Tribal Religion of Lower Assam of North East India
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
TRIBAL RELIGION OF LOWER ASSAM OF NORTH EAST INDIA 1HEMANTA KUMAR KALITA, 2BHANU BEZBORA KALITA 1Associate Professor, Dept. of Philosophy, Goalpara College, 2Associate Professor, Dept of Assamese, Goalpara College E-mail: [email protected] Abstract - Religion is very sensitive issue and naturally concerned with the sentiment. It is a matter of faith and made neither through logical explanation nor scientific verification. That Religion from its original point of view was emerged as the basic needs and tools of livelihood. Hence it was the creation of human being feeling wonderful happenings bosom of nature at the early stage of origin of religion. It is not exaggeration that tribal people are the primitive bearer of religious belief. However religion for them was not academically explored rather it was regarded as the matter of reverence and submission. If we regard religion from the original point of view the religion then is not discussed under the caprice of ill design.. To think about God, usually provides no scientific value as it is not a matter of verification and material pleasant. Although to think about God or pray to God is also not worthless. Pessimistic and atheistic ideology though not harmful to human society yet the reverence and faith towards God also minimize the inter religious hazards and conflict. It may help to strengthen spirituality and communicability with others. Spiritualism renders a social responsibility in true sense which helps to understand others from inner order of heart. We attempt to discuss some tribal religious festivals along with its special characteristics. Tribal religion though apart from the general characteristic feature it ushers natural gesture and caries tolerance among them. Index Terms - Bah, Baikhow, Baikhokshi, Bastu, Bhut-pret, Bihu, Bixohari, Bura Dangoria Deodhani, Deory, Devta/DeviGoxai Kairatraj, Kamakhya, Katigasa- Kherai, Koutaki Laksmi Rici, Rishi, Samkhya, Santhal, Shakti, Shitzu, Siva, Thourai Birai, Thourai Bari, Tista Buri. I. INTRODUCTION Animism, Fetishism and Manaism. These religion were developed haphazardly. However Magic was Religion presently is simply not a method of also regarded as the most influential belief of origin worshipping Ultimate but it is recognized as medium of religion. Except Magic as the primitive source of of inter faith discipline and diplomatic issue for religion other four were attached with their livelihood understanding different nations. Therefore religion and became the part and parcel of their practice. develops a congenial relationship among the nations Religious people who are out and out influenced by for reducing hatred. It is the need of the hour to create religious cluster may point out that believing liberal attitude among the different beliefs through something Supernatural is not at all dogmatic. It is the universal dialogue of the different religious belief. fact that the idea of one God in religion is a later That tribal religion from the traditional point of view addition. Religion was emerged as the basic needs and tools of livelihood. However, it was the creation of human II. ELEMENTS OF RELIGION being feeling wonderful happenings bosom of nature at the early stage of origin of religion. So the religion People are very much crazy upon anything powerful as it’s primitive description was intimately concerned more than themselves. English anthropologist for developing and protecting people from unseen Edward Tylor has opined that religion is matter of and un-known power. According to Nilima Dutta outward relation. The idea about human self entrusts “religion is an affair, of the human race. It expresses a the belief that these selves are immortal and loitering human attitude towards life and the world” [1] They in this world after death. Spirit or Ghost they hold the believed that the weapons which are used in their most powerful entity and out of fear people started to daily works were empowered by magical power. It is perform activities towards such spirit loitering conceived the world phenomena when attached with outside. As soon as he awakes up the self entered into humanity becomes the essence of religion, and at the human body immediately. This happens to be same time it is recognized as world religion. Flint something unnatural and beyond human reason which has said, “Religion is man’s belief in a Being or compelled them to worship the selves. Gradually Beings mightier than himself and inaccessible to his ideas are developed as spirituality Tylor asserted that senses but not indifferent to his sentiments and religion is belief in a spiritual Being. actions with feelings and practices which follow from [a] Spiritualism: It is said that the transcendental such belief”[2] Flint’s assertion in this regard we may attitude towards divinity can incorporate the conceive the characteristic of world religion. difference of feeling into one. It is said that in this Anthropologists somehow assessed origin of transcendental state of consciousness, self-awareness primitive religion in four ways, i.e.Totemism, and spiritual wisdom will pave the way to lead a new Proceedings of 62nd IASTEM International Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 5th-6th July 2017 52 Tribal Religion of Lower Assam of North East India pattern of life. Spirituality is a deep feeling and thought is the supreme Deity is the Ultimate realization towards eternity abandoning all physical controller of the world. Homer regarded Jeus as the needs and requirement. Spirituality is concept of most powerful God of Greek primitive religion. superimposition. It is clear that infallible divine law However it is learnt that there are some subordinate may assist to generate a sense of universal religion deities whom they worshipped. These subordinate where people will have to ready to throw their narrow deities are associated with the different aspects of and selfish minded attitude. It is felt that only human life. However their religion were maligned by spiritual realization can able to close the relationship the unsocial activities by the evil doers. They believe among the -religious belief. Spiritualism renders a that the deity like Thakurji will save their life from all social responsibility in true sense which helps to evil wills of other deities. Primitive people who are understand others from inner order of heart. Believing mostly tribal are regarded the original bearer of the sense of religion neither any idol worship nor any religious belief and they used religious traits as the scriptural point of view but it is to be explored from source of earning. Hence the aim of religion at the the point of view of corporal relation and phenomenal earliest was involved with embarking their means of existence of the world. livelihood. Apart from these tribal people worshiped [b] Cultural Aspect: Culture is premium way to their personal God and Goddesses to protect their life enter into the heart to feel brotherhood among the from the evil. Religion was basically originated after people irrespective of their language, religion, caste being anthropomorphized. and so on. Import and export of culture can create tolerance among the people. Development of In Assam there are so many tribal religious traits. technology and growth of wealth are not proper way However, it would not be hard to conceive that in for realizing the unity rather it creates a sense of what sense the tribal of Assam worshiping deities are competition and generates difference among the more or less synonymous in the context of other tribal different group of people. Culture is the spontaneous of the world. When we are studying the tribal religion outflow of the heart to express the gratitude of one’s we are entitled to study irrespective of their feeling. Heart can not mislead the people. Culture is originality such as Mongoloids and Proto- only the medium to reduce the difference exist out of Austroloids. Two tribes namely Negrito and religious belief. A cultured group can not be Medetarian are not found in Assam. There are some conservative because the utmost idea of culture is to tea tribes like Kol, Munda, Santhal etc from annihilate the gap and develop the sense of fraternity. Austroloid group are found in lower part of Assam. Culture embraces all irrespective of their religious These races perform religious cults from their own. belief. But it is observed that though each group performs [c] Humanity: From the aspect of humanism it is to their own religious cults they are not bias to each be noticed that to live and let live peacefully is the other. From the original standpoint no tribes can be motto of Humanism. Mahatma Gandhi one of the best distinguished perfectly as Christian nor as Muslim humanistic philosophers of India thought that instead nor as Buddhist and so on. Because of neither of convert one belief to other it should be an effort to Christianity nor Islam nor Buddhism nor Sikhism develop their personality to live as better human believe pluralism of god. These religions are being. Many of humanistic philosophers are urging monotheistic. But tribal people not only in one without compromising to constitute a better form of particular state believes one god rather they used to religion in which everybody could feel free as human believe many gods and goddesses. Sometimes they being. The eternal song of Polrobson that “we are in emphasize them as tribal gods and goddesses which the same boat brother” is the real dialogue to unite the are different from the modern religion. people into one religious belief. Swami Vivekananda whom is known as the modern monk of India did not Assam of India is generally known as the land of find any discriminative ideas among religious belief. tribes. There are so many indigenous tribes found in He always asserted that people should follow the Assam province. These are mostly Garo, Rava, moral principles for developing the spirituality which Kachari, Bodo, Hajong, Missing, Miri, Tiwa, Santhal, has already been resided in human soul.