Dimasa people
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The Dimasa Kacharis are a tribe mostly inhabiting the northern half of the North Cachar Hills, an administrative district in the state of Assam in India, including the ravines of the Jatinga valley and the adjoining land. The Dimasa have a tendency to build their houses on hill slopes with a river or streamlet flowing nearby. A dwelling is built on a plinth of earth, in two rows facing each other with a sufficiently wide gap in between.
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[edit] Religion
The Dimasas believe in the existence of a supreme being Madai, under whom there are several Madais including family deities and evil spirits. The religious practices of the Dimasas are reflected in their Daikho system. A Daikho has a presiding deity with a definite territorial jurisdiction and a distinct group of followers known as Khel. Every Dimasa Kachari family worships its ancestral deity once a year before sowing the next rice paddy. It is known as Madai Khilimba. This is done for the general welfare of the family, and Misengba is done for the good of the whole community.
The Dimasas cremate their dead. The dead body is washed and dressed in fresh clothes. The corpse is then placed inside the house on a mat for relatives and well-wishers of the family to pay their last respects. In the meanwhile the cremation pyre will be prepared at the cremation grounds which is usually situated by the side of a river or stream. The widow does not tie her hair until cremation.
[edit] Society
An important institution of the village is Hangsao. It is an association of unmarried boys and girls of the village. It is organized for the purpose of working together in cultivation and lasts only for one year. Throughout the year, the members of the Hangsao work together in the Jhums cutivating by rotation an area of land at every member’s field.
[edit] Culture
Music and dance play an important role in the day-to-day life of the Dimasa Kacharis. They sing and dance expressing their joy in the youth common houses (‘Nadrang’) or at the courtyard of the ‘Gajaibaou’s house in popular common festivals like Bushu or Hangsao – manauba. The female owner of the house, where the Bushu festival is held, is called ‘Gajaibaou’.
By using their traditional musical instruments like Muri, Muri-wathisa, Supin Khram, Khramdubung, they present their traditional dances named – Baidima, Jaubani, Jaupinbani, Rennginbani, Baichargi, Kunlubani, Daislelaibani, Kamauthaikim Kaubani, Nanabairibani, Baururnjla, Kailaibani, Homaudaobani, Rongjaobani, Dausipamaikabani, Daudngjang, Nowaijang, Dailaibani, Narimbani, Rogidaw bihimaiyadaw, Maijaobani, Maisubanai, Richibbani, Michai bonthai jibnai, Homojing ladaibani, Berma charao paibani, Mangusha bondaibani, Madaikalimbani etc.
[edit] Dress
The males put on the traditional dresses like richa, rikaosa, paguri rimchau and rimchaoramai to perform the folk dances. The females put on Rigu, rijamfini, rijamfinaberen, rikaucha, rikhra, jingsudu etc. and wear ornaments like Kaudima, Khadu, Kamautai, Longbar, Panlaubar. Chandraral, Rongbarcha, Enggrasa, Jongsama, Ligjao, Jingbri, Yausidam etc.
[edit] Dances
The dance forms of the Dimasa Kacharis are complex in character. They are strictly dependent on instrumental music. No songs are used. Khram (drum) follows the rhythm of the Muri (fife) and so also the dancers. Though one may find the music from Muri to be monotonous, there are variations with noticeable microtones for different dance forms. That is why young men practice dancing at Nadrang during leisure hours and the village children follow the rhythm and stepping at a distance from an early age.
