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BUSHU : The Bushu is
basically a post harvest festival
and usually falls in the month of
January every year after the hard
earned grains of paddy are
harvested, thrashed and stored in
the granaries. Although the exact
date and place of the festival is
not generally fixed, people see to
it that it is celebrated when there
is moonlight in the nights because
it is believed to be auspicious.
Recently, the people have decided to
celebrate the festival in the last
week of January.
The other festival Baisagn, is
celebrated in the second week of
April coinciding with the new year's
day of the Hindu Calendar. The mode
of celebration of these two
festivals being basically similar,
the soul of these festivals is
feasting and merrymaking with
social-cultural activities.
Bushu is celebrated either village
wise or with sometimes a number of
villages in contiguous areas
together organize the festival. This
promotes better unity and
understanding amongst the people of
all ages and social status./ the
food items of the festival include
rice, mutton, chicken. Pork, buffalo
meat and rice beer. The killing of
these animals is known as "Meesthaiba”
which involves ritualistic
performances before the animals are
actually killed. Thereafter, the
Village priest prays on behalf on
the people and places an offering of
cooked rice and meat in the name of
“Sibarai”, the creator. This
offering is known as “meedo-Karba”.
This is followed by feasting and
merrymaking through songs and dances
in which people of all ages and sex
participate. Traditional sports
called “Rimin-nehlaiba” (consisting
of two opponents trying to push each
other holding a wooden bar by hands
below the armpit) and
“Longthai-suguba” (lifting of heavy
stones) etc are played. Also
competitions on cultural dances,
folk songs, folk tales etc. are held
during the festival. The dancing
group also performs in honour of the
village chief or any invited guest
which is known as “Bai-Sengba”. The
honoured guest offers some present
to the “Bai-Sengba”. The honoured
guests offer some present to the
group as a gesture of
acknowledgement of the honour.
Bushu is of three types :
1. Hangsho – Which lasts for 7 days
and 7 nights.
2. Surem – Lasts for 3 days and 3
nights.
3. Jidep Jiba – Lasts for 1 day and
1 night.
Among these the last one is
generally observed in every village.
The origin of this festival dates
back to the days of the yore. From
time immemorial each Dimasa village
had a youth dormitory called “Nohdrung”.
All the male adults, particularly
the youth lived in the dormitory and
guarded the village from thieves,
enemy raids etc. besides, this
served as the learning centre of
handicrafts, music, dance and other
forms of art. It was from this rural
institution that gave rise to the
idea of holding an annual feast
after the paddy grains are harvested
and stored. In the later years all
the villages began to give religious
importance to the feast thus it
became an important festival of the
people. Till today this festival is
celebrated with pomp and grandeur by
the Dimasa Kacharis. |