Social and Religious Institutions of Boros A Philosophical Study

Abstract

This book is the result of the research study carried out by the author. The main objective of the study is to find out the social and religious institutions of the Boros of Brahmaputra valley. The Boros are the largest tribe in the state of Assam. The Boros in Brahmaputra valley of Assam, intermixed now with the Assamese people, have still preserved their language and traditional socio religious beliefs and practices at some levels. Like all other tribal groups, the Boros also have their traditional religion based on the belief in a number of spirits, benevolent and malevolent. Presently, there has been a tendency among all Boros to revive their traditional culture. In the Indian situation religion plays a pivotal role in building up and maintaining identity. The book is divided into five chapters. Chapter I deals with the Boros concept of God. The ethics of the Boros is discussed in the Chapter II. The image of man as presented in the religious tradition of the Boros is described in Chapter III. It also deals with the structure of Boro society and its evolution and progress. Rites, rituals and festivals are the ways of life of any society. Ancestral rites, rites of passage, agricultural rites of Boros are described in Chapter IV. It also deals with the festivals of Boros, Baisagu, Domasi, Putulihaba are the ways of enjoyment celebrated annually on specific dates. Kherai puja is the worship of Bathou to get more products from agriculture while Garja puja is performed by traditional Bonros for the welfare of the villagers. Jauconsumption, the way of enjoyment that Boros love to have almost in all Festivals and on certain occasions is also explained in this chapter. An elaborate study has been made on Boro religion in Chapter V on the basis of different literature and folksongs. In the concluding survey, an attempt is made to assess the role of traditional religion in the life of modern Boros.