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Burha Mall Gosai Puja
This is more a worship than a celebration among the people.The origin of this festival lies in the Karbi tribes,but today,people of different communities like the Tiwa and Assamese equally participate in the festival.“A Tuesday of the sixth month of the Indian Calendar known as Bhadra considered as an auspicious month,is selected for this puja.All men participating in the festival fast for seven days which culminates in a feast on the last day of the festival,”said Pranab Deka,Secretary of the Burha Mall Gosai Puja committee.He also said that this celebration has a unique significance as it uses only the red colour from the attire of the participants to the flowers offered to God.
“It has been a tradition since the middle ages when the Dimoria king held this festival in his kingdom making offerings to the deity,which is Lord Shiva prior to the Malla Fight,which means wrestling;with a goal to achieve victory in the fight,”says Mr.Mithi,a member of the committee.He added that people also believe that the kingdom remains free of bad effects,health problems and poor cultivation. ‘Burha Mall Gosai’ is the destructive form of Lord Shiva and the crucial among the five deities worshipped by the people of Dimoria.Lord Shiva,who is considered responsible for change both in the form of death and destruction,is worshipped so that he calms down and blesses the people.“Tantric power(Black magic)is also a part of this puja and the priest does it,”Mr.Mithi added.
No female member was observed during the festival,other than just being an audience and worshipping the Lord.“Only the male members of the area perform
the customary rituals for seven days and look after all the requirements of the puja,”a member said.
The final day of the festival attracts many for its unusual rituals and ways of worshiping the Lord.After the 7-days-long fast,the members with the help of a Tantric,a practitioner of the methods described by the scriptures,arranges the rituals beneath a large Peepal Tree(Ficus religious) and performs the customary activities.A saangi(a bamboo frame or carrier)is prepared and petals of banana flowers are used to wrap certain parts of the carrier including flowers.The most important feature of this festival is the usage of the colour red from flowers to the attire worn by the performers.The Dimoria king sits in his appointed place and watches the rituals and customs.
Notably,it is also believed that the Lord himself sits on the bamboo frame prepared by the people under the tree on the final day,which is lifted up and carried to the king’s home.However,the control of the frame does not remain under the people.Nobody can predict which way the frame is carried and moves.“It is the Lord who shows the direction and the frame along with the devotees moves in that direction,”says Pradeep Bora,a villager.Getting hurt or any injury of any individual during this process signifies something unfortunate for the person,however,if one doesn’t even get a scratch despite moving along rough roads or upon thorns,that person is considered to be blessed.
There are over 220 ethnic groups inhabiting the North East region and such unique events help in keeping some mythological traditions alive.
