बर' Bodo
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The Bodo (also Boro; both pronounced [boːɽoː]) is one of the largest indigenous groups of Assam in North East India. The total population is estimated to be 1.4 million. They are a part of the greater Bodo-Kachari family of ethnolinguistic groups and are spread across North East India. They are also known as ‘Mech’ or 'Meche' in West Bengal state of India and in Nepal. They are concentrated mainly in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR, the territorial council constituted with four major districts of Assam), though they inhabit in all other districts of Assam. The Bodo people are recognised as a plains tribe in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and have special powers in the Bodoland Territorial Region.
The Bodo are officially identified as "Bodo, Bodo-Kachari" scheduled tribe under the constitution of India. They speak the Bodo language, a Bodo-Garo language of the Tibeto-Burman family, which is recognised as one of twenty-two scheduled languages in the Indian Constitution. The Bodo along with other cognate groups of Bodo-Kachari peoples are prehistoric settlers who are believed to have migrated at least 3000 years ago. The Bodo-Kachari were also some of the first people to rear silkworms and produce silk material and were considered to be advanced in rice cultivation in Assam during this time period.
Traditionally, they practise Bathouism, which is the worshiping of supreme God, known as Bwrai Bathou. They also worship deities like Mainao, Mairong, Aileng, Agrang, etc. The shijou tree (in the genus Euphorbia) is taken as the symbol of Bathouism and worshipped. In the Bodo language, ‘Ba’ means ‘five’ and ‘thou’ means ‘deep’. Since Bodos believe in the five mighty elements of God – land, water, air, fire, and ether – the number five has become significant in the Bathou or Bodo culture, which is similar to the five elements of other Asian religions.
बर’ हारिया सा-सानजा भारतनि गिदिरसिन थागिबि सुबुंफोरनि गेजेराव मोनसे हारि। बर’फोरनि सुबुं अनजिमाया गासै 14 लाखनि खाथि खालायाव दं। बिसोरो गेदेमा बर’-कछारि माहारिहानजानि आरो बे माहारिया गासै भारतनि सा-सानजा ओनसोलफोरावनो गोसारना दंजोबो। भारत हादरनि सोनाब बंग’ रायजोआव आरो नेपाल हादोराव बिसोरखौ ‘मेछ’ बुंनाय जायो।
बर’फोरखौ सोरखारि बिथिंनिफ्राय भारतनि संबिजित बायदियै सिडिउल्ड ट्राइब ‘बर’- बर’-कछारि’ होन्नानै बिमुं होनाय जादों। बर’ रावा टिबेट’-बारमिस राव फोलेरनि बर’-गार' राव हानजानि आरो बियो भारतनि मोन 22 गनायजानाय रावफोरनि गेजेराव मोनसे। बर’फोरखौ भारत संबिजितनि ड’थि फारियाव थानाय हायेनारि ट्राइब होन्ना मोनथिनाय जायो। बर’फोरनो भारत सोरखारा बड’लेन्ड टेरिटरियेल रिजियन एबा ओनसोलखौ लानानै गावखुंथाय मोनसे होनाय जादों।
बर’फोरा गुबैयै बाथौ दोहोरोम सिबिग्रा।आनान गसाइ अबंलावरि बोराय बाथौखौ मिरुआव दोनना फोथायारिफ्रा गुबुन गुबुनै जेरै- सि-बोराय, सि-बुरै,देबा-बोराय,देबि-बुरै, आइलें, आग्रां, माइनावआरो गोबांमोदाइ-मोदाइजोफोरखौ आर’जआव रायखाङो आरो फुजियो। फांसे गोथां सिजौ बिफांखौ बोराय बाथौनि सिन महरै गायना बिनि सेराव आलारि बाथि, धुप-धुना सावना, बिबार बाउना इसोरखौ सुंग्रिहरो आरो खुलुमो।
“बाथौ”नि ओंथिखौ सानसुमैफ्रा बेखेवना होदों – “बा” एबा मोनबा आरो “थौ” एबा “गोथौ”। थामहिनबा मोनबा गौथौ सानथौ जाय सान, अख्रां, बार,दै आरो हाखौ फोरमायदों आरो जायजों इसोरा बे मिथिंगा एबा बुहुमखौ सोरजिदों। बिनिखाय बे दोहोरोमाव सुबुंफोरनि संसार जानाय, फोरबो फालिनाय आरो बाइदि बादि बिथिङाव मोनबानि गोहोम नुनो मोननाय जायो। बाथौ दोहोरोमनि बे फोथायथिजों गुबुन सनातन दोहोरोमनि “पन्च तत्व”जों मोनसे खाथि सोमोन्दो एबा गोरोबनाय नुनो मोनो।
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