-creates communication between the living and the departed. Further, I will discuss how Mother Tantrics are seen as community leaders, akin to the religious authority of Brahmins in the Hindu funerary space. Then, I will draw similarities between the rituals performed by the Tiwas to the Deodhani festival in Kam¯ akhy¯ a,¯ an important S´akta¯ Tantra p¯ı.tha, to highlight the fusion of mainstream S´akta¯ Tantra with the indigenous practices and to show how aboriginal practices also borrow from conventional Hindu rituals. The interviews were conducted in Assamese and a dialect the Tiwas speak from the Tibeto-Burman language family. I used a translator for the interviews in the Tiwa language. 1. The Tiwas The Tiwas or Lalungs are a culturally rich tribal community inhabiting the northeast Indian states of Assam and Meghalaya. This tribal community is further divided into the hill Tiwas or the hill Lalungs and the plain Tiwas or the plain Lalungs. Most hill Lalungs reside in the foothills and hilly areas of Karbi Anglong district. One of the distinguishing factors between the hill Lalungs and the plain Lalungs is that Hill Lalungs are matrilineal whereas the plain Lalungs are patrilineal. “According to the legends [. ] the group of Lalungs who left the hills and came down to settle in the plains did not like the matrilineal system of inheritance and the system of human sacrifice which started when they were under the subjugation of the Jaintia King, Banchere. For these reasons, the Lalungs got divided into two groups—one group under the chieftain Hora and the other under the chieftain Tongora” Religions 2017, 8, 221; doi:10.3390/rel8100221 www.mdpi.com/journal/religions Religions 2017,, 8,, 221221 2 of 15 Religions 2017, 8, 221 2 of 15 chieftain Tongora” (Gohain 1993, p. 98). Soon there was a battle between the two chieftains which led (chieftaintheGohain Ahom 1993Tongora” ruler, p. to 98). give(Gohain Soon the thereplain1993, wasLalungsp. 98). a battleSoon a separate ther betweene was piece thea battle of two land. between chieftains In addition the which two, the chieftains led hill the Lalungs Ahom which rulerlean led thetotowards give Ahom the calling ruler plain themselvesto Lalungs give the a separateplainLalungs Lalungs while piece a oftheir separate land. counterp In piece addition,arts of preferland. the hillIn to addition be Lalungs called, the leanTiwas. hill towards IfLalungs one callingtravels lean towardsthemselveseast of Guwahati calling Lalungs themselves on whileNational their Lalungs Highway counterparts while 37, theirto preferthe counterp right to beone calledarts sees prefer the Tiwas. hills to Ifbe of one calledthe travels Karbi Tiwas. Anglong east If of one Guwahati district, travels eastonwhich National of sharesGuwahati Highway a border on National with 37, to the the Highway northeast right one 37, state sees to the of the Meghalaya.right hills one of thesees The Karbi the Tiwas hills Anglong ofinhabit the district,Karbi these Anglong hills which along sharesdistrict, with a whichborderother tribes. shares with the a border northeast with state the northeast of Meghalaya. state of The Meghalaya. Tiwas inhabit The theseTiwas hills inhabit along these with hills other along tribes. with otherThe tribes. Tiwas Tiwas have have not not been been researched researched as as well well as assome some other other well-known well-known tribes tribes of Assam, of Assam, for forexample, example,The Tiwasthe theBodo, have Bodo, Kachari not Kachari been and researched andMishing. Mishing. asBirendra well Birendra as Kumarsome Kumar other Gohain Gohainwell-known uses usesfolk folktribesculture culture of toAssam, trace to trace thefor example,theetymology etymology the of Bodo,the of theword Kachari word “Tiwa.” “Tiwa.” and Gohain Mishing. Gohain relates relatesBirendra the the na Kumar nameme “Tiwa” “Tiwa” Gohain to to the uses the birth birth folk of ofculture King King Sotonga. Sotonga.to trace Itthe is etymologybelieved that of the the futureword “Tiwa.”king was Gohain born to relates an unwedunwe thed namother, me “Tiwa” and soon to the after birth his of birth King he Sotonga. disappeared It is believedinto a river that but the was future later king found was in born a pond. to anThis unwe child d grew mother, to becomeand soon the after king his of birth the clan. he disappeared Since it was intobelieved a river thatthat but hehe was was was later born born found out out of inof water, a water, pond. his hisThis people people child were grew were called to called become Ti-wa—“Ti Ti-wa— the king means “Ti of means the water clan. andwater Since wa and meansit was wa believedsuperior”means superior” that (Gohain he was(Gohain 1993 born, p. 1993,out 3). Theof p.water, folk 3). accounts,The his folkpeople accounts, however, were called dohowever, not Ti-wa— provide do not“Ti a consistent meansprovide water a narrative consistent and wa to meansexplainnarrative superior” how to explain the Tiwas (Gohain how finally the 1993, Tiwas came p. finally to3). be The ruled came folk by toaccounts, the be kingruled of however,by Gobha. the king Variousdo of not Gobha. historiesprovide Various ofa theconsistent histories region narrativerecountof the region that to explain byrecount the seventeenthhow that the by Tiwasthe centuryseventeenth finally the came geographicalcent toury be theruled geographical region by the of king present region of Gobha. day of present Assam Various day was histories Assam under Ahomofwas the under region rule. Ahom The recount king rule. ofthat theThe by principality king the seventeenthof the ofprincipality Gobha cent belongedury of the Gobha geographical to the belonged Lalung region tribe,to the and ofLalung present the descendants tribe, day and Assam the of wasthatdescendants familyunder Ahom continue of that rule. family to ruleThe continue theking tribe of the evento rule principality today the tr withibe ofeven a presidingGobha today belonged with King. a Ipresiding hadto th toe Lalung seek King. permission tribe, I had and to fromseek the descendantsthepermission King before from of that gaining the family King access before continue to gaining the to tribe. rule access the tr toibe the even tribe. today with a presiding King. I had to seek permissionBelow fromare a the few King pictures before from gaining the Tiwa access village. to the Figure tribe. 11 isis thethe templetemple wherewhere thethe TiwaTiwa TotemTotem isis housed.Below Figure are 2 a2 shows fewshows pictures the the Totem Totem from laying layingthe Tiwa on on the village.the floor, floor, whichFigure which meant1 ismeant the the temple the king king iswhere currently is currently the Tiwa present present Totem in the inis housed.village.the village. FigureFigure Figure3 2 shows shows 3 shows the the the Totem Totem Totem being laying being raised, on raised, the which fl oor,which stands which stands formeant for the the Kingthe King king being being is currently away. away. The Thepresent Totem Totem isin thebelievedis believed village. to toFigure be be presiding presiding 3 shows over overthe matters Totem matters being in in the the raised, King’s King’s which absence. absence. stands Photo Photo for by the by the Kingthe author. author. being away. The Totem is believed to be presiding over matters in the King’s absence. Photo by the author. Figure 1. Temple where the Tiwa Totem is housed. Figure 1. Temple where the Tiwa Totem is housed. Figure 1. Temple where the Tiwa Totem is housed. Figure 2. Totem laying on the floor meant the king is currently present in the village. FigureFigure 2. 2. TotemTotem laying on the floor floor meant the ki kingng is currently present in the village. Religions 2017, 8, 221 3 of 15 Religions 2017, 8, 221 3 of 15 FigureFigure 3. Raised 3. Raised Totem Totem stands stands for the for King the Kingbeing beingaway. away. The To Thetem Totem is believed is believed to be topresiding be presiding over matters over in the King’smatters absence. in the Photo King’s by absence.