Thursday 17 July 2014

The Tribes of Assam




Introduction to the tribes of Assam:

 


Assam has many tribes from the very fast day of civilization. The tribes are mainly of “Mongulia” species. The characteristic of this Mongulia species are:”They are of white or yellow color, black haired, have small beard and have little hair in the body. These characteristics are seen mostly in all tribes of Assam. The people of the tribes are of medium height.
The main tribes of Assam are: Rabha, Tiwa, Karbi, Bodo, kachari, Sonowal Kachari, Diamasa, Deori, Mech, Mising and Kuki etc. In the census of 1971,the tribes has a percent of 11 in the total population of Assam.
Origin of the tribes of Assam:
The language of these tribes is mainly from the family of Tibbeto Burma. The Great scholars of decade describe that:
“In the ancient time people from the North west sides of ‘Hu-Anhu’ and ‘Iyangsikiang’ of China was the resident place of the ‘Tibbeto religion’. They migrated to the south in very old age and reached Burma (Myanmar). From there a group of people entered Assam and settled in various parts of 
 Assam.

Location of the tribes:

 

Among all the tribes in Assam “Rabha” and Mech are from the lower part of Assam. The Karbis specially live in Karbi Aanglong but they are also found in the middle of Assam. The Tiwas are mainly found in middle Assam. N.C hills are the living land of Dimasa. Deori, Mising and Sonowal kachari are the resident of upper Assam. The Kukis live in the southern part of Assam. The influence of Bodo and Kachari can be seen in the lower and northern part of India. Dimasa and the Kukis are called as the “Tribes of hills”. There are many tribes such as Indo-Arya, Iran-semia, Alpine etc (From the Kokecia) have migrated to Assam till now. 

Occupation of the tribes:

 

The tribes are mainly dependent on harvesting. The people living in the hill area dependent on “Jhoom Cultivation” and the tribes from the plane cultivate “Xaali” paddy. Their main food is tribe.
The female of the tribes are very expert weaver (“Taanti”). The beautiful and mesmerizing clothes made by them have able to capture the eye of every people. Melodious song, Beautiful Dance and the various instruments are the priceless treasures of their tribes.

Language and Religion of the tribes:

 

All these tribes of Assam have their own custom and rituals. It signifies the characteristic of every tribe and makes them different from others. Though some of them have not followed the custom and rituals of Hindu community but the impact of the Hindu community can be noticed clearly among them. Some of them also have taken the Christian religion.
About some of the tribes of Assam are listed below:

   Bodo:


Total population: 2 lacs
Religion: Hinduism, Bathuism
 Minority Christian and others.
Language: Bodo language. The script they follow is                     “Devnagari”
Festival: Divided in three main categories:
     Seasonal (Baishagu ,Domashi ,Katrigocha)
     Religious (Sibrai Langamara Puja, Apeshwari puja,              the  haul Kheta)
    Ritualistic and ceremonial (Birth ceremony. Death    ceremony, Marriage ceremony)

   Mising:

 



Total population: 9 lacs 20000
Language: Mising Language (don’t have scripts but follow Assamese language when write)
Festival: Ali Aai Lingang

   

 

 

   Rabha:

 

        
Religion: Hinduism and Christianity
Festival:Baaikhu or Khosi Puja, Hudson puja, Kesai khati etc

    

 

 Deori:

                       Language: Deori language

Festival: Bohagiyo Bisu and Maghaya Utsabha
                  The four original sub tribes of     Deories are:
1)    Dibongia
2)    Tegaponiya
3)    Borton
4)    Patargayan

 Kaarbi tribe:

                  
                   Language: Kaarbi language (Do not have their own
                                      Script, generally use Assamese and English
                                      Language to write
                   Religion:  Animistic (Believe in two types of God and    Goddess)
                                    And Christian.   
                   Festival: Rongker and Hachakekan are the majors.
                   From the distribution or habitation Karbis are divided into three groups:
1) Shinthong
2) Ranghang
3) Amri

Tiwa or Lalung tribe:

                   Total population: In Plane, 171000(Approx.)
                                                In hill areas, 10,000(Approx.)
        
Main festivals: 1) Bisus
                          2) Barat Utsabha
                          3)Sagra misuana
                          4) Wansua
                          5) Junbil Mela

 The Tai-Phake or Phakial Tribe:

                                 Total population: 5000 approx

                             Language: Assamese and Phake language

                             Religion: Theravada Buddhism
                             Main Festival:     1) Poi Chang Ken
                                                          2) Poi-Num-Hok
                                                          3) Poi-Nen-Chi

  Khamti Tribe: 


 

                            Total population: only about 5000
                             Religion: Buddhist
                             Main festival: 1) Poi chang Ken
                                                      2) Poi Nen Hok
                                                      3) Parboti
                                                      4) Maico Chemfai

 Sonowal Kachari:

 

                            
                             Religion: Animistic, followers of Mahapursha
                                            Sankardeva
                             Language: Assamese
                             Main festival: Three Bihus-Bohag Bihu, Kaati Bihu,
                                                      Magh Bihu.

 Dimasa Kachari:

 

                            
                             Religion: Hindusim
                             Language: Garo Dima and Assamese
                             Main festival: 1)Busu
                                                      2) Rajni and Harni Gabra

 Kuki Tribe:

 

                             Language: Kuki
                             Main festival:
    1) Aai San
                                                          2) Sen bonshan
                                                          3) Selja Ngoh
                                                          4) Sel Mei Lah

 Rengma Naga Tribe:

 

                                      Main festival:
 1)    Nyada
 2)    Pi pe
 3)    Lotsung Nga
 4)    Khong Kepang Kennyu
 Mech Tribe: 



                              Mech tribe is small schedule tribe of Assam and 
                              Mainly found in goalpara,Dibrugarh and Karbi
                             Aanglong
                             Religion: Christian and Hindu


                            



          

 

 

 

 N.B: Images are taken from Google.       



                                               
  

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Fishing Gears of assam: Mass dhora Xojuli

Fishes are important resources worldwide, especially as food. fishers hunt fish in wild fisheries or farm them in ponds or in cages in the ocean. Fish have had a role in culture through the ages. Assam is gifted with many extensive water bodies commonly known as Beels that are the only source of fish for the poor people in the surrounding villages. Beels are major fishery resources contributing to about 25 % of the fish production in Assam. Assam is bestowed with enormous Water resources covering as much as 3.65 lakh hectares of water spread areas. This constitutes about one twelfth of the Country’s Inland Water resources. Here we have listed some of the gears generally used in fishing:

                               

JAKOI: It is a pouch of bamboo matting, which is triangular in shape with a wide mouth (2 m circumference). It is made of bamboo sieves.A bamboo rod is fixed across the mouth from the middle of the base of the triangle to the vertex and is prolonged to a short handle. The fishermen plunges it into the bed of shallow water with the mouth facing him and dances on the ground driving the fish at the bottom into the pouch. Then he suddenly lifts it up in standing position. It is also pushed along the ground. The catch composition comprises mainly small fishes with surface and bottom feeders.

 

             
POLO
                           


POLO JAL: The polo jal is a bell shaped slit bamboo trap with a small opening on

the top (15 - 25 cm) and bottom (60 - 90 cm). It usually 0.6 - 0.9 m in height and is used in

shallow water for catching all kinds of fishes. The fishermen walk into the water press down the

polo in front of him and the stopping down plunges his hand through the opening at the top and

gropes in the mud for fish that are trapped.

JULUKI
                     

JULUKI: The design detail of Juluki is very much similar to that of polo with few

exceptions like the circumference of both the top and bottom opening are almost equal.mouth Rice bran bails are used to lure the fishes which facilitated easy trapping.


KHEWALI JAL
                         
KHEWALI JAL: It is a circular net having the shape of a large umbrella. A

strong cord is attached to the apex of the umbrella and a number of lead or iron weights are fixed all along the margin. The fishermen throw the net fully spread over the water, keeping the long rope in his left hand. This has to be done skillfully so that the net falls on the surface of the water fully expanded. The net sinks to the bottom and the circumference closes due to the weights attached to it. All kinds of small sized fish are entangled in the net, which is then pulled out by means of the cord.  

CHEPA
                                        

CHEPA: It is most commonly used. It is a drum shaped sieved bamboo trap, tapering

at both ends. One opening is closed by a piece of wood while the opening on the other side is

half closed by another piece of wood. There is also an opening at the side of the trap with

bamboo stripes extended inwards so that fishes get an easy entry to the trap while extended gill

like bamboo stripes prevent them from escaping. The trap is facing the opening against the

current. it is generally used to catch minor group of fishes .

                      
MUSHARI JAL
                  
              
MUSHARI JAL: It is used extensively all through the year except monsoon season. The net is made up of 2 - 5 pieces of rectangular nylon nets of mesh size 1 - 1.2 mm. Each piece of net varies 20 - 30 mm in length and 6 - 8 in breadth, tied together by nylon threads. The upper margin of the net is attached with a stout jute rope that is known as head rope likewise the lower margin with another jute rope, the ground rope or the foot rope.The net is taken into the deep portion of the beel, stretched and the bottom rope is allowed to settle. The two nets are dragged towards the shore and brought together. As the central portion of the net comes to the shore, the net is lifted to form an effective bag. Generally 8 - 14 persons are required depending upon the size of the net.

PHANSI JAL: Phansi jal are gill net of which the design detail is similar with that
of langi jal with few exceptions. It is also a rectangular net provided with head and footrops.

Unlike langi lals, the footrops is generally devoid of sinkers but is much thicker. Phansi jals are

made of light materials, i.e., nylon or cotton.

SIP BARASI: It is made up of Bijuli bamboo, which measures about 20-24
feet in length. At the top of the bamboo, a nylon rope with a hook is tied with a grasshopper
taking as bait. The nylon rope measures about 4 to 4.5 feet length.

DHAN BARASI : It is a ground line consist of a short and stout line, one end
of which is tied to a bait, while a number of finer lines, carrying baited hooks are tied at intervalsto the last yard or two of the other end. It resembles like an ear of paddy, so known as “Dhan Barasi”. It is also known as “Khuti Barasi”.