Occult practices, black magic and beyond: one of the many faces of Assam

The moon is almost non-existent. It is the middle of the night. A practitioner of black magic and his three women accomplices chant a heady mantra. They are dark-magic practitioners, initiated into the art of using their powers to save or to destroy through the benevolence of the one they worship. As the chanting reaches a crescendo, they begin to dance around the fire with a live goat kid hanging by the man’s teeth. Moments later, he has a chicken in his mouth, the neck of which he snaps with his teeth. He drinks the blood and the rituals go on for hours. Everyone appears to be suspended in a psychological state that is far beyond the ordinary.

Among the mystic hills, dark forests and the silent-flowing Brahmaputra, resides a piece of land, once described as “the unparallel”. And indeed it is, in rituals, religion, sacrifice and magic.

As legend has it, when Sati the wife of the Hindu God Shiva, was stewed to death by her own anger, Shiva, not being able to bear the grief, lost his senses and started the Tandava , the Dance of Destruction with the corpse of Sati on his shoulders. Destruction of the universe was inevitable. The Gods, fearing that all would be destroyed, decided that something must be done. Then Vishnu, the Preserver, cut Sati’s corpse with his smooth discus into thirty one pieces. The female genitalia, the Yoni fell on the Nilachal hill in Assam, making this hillock, a paramount centre of Shakti worship and a bold seat of tantricism. Shakti is the feminine form of Divinity and is thought to be one of the most powerful deities is Hinduism. This site holds the most revered temple of Shakti worship, the Kamakhya temple, the temple dedicated to the goddess who is the yielder of all desires, the granter of salvation.

It is said that Tantricism started in the depths of ancient Assam. It is an offshoot of the mainstream Shakti worship and is a mode of worship through obscure rituals of certain deities with the desire of attaining super-human powers. It involves casting of spells, and also, curing of ailments. A famous tantrik/ shakti festival is the Ambubachi mela held every summer at the Kamakhya temple which marks the menstrual cycle of mother earth. In the sanctum sanctorum of the temple lies a big rock-formation, representing the Yoni of the goddess a natural phenomenon takes place--- the water from perennial spring that bathes the rock becomes red, representing menstrual fluid. This marks the beginning of a four day long festival where tantriks from around the subcontinent visit. Here some people experience a trance-like state, which begins the Deudhani dance. This dance does not have any particular form, and it is said that the dancer for that period of time, attains paranormal powers. People claim that they can foretell the future.

Tantricism is an aspect of religion and the tantrics are revered enchanters, but they are not notorious. But another group of people exist who are the worshippers of the devil. Though not very commonly understood, it is a practice generally by females. Mayong is a village in Nagoan which is notorious for black magic. Once, a government employee was transferred to Mayong and was invited to a feast organized by a villager. He was served with delicious steamed pork, fish and other local delicacies. But one thing was missing, there were no chilies served. The officer requested for some from  his host. The villager smiled and clapped, and the chilies came hopping on their own!! This is a true incident, which forced the officer to ask for a transfer out. This incident is actually a mild one, for people were known to be turned into tigers and pigs by the look of an eye.

Recently, a person from the ancient town of Tezpur, went to a place called Dibrugarh, where he met a hundred and three year old man. This man is supposed to possess magical abilities. While having a chat, this man snatched away the glass of water the traveler was drinking from. He looked at it with piercing eyes, as if he was reading something extraordinarily interesting. He said knowledgeably, “There is something buried in your compound”. So as per the man’s instructions the traveler went back home and had his garden dug up. An idol of goddess Kali was found.

Culture in India or Assam is an intricate web of folklores, legends, magic and religion. For an illiterate villager in Assam, magic is a forbidden art, for a city-dweller it is a white lie. To a practitioner it is the reverberation of cosmic energy from within. Though one cannot decipher a scientific cause of certain ‘uncommon’ incidents,  the belief is sometimes so strong that there is no need for proof, no matter how irrational. There is still a lot to be explained and a lot more that sorely needs explanation, but maybe Maya or magic is one those aspects that lie beyond the penultimate exteriors of the human brain.

Rishav Thakur

Class: X Sec: A

Age: 15  School: Maria’s Public School (INDIA)

 Assam Rich Biodiversity

Assam—the  land of   rolling plains and lush green forests is the gateway to the North-East region of India. The mighty River Brahmaputra which has its source in Tibet shapes its majestic course through this state. This mysterious land of eternal blue mountains and gorgeous rivers is renowned for its tea, rich flora and fauna, the famous one horned Rhinoceros and other rare and endangered species of wildlife. Excluding Africa, there is perhaps no other place in the world where such a variety of wildlife exists.

 The orchid which is the state flower is one of the many flowers that blossom and light up Assam with its vibrant colours and sweet scent during spring. The cuckoo bird heralds the spring season. All through the cold winter months people await the musical voice of the cuckoo and rejoice when finally at the onset of spring the cuckoo arrives.

 The biodiversity of Assam makes it a biological hotspot with many rare and endemic plant and animal species. Nature enthusiasts on a visit to Assam would be enthralled to find at least four  National parks and Wild life Sanctuaries here.  The Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary is a World Heritage Site. It is home to several exotic animals such as the Indian Elephants, Bison, Swamp Deer or Barasingha, Hog Deer, Sloth Bear, Leopard Cats, the Royal Bengal Tiger, the Langurs, Holock Gibbons, Buffalo and the various reptiles not to leave out Assam’s specialty the  one-horned Rhino.

Some major birds found here are the Oriental Honey Buzzard, Black Shouldered Kite, Black Kite,  the White Tailed Eagle, the  Indian Hornbill, and the Himalayan Griffon.  A major attraction for tourists are the huge flocks of migratory ducks  that come from as far off as Siberia in the winter months to the water bodies in the park .At  Kaziranga the  conservation of the world famous Rhino, the mascot of Assam, known for its tough hide has been effective. Project Tiger had been implemented in the Manas National park. Till the militants wrought destruction, the forests of  Manas  could boast of having one of the country’s largest tiger population.

 The Jatinga Bird Sanctuary is visited by a multitude of birds every year. Thousands of tourists visit it and report of  the strange phenomenon when birds come out in droves and seem to  commit hara-kiri! On dark moonless nights at a particular time of the year the unsuspecting  birds who get attracted to the  artificial lights  swoop down and become prey to villagers who wait to trap them in the valley----- These simple folk believe that the Gods who are pleased with them have sent the birds for their pot!

As fog comes on a moonless night

When the wind blows in the direction right

Jatinga turns into an island of search lights

And birds appear like ghosts from nowhere

They approach, thinking it as daylight

Get trapped and start their freedom fight

And this is how the birds commit suicide.

 Assam is blessed with unusually rich flora. Some of them are only found in this state. Teak, Sal and other valuable timber grow in the forests. The forest have a range of tropical evergreen trees.

 We have four well defined seasons here. The hot and humid summers, the rainy Monsoons, the mild winters and the colourful Spring season. Agriculture is the main occupation of the Assamese. Assam’s tea has a good world market. The large tea plantations that dot the foothills of Assam are very picturesque indeed.

 Flowing through the heart of the State is the Brahmaputra the life line of the people. The valley is rich and fertile and most of the towns have sprung up along its banks.

 This enchanting land is truly the jewel of India.

 By--- Prantor Tamuli

 Standard--- 8

 Age-- 13 years

 School--- Maria’s Public School.

TRIBES OF ASSAM

By Jayati Das, (Age : 15 years)

Class X

Maria’s Public School

The state of Assam in India is a melting pot of diverse races that migrated and settled in her fertile river valleys and hills over the centuries. The hills of northeast India are today named after these early settlers who made it their home. Thus, the Naga Hills of modern Nagaland are inhabited by the Naga tribes, the Mikir Hills are the home of the Mikirs or Karbi people, the Garo Hills, Jayantia Hills and Khasi Hills of modern Meghalaya are named after the Garos, Jayantias and Khasis respectively.

From the South East of India came the Australoids, represented by the Khasis and Jayantias today. The Mon-Khmer language used by them is spoken by the Kols, Mundas and Nicobarese of India, and in parts of Burma and Vietnam today. These Mon-Khmer speakers gave the many geographical features, especially the rivers their names. As for instance, the name of the river Dihong is derived from the Australoid word hong, meaning water. The Tibeto-Burmans who followed them prefixed the word di (their word for water) to many of the rivers of Upper Assam, as for instance Dihong, Dibang, Dihing, Disang, Dikhow, etc.

The Tibeto-Burman speakers came from western China. They followed the Brahmaputra up to Dhubri. Some turned south and occupied the Garo Hills and Tripura. Others went up the Kapili valley into North Cachar. Others occupied the Naga Hills and became the ancestors of the different Naga tribes. A group from Myanmar settled in the Lushai (Mizo) Hills, Cachar, and parts of Manipur and the Naga Hills. The Tibeto-Burmans that had established themselves in different areas of Assam, in course of time, came to be known by various names like the Rabha, Kachari, Bodo, Tiwa, Karbi, and Dimasa.

The Ahom of the Tai or Shan group of Mongoloids entered Assam in the 13th century. They came from the Yunan province of China and the region of Maulung in Upper Myanmar. They were followed by other Shan tribes like the Khamti, Phakial, Nara and Aitongs, Khamyangs and Turungs, all occupying isolated pockets and preserving their socio-religious traditions. The modern society of Assam is a synthesis of these diverse elements that has shaped her history and culture.

                  A GROUP OF MISING DANCERS

The cultural life of the different tribes of Assam revolve around agriculture and the harvesting cycle. Thus, different festivals are celebrated to mark the advent of spring, the sowing of seeds, harvesting of grain, etc. The spring festival, generally celebrated in mid April is known by the generic name of Bihu or Bisu. The different tribes have different names for this festival that heralds the advent of spring: the Kherai Puja of the Bodos, the Baikhu and Pharkantis of the Rabhas, Ali-ai-ligang and Prag of the Missing tribe, the Sagra-misawa wansawa and laghun of the Tiwas. The Bathow festival is celebrated by the Kacharis through sacrifice of goats and chickens. The Boros of the plains in general have an intricate pattern of indigenous dances associated with the ancient rituals like the Kherai Puja. The Dimasas celebrate Rangi Gobra and Harni gobra at the start of the cropping cycle. The Deoris observe Bohagiya Bisu. Celebrations are marked by ceremonial baths, offerings to tribal deities, feasting and dancing. It is also a time of courtship and many wedding are also celebrated during this period.

              All the tribes of Assam are adept at weaving colourful fabrics on their handlooms. The different patterns of their attire, generally consisting of a mekhela and a chador, i.e. a skirt like lower garment, wrapped around the waist or chest, and an upper garment, draped over the shoulders, distinguish one tribe from another.

              The tribes practice animism and worship the elements. The great god Bathou of the Bodos is said to be the essence of panchatattva or five elements, namely earth, fire, water, wind and ether. The Bodo-Kachari people worship the siju tree, a type of cactus. Over the centuries however, many of the tribes have been assimilated into the Hindu, Buddhist or Christian fold. Yet, they continue to observe their traditional socio-religious rituals.

Traditional tribal economy was based primarily on agriculture. While most hill tribes earlier practiced slash and burn agriculture, locally known as jhum kheti, the plain tribes generally practice wet rice cultivation. They also prepare rice beer, which is traditionally offered to their deities along with the flesh of animals. Festive occasions are full of merrymaking, feasting, drinking rice beer and accompanied by dance and music. Many tribes also rear silkworm that feed on the leaves of the mulberry bush. The tribes, along with the non-tribal Assamese population weave fantasies on silk and other cotton and woolen fabrics. Nowadays, besides agriculture, weaving and animal husbandry, the tribes pursue a variety of professions as members of any other modern society.

              In spite of the influence of globalization, the tribes of Assam have succeeded in retaining their unique cultural identity and distinctive ethnic traits over the centuries.

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