Bodo culture

The Bodo culture, the culture of the Bodo people in Assam is influenced by the land and the surroundings where they currently live. For long, Bodos are known as farmers, agriculturist community with a strong tradition of fishery, poultry, piggery, rice and jute cultivation, and betel nut plantation. Bodos also cultivate mustered and corns. Bodos also make their own clothing from starting from scratch, such as traditional attire. In recent decades, Bodos are influenced by recent social reforms under Brahma Dharma, Assamese Sarania, Islam and the spread of Christianity. The attitudes are deep independence and pride in the Bodo identity giving rise to political assertions in recent times. The Bodo linguistic ethnic group arrived the earliest and settled in the region, and have contributed to the cultural traditions of the Assamese and others in the north east region of India.

Music and dance

The Bagurumba

The Bodos traditionally dance the Bagurumba.It is practised and performed usually by young girls from boro villages and also evident in schools and colleges dominated by boro community. This dance is accompanied by the Bagurumba song which goes like this

"Bagurumba, Hai Bagurumba"
"Bagurumba, Hai aio Bagurumba"
"jat nonga bwla khun nonga bwla"
"thab brum homnanwi bamnanwi lagwmwn kha"
"hwi lwgw lagwmwn kha..."

Musical instruments

Among the many different musical instruments, the Bodos use:

Siphung: This is a long bamboo flute having seven holes rather than six as the north Indian Bansuri would have and is also much longer than it, producing a much lower tone.

Serja:This is a violin-like instrument. It has a round body and the scroll is bent forward.

Tharkha:It is a block of bamboo split into two halves for clapping.

kham :It is a long drum made of wood and skin of goat.

Khawang:It is a pair of round metallic plate, hangs to each other by a rope, smaller version of that being used in namghar. It plays... "ting tak tak badamali aayo, nwng angni jiuni juli...."

Cuisines

Oma Bedor: Most Bodo people like Oma (Pork) bedor (meat). Boros prepare pork meat with different flavors and style. It could be fried, roasted, and stewed. The first type is pan fried. The second flavor is made by roasting (or smoking) the meat in the sun for several days. The third one called "oma khaji" is cooked by mixing blood and meat, - it tastes very rich in fat.

Napham:Napham is a unique dish from Bodo cuisine. It is made by grinding smoked fish, specific leafy vegetables, ground powder, and the mixture is allowed to age in a sealed bamboo cylinder. Thereafter, aged napham could be fried or used as is, - it tastes like pate made out of Chinese dried fish.

Onla: Onla is a gravy made from rice powder and slices of bamboo shoots cooked lightly with khardwi and spices. Chicken or pork can be added to onla.

Ju Mai: Rice wine is produced by the bodos mainly during the festivals like bwisagu and domasi. Jumai could be of two types, (A) gishi (wet) and (B) gwran(dry). (A) Gishi is brewed by fermentation of rice, when a piece of plum is added to the gishi mixture during fermentation, the product taste like plum wine! (B) Gwran is produced by distillation of the gishi, - it tastes like Japanese sake. The Bodos examine the strength of the wine by throwing a cup into the fire. A flash of fire indicates strong wine.

Narzi:A bitter gravy that is made from dried jute leaves. Pork or fresh water fish can be cooked together to generate distinct taste. Narzi gravy tastes like Japanese sea weed soup!

Serep:Alcoholic beverage traditionally produced by boro women by distillation of pro-rice wine product. It is even more stronger than foreign liquors. Consumed on all occasions by alcoholics. Sudempuri used to be one of the major places of its production and consumption.