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Tradition >> Bodos
Bodo
Classification
and related languages
Bodo
language, a branch of the Tibeto-Burman family of language is a
rich language. It is a major language of the Bodo group under the
Assam-Burmese group of language. It shares some common features
in respect of vocabulary, phonology, morphology and syntax with
other
sister languages of the Bodo group.
It
is closely related to the Dimasa language of Assam and the Garo
language of Meghalaya. It is also a very closely related language
of Kokborok language spoken in Tripura.
Origin
The
Bodos in features and general appearance they approximately very
closely to the Mongolian type, and this would seem to point to Tibet
and china as original home of the race.
History
In the aftermath of socio-political awakening and movement
launched by the Bodo organizations since 1913, the language was
introduced as the medium of instruction (1963) in the primary schools
in Bodo dominated areas. Currently, the Bodo language serves as
a medium of instruction up to the secondary level and an associated
official language in the state of Assam. The language has attained
a position of pride with the opening of the Post-Graduate course
in Bodo language and literature in the University of Guwahati in
1996. The Bodo language has to its credit large number of books
on poetry, drama, short story, novel, biography, travelogue, children's
literature and literary criticism.
Socio
economic life
Religion
The Bodos traditionally are Hindu by religion. But there is a sizeable
are Christians also. A large numbers of Bodors are also followers
of Brahmos also.
Dress
The
Bodo woman wear Dokhona, Pharle, Rege, and Regang and man wear Gamcha.
Food
habits
They basically have rice. Their food habits are mostly like main
stream Assamese people. They have rice beer which they offer in
pujas also.
Marriage
The Bodos have as many as six different types of marriages. These
are Sangnanoi lainai haba,(marriage according to standard
practice), Gorjia Lakhani haba, khasonai haba, donkhar langnai haba,
Dongkha Habnai Haba.
Festivals
The Bodos observe several major and minor festivals and ceremonies.
Such as Religious, Seasonal and Agricultural. In fact all the major
festivals are closely connected with agriculture. Kherai puja and
Garja puja are the major among the religious festivals and Baisagu
is the main seasonal festival.
Death
They burn the dead body in a pyre. On the eleventh or thirteenth
day of the death of the person the Shraddha ceremony is held.
Script
The language is officially written using the Devanagari script,although
it also has a long history of using the Roman script. Some researchers
have suggested that the language originally used a now-lost script
called Deodhai.
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