Gostolor Bihu, the Spring Festival of Morans

Gradually I fall in love with Kakopather, a pristine village in the eastern most part of Assam. Its beauty is overshadowed by the narrative of armed conflict and violence. After two years of happy marriag to Himu as well coming back from my 5 years nomadic life at Delhi,I joined at a provincialized school as a PGT here at Kakopather.It takes time to adjust here after 5 years stay in a metro city as I left there my friends,my attitudes, my professionalism, my favourite book markets, the art galleries and the intellectual aura that Delhi offers me.

 Having carried the burden of raising two kids, somewhere I lost my travelling spirit and myself. Most of the times my anger precedes my thoughts and works. After two years of my son's birth, now and then I visited some nearby places of Arunachal sometimes with my colleagues and freinds and sometimes with relatives.Within three years I explored Tengapani, Roing, Tezu, Kamlang, Dambuk, Pashighat,etc. All these are beautiful places of Arunachal offer lots of scenic sights of rivers, hills, fruit and vegetables orchard, mainly orange orchard, tribal cuisine, handicrafts, etc. 

 Last year I planned to explore the villages of Moran ethnic groups in the spring festival time. One of our students, Ritumoni invited us to enjoy their gas talar bihu, a bihu dance and music form quite different from the mainstream Assamese Rongali bihu dance. The vibes of Bihu is in the air. Girls gathered at the courtyard of the Naamghar wearing a beautiful Kalia riha having some animal motifs (kalia riha is handwoven at traditional handloom), kopoo phool in the bun and wearing some traditional jewelries. Their red bindies in their forehead shine like the red Sun. They are looking like some colourful butterflies. Seeking blessings from the head of the Naamghar,the girls dance to the tune of their clappings, Taka (instrument made from bamboo), Saksoni mari(bamboo stick) given by the young men. Melodies of folk song are looming in the air. In the Naamghar Gayan Baiyan is performed by the Bhakats. Two separate environments are created at the same time, one is romantic and funfilled and the other is spiritual. Young men join the girls singing some Jora naams expressing their secret love for each other.

  The girls sing ---- "Kune ani dibo jhime boretenga / Kune ani diba jara/Kune ani diba chenaire botora Bodousa rajare para. (Who will bring citrus fruits like pomelos to me? Who will bring the message of my dear love from king Bodousa?

 The boys sing---" Barire dhapare gose boretenga/ Ani dim mongar jhim/ Bodousa rajaloi guniba nalage/ Saite moi tuke oi nim. (Pomelos are there in my own orchard, I will bring some other citrus fruits from the place called Mohong, Don't wait for the King Bodousa. Oh! my dear love, I swear in the name of God that I will marry you.) 

 They are the girls of Moran ethnic groups, a mongoloid tribe that came to Assam before Sukapha, the founder of Ahom dynasty in Assam. Morans are mostly scattered in the upper Assam. Bravely renowned for their elephant catching skills and nature loving qualities, Morans are an agrarian ethnic community. Still they live in the lap of nature,though modern lifestyle touches them. One of their main spring festivals is gas talar bihu performed under a big fruit bearing trees rooted to cultivation and nature worshiping cult. Undoubtedly by celebrating this festival with dance and music they retain their pure spirit of joy and fun. Unlike the mainstream Rongali bihu, Moran bihu is characterised by its pure nature, elements and performance. However, it is true the Rongali bihu, the national festival of Assam has developed into a full form inheriting the various elements of bihu celebrated by various tribes of Assam. 

 We headed towards the Naamghar, a community worship centre established first by the 14th century Vaishanava saint Sankerdeva The morans are earlier Saktas, later converted to Vaishnavism by Guru Aniruddha, a disciple of Sankerdeva. 

It was the occasion of the Bihu Urua Festival at Tejipathar village, located far from the cacophonies of the modern world. I feel we penetrated into a virgin place where people still wait for the sun to start their daily acitivities. 

We explored the bihu dance and music. At one side the girls were singing and dancing and on the another side the husari was performed. At the Naamghar gayan bayan were performed. A mixed feeling of romantic and spiritual made this event an special one. 

Then we moved to Ritumoni's home and we had lunch there. Ritumoni's mother served us some mouth-watering dishes such as chicken curry, fish fry, pumpkin sabji with salads. Ritumoni gifted us gamoshas, the Bihuwan of Assamese people woven on traditional handlooms which receives a GI tag(Geographical Indication Tag) from the central government.

The day and its experience filled our heart and mind.