DOI PREFIX 10.22183 An International Refereed, Peer Reviewed & Indexed Quarterly ISSN 2277-8071 JOURNAL DOI 10.22183/RN Journal in Arts, Commerce, Education & Social Sciences Impact Factor 3.018

Research Paper in Assamese

ROLE OR SIGNIFICANCE OF WOMEN IN ASSAMESE FOLK CULTURE : DR. RUPAM AN ANALYTICAL STUDY BORTHAKUR ABSTRACT Culture is the mirror of a society. A society develop with culture. A society’s history, Assistant Professor, geographical location, ancient belief, customs and traditions, behaviors etc gives a Department of Assamese distinct form or shape to it. In other words, customs of our social life is culture. Darrang College, According to J.A. Banks culture means, “Most social scientists today view culture as () consisting primarily of the symbolic, ideational, and intangible aspects of human societies. The essence of a culture is not its artifacts, tools, or other tangible cultural elements but how the members of the group interpret, use, and perceive them. It is the values, symbols, interpretations, and perspectives that distinguish one people from another in modernized societies; it is not material objects and other tangible aspects of human societies. People within a culture usually interpret the meaning of symbols, artifacts, and behaviors in the same or in similar ways.” 0.0 Introduction: For this topic, we have use analytical system of According to G. Hofstede, “Culture is the study. In order to write the research paper we have collective programming of the mind which abide by the rules and regulation of “ MLA Handbook distinguishes the members of one category of people for Writers of Research Papers, SEVENTH EDITION. from another.” 0.2 Aims and Objectives of the Study : According to C. Kluckhohn, “By culture we The customs, traditions and practices of culture mean all those historically created designs for living, transmit from one generation to another. The role of explicit and implicit, rational, irrational, and non- women in this process is manifold. The main purpose rational, which exist at any given time as potential of our study is to find out the role of women in guides for the behavior of men.” Assamese folk culture. According to Dr. Lila Gogoi in his book 0.3 The limitation of the Study : entitled “Asomar Sanskriti” compared culture saying “ In our research paper, we have taken into The flow of river is the flow of culture”. Therefore consideration of folk culture and women’s role in it. culture is seen to have local and regional forms. The 1.0 Analysis of Subject Matter : researcher has divided culture into three forms. They (a) Verbal / Oral literature : are – The focus of folk culture is seen in folk (i) Aristocratic/Noble/Upper culture literature and mass-belief. To discuss about (ii) Folk culture Assamese folk literature we need to gather sources (iii) Traditional / Tribal Culture from valuable unwritten documents related to Noble or Aristocratic Culture is well specific literature and its descriptions. Verbal or Oral and self-conscious. Aristocratic culture is also referred literature is the main asset of folk culture. The to as classical culture. This culture is confined to a origin of verbal or Oral literature is not known. particular or specific people. The emotions related to Assamese local people like Folk culture is one which enables to introduce a happiness, laughter, sadness, love or lust, unite or society infront of the world community with a definite separation led to these. The Assamese proverb, identity. The folk culture of Assamese is colourful and idioms etc are related to their life and happenings multihued and historical. Richard Dorson the comprises of this oral literature. This proverbs and researcher of folk culture divided folk culture into the phrases are results of people theoretical and following types – practical knowledge about their belief and (i) Verbal / Oral literature traditions. (ii) Social custom or practices In Assamese folk songs or Lokogeet we get a (iii) Material Culture very clear picture of women’s psychology. In rural (iv) Performing Arts Assamese women’s society, we find “Aai nam, There is a deep connection of women with Xubasoni geet, Apesori geet, Lakhimi Sabhar geet” culture since time immemorial. In this discussion we etc popular among women. When a child suffers shall study about the role of women in this specific from small pox, women sing Aai nam, during branch of folk culture. Lakshmi Puja or harvesting time women sing 0.1 Methodology of the Study : Lakshmi Sabhar geet etc. Even when a child does DOI PREFIX 10.22183 An International Refereed, Peer Reviewed & Indexed Quarterly ISSN 2277-8071 JOURNAL DOI 10.22183/RN Journal in Arts, Commerce, Education & Social Sciences Impact Factor 3.018

not develop with age, they sing and worship and period they celebrate Nando utsav and Pasoti utsav conduct Apesori Sabha as well Subhasoni Devi is with great enthusiasm and joy. also worshipped and songs are sung by women to Moreover, Gorokhia Sabha, Aai Sabha and drive away evil and danger. Borot Puja popular among Tiwa people and Yogini In Assamese wedding songs, we get a very Puja, celebrated by the Ahom community women beautiful picture of an women’s life. The Biya is seen to have taken active part. naams are composed by women and it is an unique (c) Material Culture : and indispensable feature of the Assamese Material culture includes the three basic wedding celebration. The women sing Biya naam necessities of life namely , clothing and or Biya geet during pre and post wedding rituals. shelter. Rice is the staple food for Assamese. In During Jurun Ceremony, Panitula, Dayan diya, Assamese, we have such as , Sira- Nuoni or ceremonial bath, groom arrival, Biya Muri, Akhoi, Xandoh, Pithaguri, Kumal Sawal women sings beautiful Biya naam. Biya naam which are mainly prepared by Assamese women. consist of Ram Sita, Krishna Rukmini, Usha Moreover, every houses prepares Tita, Tanga, Anirudha and the love and bond these Khar which gives an identity of Assamese culture. mythological characters shared. In small Scale industry women excel in In our very own geet or Bihu songs, we weaving clothes made by cotton, pat (Assamese find portrayal of women’s life and feelings silk) Muga etc. Traditional dresses are beautifully together with the males. weaven by women of other tribes such as Bodo, In Lokogeet or Goalporia Lokogeet or Maithali Rabha, Mising etc. geet we find tales related to women, their love life Shelter comprises an important aspect of and wishes for their love one. culture which is initiated by man in the In Assamese folk literature, such as Haraduttta construction of houses and building but the – Veeraduttar geet, Jaymati Kuwarir geet, Jana- beautification and maintenance is looked by Gavorur geet, Kamala Kuwarir geet, Radhika women. Santi geet etc portrays picture of women’s psychic (d) Performing Arts : life. Thus, we find a beautiful picture of women Dance, Music and Drama comprise of and her life in in the form of performing arts. Assamese women also excel in folk songs sung in various occasions. various classical dance and song. Though women (b) Social custom and practice : may perform less in Bhaona, Ojapali but their One important component of folk culture is contribution in this field could not be neglected. social custom and practice. A society’s way a of Thus it is seen that women contributes greatly in living includes social custom and practices whether performing arts as well. it Findings of the study : According to the purpose of be religious occasion or any social function. We the study the findings are quite fulfilling. Actually celebrate it with our traditional ways and mean. It some of the findings are the by product of our main has vedic influences as well as tribal practices study. These are as follows – because in Assam, we find various ethnic groups. (i) Folk literature is the chief element of In the following customs and traditions, the women folk culture. A society/ community’s plays a significant role. As per example – there are religion, beliefs, customs and tradition etc rituals related to wedding where women take are carried on and spread mainly by active part in hanging Mangoleaves on doorway, women. making Rangoli, filling brass pot with rice, making (ii) One of the chief element of folk Bay etc. The bride or the groom take the holy bath literature such as folk song, idioms and amidst the practices carried by women. Other proverbs etc are transmitted through rituals such as “Jurun”, Adhibaas, Daiyon diya, generation. This portrays clear picture of a Suaguri tula etc. Again when a girl child attains women’s psychic life. puberly, certain rituals are associated with it where (iii) Women play a significant role in social women take active part. In our Bihu, women play a custom and tradition. They play important leading role in weaving Gamocha, making role in religious rituals, holy ceremonies and other traditional food items etc. In festivals together with male counter parts. like , Lakshmi Puja, Sitala Puja and (iv) Women also contributes in food, clothing other festivals like Krishna Janmastami, Tithi of and shelter arrangements. Women’s Sri Sri Sankardeva and Madhabdeva, women play experience in the religious belief, values a leading role. Even during month of Bhado, and principles and thinking etc is really women go to Namghor for nam and during this praise worthy. www.ycjournal.net RESEARCH NEBULA VOL. VII, ISSUE III, OCT 2018 44 DOI PREFIX 10.22183 An International Refereed, Peer Reviewed & Indexed Quarterly ISSN 2277-8071 JOURNAL DOI 10.22183/RN Journal in Arts, Commerce, Education & Social Sciences Impact Factor 3.018

1.1 Conclusion : 3. Gogoi, Lila & Hariprasad Neog (Ed.) Asamiya Women and culture are two sides of one coin. Sanskriti. 2nd edition. : Bani Without the existence of women in a society we Prakash, 1975. Edited. never think about culture, tradition, social norms 4. , Prafulla Dutta. Asomiya Jana- and values. In conclusion, we can say that women Sahitya.Guwahati : Bani Prakash, 1994. plays a vital role in preservation and transmission Edited. of culture from one generation to another. 5. Sarma, Nabinchandra, Loko Sanskriti. 2nd Bibliography : edition. Guwahati : Chandra Prakash,2013. 1. Baruah, Atulchandra. Asamiya Loko Sahitya, Edited. 1st edition, Guwahati : Assam Book Diputa, 6. Sarma, SatyendraNath. Asomiya Sahitar 1981. Edited Samikshatmak Itibritta. 9th edition. Rihabari, 2. , Birinchikumar. Asomar Loko-Sanskriti. Guwahati: Saumar Prakash, 2006. Edited. 8th edition. Guwahati : Bina Library, 2005. Edited.

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