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Saivism is the oldest form of religious belief which was prevalent among the population and practiced in different forms by the people of North East India in Ancient time. Unlike the Aryans, the original inhabitants of India are said to trace their origin from the Kirata group of people. The Kiratas are said to be the original inhabitants of India and they were widespread all over the country. Assam is not an exception to this. Most of the tribal people of North East India are said to be the original inhabitants of the Brahmaputra Valley and thereby they trace their origin from the Kiratas. The Bodos are not an exception to this. Lord Siva is considered as the primary God of the Kiratas. There by prevalence of Saivism and its influence can be seen in Bodo society and among the population while performing their duties in day to day life.

Literature always plays an important role in research and to know more about the Bodos and their society and the impact of religious belief among the population this paper is helpful as the aims of it to review every aspect of Bodo society in a deep and detail study on a religious view.

Brahmaputra Valley is the land of many abborigin tribes of North East India who trace their origin from the Kirata Group of people. As the Kiratas are said to be the original inhabitants of India and thereby unlike the Aryans the Kiratas were widespread all over the country. In the Brahmaputra valley was as being a part of India the Kirata people also lived in the valley. Almost all the tribes of Brahmaputra valley trace their origin from the Bodo group of people and this Bodo group of people trace their origin from the Kiratas.* The Kiratas were the worshipper of Lord Siva as their primary God. The Bodos of Brahmaputra valley also trace their origin from the Kirata group and influence of Saivism can be seen among the population. As one of the important tribes of the Brahmaputra valley the Bodos are widespread all over the region basically in Kokrajhar, Goalpara, Bongaigaon and Udalguri of Mongaldoi district of Assam. Most of the tribes of Brahmaputra Valley belong to Mongoloids or Mongol group of people and trace their origin from the Kiratas. The Kiratas are supposed to be the early indigenous inhabitants of India and were widespread all over the country in ancient time. The physical structure of Indo-Mongoloids are basically marked for their strong cheek bones, slit eyes, flat nose, slight growth of hair in the body. In North East India these features or the Mongoloid elements in the population are very common and prominent one so far the physical structure is concerned. “It is said that the Mongoloids of Tibet came to north-eastern India and Assam along the Brahmaputra and its tributaries for trade in silk” (Bhattacharya and Narzi; 1995) 

According to the legends, the Bodos of the northern bank of the river Brahmaputra narrate and belive their origin of cration is as related to the worship of Bathou. Bathou also represents the five elements of creation. Bathou is also known as Sibray. The Bodos believe that Bathou or Sibray and His wife, Sibury are the creators who had created this Universe and then they created first man, called Monsinsin. As Monsinsin remained a life of long celibate, Sibray and His wife then again created Darimoba, the male, and Siring Dowba, the female in order to propagate human population. The Bodos also believe that Bathou created the Sizu plant (Euphorbia spendens), which is the first tree that stands as an emblem of the Supreme God at the altar.

*The Kirats were the worshipper of Lord Siva .They used to worship Lord Siva as their god  in the linga form.

The word Bodo means man as it is said, and centering round the above mentioned belief the Bodos are seen to follow everything in their daily life. Thereby the Bodos use to worship their primary God as Burha-Bathou.* “But the concept of the Supreme God is predominantly remarkable.”(Bhattacharja, 1997) Almost everywhere in the socio-cultural life of the Bodos, the impact of religionas well as Saivism influence can be seen.

While constructing a house of the Bodos, outside of the house, preference is given to the courtyard even before the construction of the house by the Bodos. It is seen that their houses are constructed such that, at the north-east corner of the courtyard a ridge of earth measuring a square of one and half ft. by one and half ft. and of height three-fourth ft .and towards the north western direction of the ridge a small road measuring four and half ft. in length and half ft. width is constructed. Then a Sizu tree is planted over the ridge. A Tulsi tree is also planted to the south of the Sizu tree. Around the ridge a wall is constructed by nine pair of bamboo lath of height 3 ft. nine inch post inserted inside earth and encircled by another five pair bamboo lath which is considered as the sanctum of Bathou. “Over this sanctum of Burha-Bathow the sanctum of Devadidev Mahadev and His cosort , Mother Goddess Kamakhya is placed. This specific formation of sanctum represents the courtyard is of the Bodo”(Bhattacharya and Narzi; 1995)

Even inside of the houses of the Bodos the impact of religious belief or Saivism can be seen. Bodos use to cook their meal in the kitchen of the main house. At the northern side of the oven the sanctum of the deities like Devadideva Mahadeva and Burha Bathou Mahdev, Mother Goddess Kamakhya and Manyas Maothansi is constructed. As a token of symbol of the sanctum, at the northern side near the oven a road of earth is constructed measuring about 2 inch height and 1 and half ft. in length. After cooking the meal a little amount of all the cooked items are offered at this road in the name of all the above mentioned Gods. After then only the Bodos use to take their meal. Besides this near the sanctum they use to store the  uncooked rice of the family either in earthen pitcher or another vessel. Inside the earthen pitcher or the vessel two round stones are placed by the Bodos. They believe that one of the pieces of the stones is Lord Siva or Mahadeva Himself while the other one is Maothansi or Goddess Laksmi Herself. While the cook take out rice from the vessel he use to offer a prayer  only after offering a prayer to the God and Goddess there, he can take out the rice. Bura Bathou  is the primary God of the Bodos and is the Lord Siva in Hindu religion.

The Bodo-Kacharies had occupied different regions in Brahmaputra Valley. The impact of religion can also be noticed in agricultural activities of the Bodo-Kacharies too. According to the legends of the Bodo-Kacharies of Darang, Kamrup and North-West of Goalpara district of Assam it is said that once upon a time there was a couple of old man and woman. After becoming very old, the woman one day, said to her husband that they would be died very soon and what would be eaten by their children after their death? The old man then asked his wife to make meal and then pack some food to eat on the way and then he went to meet Kuber, who is the God of wealth in order to take some seed for agriculture.

Kuber then asked the old man the reason for coming. The old man replied that he needs some extra seeds for the men in the earth for agriculture. Kuber gave him the seeds of various kinds on the hand of the old man. Thereafter, the old man had returned back to his home. After that the old man had sprayed those seeds on the earth. That was the initial of cultivation on the earth as the Bodo-Kacharies believe.

According to another legend of the Bodo-Kacharies of the North Kamrup district of Assam, in ancient time Mahadeva wished to create man on the earth. Therefore He started to create the statue of man with sand and then created the seeds of rice for food also. Mahadeva did not tell His wife about His wish and He did all these at a distant place, a far away from His abode. Mahadeva then went to Kailasha in order to brought the immortal device for men. He had also asked His wife not to go to that place. But the wife of Mahadeva did not follow His order and went to that place where She  saw the beautifully constructed statue of man and nearby it the cultivated paddy field created by Mahadeva. At that time She found the growing plant of the paddy became emanciated (withered). She also gave life to the statue of man by offering water to it by the leaves of arum tree.

As a result, Mahadeva cursed on His wife that ...you women in general would not be able to see any growing plant at the paddy, and if it was so then the paddy would be destroyed, as the Bodo-Kacharies believe. “ Therefore, the Bodo-Kacharies of Brahmaputra Valley even today do not allow the female members of the house  to go and see the good or bad of the agricultural field”(Bhattacharjya and Narzi; 1995).

Then, Mahadeva made the withered plants at the paddy vivid again by cutting down the fronts of those. Accordingly the Bodo-Kacharies also do the same in order to save their withered plants at the paddy from others evil eyes. “The Bodos or Kacharies are generally followers of Saivism. They worship Siva as their Supreme God. Siva is popularly called by them as ‘Bathou Barai’or ‘Khoria Barai Maharaja’(Brahma Choudhury; 1993).

 Next important one is the festival of Kherai. Infact the festival of Kherai is the greatest religious festival of the Bodos, related to agriculture. The festival of Kherai is performed in the month of Kartik or Aghonn in an open field by the Bodos in a village collectively. In the Kherai festival, besides the Lord Siva (Bathou Barai), woeship is offered to the other deities also. “Bodos are agriculturists and hence their festival has a relation with agriculture. So the purpose of Kherai festival is also to acquire blessings from Bathou Barai (Siva) and Mainao Buri to have good harvest and for the welfare of the village. There are also Ojah and Deodini. The Ojah (priest) recites the mantras and Deodini speaks oracles”( Brahma Choudhury; 1993) Besides the festival of Kherai the Bodo-Kacharies are seen to perform many other important festivals during the year. Among these Baisagu, Katrigasa, Domasi and Bathou are the main festivals of the Bodos.

The influence of Saivism can be seen in the socio cultural life of the Bodos. Thereby, these are noticed in the system of marriage in Bodo society. The system of marriage is also divided in to various types according to the procedure followed in the society of the Bodos. The most common system is the system of arrange marriage. In this system it is seen that all the people of bride’s house and groom’s house are involved in the marriage. Following the procedure of marriage the bride is taken by the bridegroom party to the groom’s house. There the new bride with her pure hand has to cook rice-cuurry by a spoon,which is  known as ‘Hathasuni’. If the number of invitees are more,other people help her in cooking. The rice cooked by her thus first offered to the deities of the house. The rice and curry for the deities are offered on the banana leaves by kneeling down and with folded hands. Then the mantras are chanted as follows-  

Come – Sun on East

God Mahadev............

Besides this some other procedures are followed in the other systems marriage by the Bodos. There are different types of marriage in Bodo society, “These are a) Swngnai Haba (Arranged Marriage), b) Kharsonnai Haba (girl flee away), c) Gwrjiya Lakhinai Haba (Groom staying with Brides family in their house), d) Dwnkharnai Haba (Elopment), e) Dongkha Habnai Haba means widow re-marriage” (Brahma, 2009 ). . “Boys and girls are generally free in the choice of their marriage......” (Fuchs, 1908 ). Thereby if a man wants to marry or wishes to go to a woman’s house forever or to live together with that particular woman the man has to follow the procedure like – he has to offer prayer to his tutelary deity (God) and to feed villagers also. Bodos having their deities like Mahadeva, Kamakhya and Laxmi at the altar of Bathou and for prayer a pair of chicken and a pitcher full of wine is offered to these deities by that man. After lighting the insence sticks and offering pair of batel leaf and nut the priest chants a prayer like –

Oh Mother kamakhya

Oh Mother Laxmi

Listen male and female members

Truth God will keep you true

Religious God will keep you religious

Today so and so male has started

Living with so and so female

For that a worship is given” (Narzi; 1995)

1. Bijaya Laxmi Brahma Choudhury; Bodos (Kacharis) at a Glance; Tribal Cultural Institue, Bongaigaon; 1993; p. 17. 2. Kameswar Brahma; A Study in Cultural Heritage of the Bodos; Bina Library; Guwahati , Assam; 2009; p. 65. 3. Stephen Fuchs; The Aboriginal Tribes of India; M.C. Mittal; Inter –India Publications, New Delhi-110015, India; 1908; p.209. 4. P. Bhattacharja; A Descriptive Analysis of the Bodo Language; Gauhati university Publication, Guwahati, Assam, 1997; p.17. 5. Pramod Chandra Bhattacharya & Bhaben Narzi; Bodo Kacharir Samaj aru sanskriti ; An Introduction( in Assamese); 1995; p.23 & 25, 45-46, 56.