Culture and Tradition

Festivals

Bohagiyo Bishu (Bohagiya Bisu)

Celebrated in mid-April, this spring festival marks the Assamese New Year and the beginning of the Bohag month. The Deori people celebrate it with cultural performances, traditional sports, and community feasts. The festival also includes singing, dancing, and various rituals to welcome the new year.

Magiyo Bishu (Maghi Bisu) Celebrated in January, this festival signifies the end of the harvesting season. The celebrations include rituals to thank the gods for a good harvest, community feasting, and traditional dances. It is a time for the Deori people to come together and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Puhila Celebrated in the month of Puh (December-January), this festival is less prominent than Bohagiyo and Magiyo Bishu but still holds cultural importance. The celebrations typically include smaller community gatherings, traditional songs and dances, and rituals to mark the end of the winter season.

Ebaku Bisu

Celebrated in October, this festival involves various rituals and cultural activities that reflect the rich heritage of the Deori community. The Deori people engage in traditional dances, music, and community feasting. Rituals are performed to seek blessings for health and prosperity.

Dance

Surai Rangali Dance

The Surāi Rāngali dance is a complex performance that requires significant rehearsal to master. Due to its complexity, young boys often find it challenging to participate. In this dance, both boys and girls form a circle and move rhythmically to the sounds of drums, cymbals, and buffalo horns. The performance begins with two or three girls starting a song, after which the others join in, dancing to the beat of the drum. The songs typically narrate stories that depict social life, providing a rich cultural context to the dance.

Chinpai Dance or Chilan Dance

In the Chinpai Dance, also known as the Chilan Dance, one girl initiates a song and the others join in by clapping their hands while dancing. The themes of the songs often revolve around old heritage and past events, celebrating historical and cultural narratives. As they dance, the participants make a rhythmic sound with their feet on the ground, adding an auditory dimension to the performance that complements the singing and clapping.

Lohari Dance

The Lohari dance involves young boys and girls forming a circle, holding each other's hands, and dancing to the tune of a song. This dance emphasizes unity and coordination, as the participants move together in harmony. The simplicity of holding hands and moving in unison makes it a dance that highlights communal bonding and collective joy.

Neula Dance

The Neula dance is distinctive and somewhat exclusive, involving only young boys and girls who mimic the movements of a "Neol" (Ichneumon). Participants keep their hands and feet close together, jumping around with the rhythm of the drums. The movement of their heads, which alternates up and down like a Neol, adds a unique visual element to the performance, creating an engaging and lively spectacle.

Aabaraba Dance

The Aabaraba dance is performed in a slow and graceful manner, with young boys and girls forming a circle. The songs accompanying this dance typically describe the migration of the Deori people and their past glorious life in Sadiya. The slow movements and the historical narratives in the songs make this dance a reflective and poignant cultural expression.

Bisu Dabeba Dance

The Bisu Dabeba dance is performed during the closing ceremony of the seven-day Bisu festival. In this dance, each young boy carries a stick and creates a rhythm by beating the sticks together. Only drums are used as musical accompaniment. On the final day of the festival, the Bisu is taken out from the Deosal, and a dance is performed at the Bordeori until midnight. Afterwards, the dancers proceed to the village boundary to formally bid farewell to the Bisu festival, marking the end of the celebrations.

Bahua Dance

The Bahua dance, also known as the mock dance of the Deoris, holds significant socio-religious importance. It is believed to expel evil spirits from the village, thereby protecting households from various illnesses. Preparations for the dance involve informing the local Deosal with a packet of betel leaves and nuts. The dancers, known as Bahuas, follow specific customs, including fasting and not wearing regular clothes. They smear their bodies with charcoal, use masks made of dry leaves, and carry sticks in a bag. The Deodhani sprinkles purified water from the Deosal to commence the dance. As the Bahuas march through the village, families close their doors to prevent evil spirits from entering. The dancers beat the roofs and walls of houses while uttering illegible words, concluding the ritual at the lower end of the village.

Husori Jama (Husori Dance)

The Husori dance is a traditional performance that begins with seeking permission from the presiding deity of the "Than" or "Midiku." The Husori party consists of a singer, a treasurer (Dhan Bharali), and a "Tekela," who plays a crucial role in controlling the group. No one can leave the party without the Tekela's permission. The dance must be performed in every household before it can be concluded. It starts at the Than, where the Bordeori blesses the party with purified water for a successful performance. The dancers use long bamboos placed in the household courtyard and create rhythmic sounds with sticks while singing and dancing, celebrating the Husori tradition over seven days.

Song

Husari

It’s a lively type of song that Deori people sing during gatherings and celebrations. The lyrics talk about things like love, nature, and community life.

Sori Gogona

This is another traditional song of the Deori tribe often sung during festivals and special events. It usually has joyful and spiritual messages.

Bihu Geet

These are songs sung during the Bihu festival, which is important in Assam. Deori people have their own versions of these songs, celebrating their culture and traditions.

Rongali Bihu Songs

These are sung specifically during the Rongali Bihu festival, marking the start of the Assamese New Year. They’re lively and joyful, bringing the community together.

Dhul Geet

These songs are sung by Deori farmers during farming activities, like sowing seeds or harvesting crops. They express gratitude for nature’s bounty and bring a sense of togetherness among the farmers.