Koch Rajbongshi people

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Koch Rajbongshi community can be found in entire parts of Present Assam, West Bengal, kishanganj in Bihar, Nepal, Meghalaya, Bangladesh. Koch Rajbongshi community is one of the primitive community of the Koch Rajbongshi Kingdom being ruled by the Koch Rajbongshi Kings like King Nara Narayan, King Chilaray. The Koch Rajbongshi Kingdom is being merged with present Assam, most of the parts of the North Bengal, Parts of Nepal and Bangladesh.

People some time misunderstand and take Koch Rajbongshi as Assamese in Assam and Bengali as in West Bengal because as Koch Rajbongshis are shy by nature, they do not disclose their ancient language in public and their traditional worship patter towards nature is a very private affair, thereby the pattern of worship is not exposed to the public or researcher and scholar in most oftentimes with special request may be it is possible to observe such event, which is a rare golden opportunity to watch the traditional worship, they generally do not allow to do video recording or photography of such events, they believe that nature may get offended by the act.

This behavior of Koch Rajbongshi tribe is because of their shyness but it has also a negative effect because the world is unknown about their language and Tribal culture, only the Koch Rajbongshi have the knowledge about it and they do not share it with the rest of the world. It is personal and sacred communion which they share within their brotherhood.

Habitation

The homelands of Koch Rajbongshi people comprises their ancient Kingdom, Kamatapur, Kochrajbongshi Kingdom, Kamarupa Kingdom they inhabit in entire Assam, Total Parts of the present West Bengal, Nepal and Bangladesh. They are the majority in Assam and while comparing the North Bengal, Koch Rajbongshi community have majority of the population. Koch Rajbongshi people stay very close to nature. It is a Tradition for Koch Rajbonshi Men to go Hunting in the wild, they usually go in a Group for Hunting.

They bring the "Prey" from the wild and share the meat in a Banana Leaf as per the requirement of each family. Usually every Koch Rajbonshi House has a Mango Tree, a Jackfruit tree and a Small Kitchen Garden, with a small Pond where they keep fish. If "Prey" survives in hunting or during hunting they treat them in their house and keep that as a Pet in their house.

Koch Rajbonshi people have their ancient tradition of Treatment which is not very well known to the modern medicine world, the significant medicine that they use is not known to even Ayurveda Medicine Scientists.

The tradition of these medicine is passed orally from one generation to another and not shared to the foreign element, because it is prohibited during the education process from the ancestor, the knowledge can be only given from one generation to another within the community .[1]

Language

They speak Rajbongshi language. It is also known as desi bhasa, or bhuwia language, in Goalpara they call it goalparia bhasa, Goalpara is a part of Assam, and it was once ruled by Koch Rajbongshi kings. Rajbongshi community prefer to speak in their own language, although it is not being included in the eight scheduled of the Indian constitution, but it is widely being spoken by the majority of the people of Assam, part of North Bengal, Nepal, Bihar certain parts of entire north east India and Bangladesh. It is one of the sweetest language and every word carries a rhythm and sweetness and meaning.

They do not speak their language in public because of the shyness of this community however they speak among themselves and within the community. Due to geographical isolation of this community they intend to remain within their geographical area, they prefer not to share their primitive customs and traditions with foreign element and they want to keep it sacred. They believe in sacred hood where by foreign elements does not have access to observe the rituals and customs being practiced from ancient times.
The Kochrajbongshi Royal family have been very instrumental in developing their culture, music and folk songs, Princess Pratima Barua daughter of Maharaja Kumar Prakitesh Chandra Barua, King of Gauripur (undivided Goalpara) had dedicated her life for the folk song which is popularly known as Goalparia lokogeet in Asssam.
Where are you going? (Kochrajbongshi Translation): Kuti jais te
Kochrajbongshis' were the descendents of royal family
(Kochrajbongshi Translation): Kochrajbongshi gila rajar bongsho

Culture

Koch Rajbongshi Traditional Costume

Koch Rajbongshi wear their own traditional dress whereby they wear it in their traditional events, community events and also in general day to day life. Women and Men of Koch Rajbongshi have sets of traditional dress and jewellery. Patani being wore by the women of this community and men wear gamsha/dhoti and a yellow color piece of cloth surrounded in the neck for men, They wear this yellow color cloth in their neck as a mark of respect for nature, elderly people also have a tradition to wear a turban or a lengthy cloth wrapped in their head.

Women wear patani from the chest till below the knee but it does not touch the ankle, the cloth stays above ground of around 6 cms, the reason for wearing Patani not till the ground level or till the ankle because they believe that water is a sacred as it is a part of the nature so while crossing lake or river the cloth should not touch the water, it is a mark of respect to the nature and they believe that if cloth touch the water the purification of the water goes away and thus how they can not use it in their traditional ritual practice of worshiping nature, In-fact the men wear (gamasha(5th long ) /Naucha ( 9 ft Long)), This Naucha or Gamasha they wear from the waist till the knee, it never touches the ankle because they believe that water is sacred as it is a part of the nature so while crossing lake or river the cloth should not touch the water, it is a mark of respect to nature and they believe that if cloth touch the water the purification of the water goes away and thus how they can not use it in their traditional ritual practice of worshiping nature.

They wear a kind of Turban, in their head it is a long length cloth wrapped in the head of the elderly men or significant person in the community to symbolist or high priest, in modern days people can wear the turban who have comparatively higher status and respect in the society.

Koch Rajbongshi women get up early in the morning and clean the house with a broom made up of bamboo. Then they give water and food to all the animals first, then they take their breakfast. When they eat, if they have pets like a Dog or a Cat they also eat along with them the same breakfast,  it is a ritual and tradition. Keeping a Parrot as a pet is a Tradition of Koch Rajbonshi (reason is still not known). Whenever Koch Rajbongshi people go for hunting they take the permission from the elder and from the nature to allow them to go for Hunting, it is a tradition of Koch Rajbongshi not to kill any animal for pleasure but only for consumption purpose they do hunting, during spring they don’t go for hunting because this is the time an animal gives birth, so they don’t kill animals this time, for managing springtime they dry meat before in advance, and they also keep fermented fish in their house to manage this time period. Koch Rajbongshi People do not eat all kinds of animal. Some of them they consider as bad for their community if they kill (for e.g. Crow) They don’t kill DOVE or even they don’t keep as pet in the house but if a dove comes and makes a nest, it is considered as good LUCK for the community and for the family, Seeing a Peacock is considered as Good Luck during Hunting, Koch Rajbongshi People do not Kill or eat Peacock, but they do catch Peacock for feathers for medicinal use but they release the peacock later on after getting the one or two feather. Koch Rajbongshi People make fans out of coconut tree leaves, TAL plant leaves, and they also make fans out of Bamboo, Koch Rajbongshi peoples Kitchens are made of Mud, reason is still unknown.

Traditional Medicinal Practices by Koch Rajbongshi Tribe

Koch Rajbongshi Tribe use leaves of Mari Gold for different purpose of healing and bodily injury. Every house will have Marigold plant which is considered as a medicinal Plant for Cough and Cold Koch Rajbongshi Tribe use Tulsi Leaves, Ginger, Baska Pata (Rajbongshi word), Black Pepper to cure cough and Cold, For Dengu fever Koch Rajbonsghi People takes small Chicken with Ginger, Black Pepper, Garlic and Turmeric, onion, they make a paste of all these herbs in a Stone and Put it in a Bamboo with Banana Leaves and put it in fire. They do body message for their children and old people with spring water, morning dew from the plant leave and warm oil which is mixed with ginger.

Observations say that this Koch Rajbonshi have very advanced science in Traditional Healing which modern medicine yet to establish.

Empirical evidence is that this community have special treatment for rematik arthritis, which modern medicine yet have not discovered.

Traditional Food

Usually they cook in a Bamboo along with Banana Leaves by putting it in fire Koch Rajbongshi people Burn Brinjal and potato in fire directly and roast it and make a paste with hand and eat. Koch Rajbgonshi people burn fish and eat. They never wash the food item that is been burned for eating purpose, because they belive that mother nature will get offended if they wash and eat. They don’t use any utensils for eating, rather they use Banana plants Body part as a Plate And Banana Leaves as a wrapper to keep the food warm. They use Bamboo Plant as a Vessel for Cooking ( For e.g. Bash Pitha) They Wrap a special kind of Rice (borni Chawel)  in a Banana Leaf  and tie with banana plant thread (which they make out of banana Plant leaves) and Put it in a mud vessel where water is poured and fire is given from down side for boiling ( for e.g. Topla Bhat) they use bamboo plant as a Drinking Glass for drinking water. They used matured bottle Guard shell as an vessel to keep dry food. Koch Rajbongshi People use dry food a lot, they dry in the sun, cabbage, cauliflower, onion to use in the off season. Koch Rajbonsghi people dry meat and keep it and use it whenever there is no meat in the family to eat. They also put Raw Fish in a Bamboo and ferment it and use it when ever there is no fish. Koch Rajbongshi people use a special wooden block to make the paddy into rice. Koch Rajbongshi people use a special stone to make paste for their herbal medicine. Every food Koch Rajbongshi people take have a significance for medicinal use. Koch Rajbongshi people thank nature for providing food before they eat, they sprinkle water around the Banana Plate before and after eating. Koch Rajbongshi people either eat in a community or along with Family but nobody gets up from the eating place until and unless everybody finishes eating.

Koch Rajbonshi people use shell of Coconut, dry matured shell of bottle guard as a Ladle.

Tradition

Rajbongshi have their own tradition and culture, they celebrate the rajbongshi new year with their traditional culture, It have its own food habit and tradition, Rajbongshi respect elders and follow a rich cultured life, rajbongshi prefer to eat traditional food in their home and they welcome their guest with bittle nut and bittle leaves.

Dialects

The main dialects are Western Rajbanshi, Central Rajbanshi, Eastern Rajbanshi and the dialect of the Rajbanshi of the hills, also known as Kamta or Rajbanshi.

Daily Hygiene

Koch Rajbonshi people have had been using the olive branch of Mango trees and olive branch of bamboo tree for oral Hygiene. In the modern era in civilized society, people use a tooth brush but still it been observed from years together the Koch Rajbonshi people of North East India and West Bengal still had been following the same rich cultural traditional Practice of Herbal method. For daily Tongue cleaning they use a thin layer of Bamboo piece, which can easily be bent. It is also seen that Tribal People across the globe follow similar tradition for oral hygienic practices in their day to day. Life same as Koch Rajbonshi ethnic tribe of India. Koch Rajbonshi take baths in a community in nearby lake and they use Ritah for cleaning their Hair and for cleaning their costumes, they use stone and sand to rub their body, they use riverside clay on their body as a paste and dry it in the sun then they wash it. Ladies also use to rub turmeric pieces in their skin specially before marriage and before giving birth to a child. It is also been observed that Koch Rajbonshi boys do push ups in small lake during the time of taking bath as an exercise in the water ( reason is not yet discovered, a special research can be conducted for this purpose).

Religion and beliefs

Primarily Koch Rajbongshi are primitively animist and they worship nature. Even though they are animist but it was seen that in official documentation they do not have any place to mention animist as their religion because of limited option offered by the countries legal book, thereby in the due course of time the term animist as their religious beliefs is being quoted as the most nearest practice and tradition but it cause a great declination of a rich ancient practice of theology and thereby the world heritage have significantly lost the term animist from the tribe koch rajbongshi, however it is being observed keenly the practice of the spiritual world of the koch rajbongshi tribe is actually animist by nature, it is a matter of question of ethics, how an ancient practice is being erased from the history because of lack of availability of legal option to demonstrate in black and white in legal documents, official work and other significant events of life like marriage, court proceeding and so on, thereby though Koch rajbongshi tribe practice animism but legally they are left with choice by law not to mention their real practice but rather the mentioned option given to them to write as their religious practice. They worship Bamboo plant, earth, sun, moon, stone and nature. The different festivals they celebrate is based on agriculture. Women play a significant role in performing all the festivals. Folklore consists of legends, oral history, music, customs, etc., and these are the traditions of a culture. Different societies have different types of customs and beliefs that differentiate them from others. Koch Rajbongshis are an indigenous tribe, it has a distinctive culture, shyness with the public at large, geographical isolation and social and economic backwardness. Koch Rajbongshi are an ethnic group living in India from 12th century. Koch Rajbongshis are the one of the most primitive and they are the original inhabitants of so-called present geography of India, however the part which is so called India as of now, the Kamata dynasty came to merge with India after the independence of India, the Kamata Kingdom were never ruled by British and it was an independent state but British has used the capital of the kingdom (Cooch Behar or Koch Behar) as a business strategic point, for Britishers, India was a SBU - Strategic Business Unit.

Before the merger with India the Koch rajbongshi dynasty, It includes most of the parts of Assam, Entire parts of North Bengal, some parts of present Bihar, Bangladesh, Nepal. Once Koch Rajbongshi Kingdom ruled entire North Eastern States of India.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.wbnorthbengaldev.gov.in/HtmlPage/rajbongshi.aspx

External links

Scheduled Castes in West Bengal
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