BODOLAND is the gateway to the beautiful North Eastern Region of India with its sheer diversity of culture, traditions, natural surroundings & biosphere. Home to many ethnic cultural community, the Bodos form its predominant population with its distinct culture, language and religions. This enchanting land is located in the north bank of Brahmaputra in the state of Assam stretch along the foothills of Bhutan country of eastern Himalayan regions. The spectacular stretch of Manas National Park at the foothills of Bhutan is the sweet heaven for rare fauna and exotic flora and many endemic wildlife species, and a perfect place for Birding. The Impregnable forest gives you an opportunity to explore the nature’s give to mankind! Presently Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) is a separate autonomous administrative unit where Kokrajhar serves the capital of Bodoland with four districts namely, Udalguri, Baksa, Chrang and Kokrajhar constituted under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. Untill recently, they are upgraded to Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) after signing a Peace Accord by many group of agitators and arm struggler group of Bodoland State Demand on last 27th January‘2020. The beauty of the nature have returned back to much far better than the yore.
“Bathou” is the main original deity of worship by the majority of the Bodos which has been practiced since ancient times. However with the passes of time, the bodos have been known to practice Brahma religions reformed by profounder Sri Kalicharan Brahma. Over the decades, bodos has also been witnessing the influences of Christianity. Rev. Sidney Andel were one of the missionary who contributed to the bodo society in the upliftment of the Bodo literature. Hinduism like Krishna Dharma, Satsanga, Rupamoni are also found its place of practice by many bodos.
The Bodo culture is a rich blend of colours, traditions, music & dance who have their own cultural identity. Kherai is the most important dance form of Bathou Bodos which is being performed during the occasion of Kherai Puja (Religios festival) celebrated once in a year in every January. As the ritual goes, one or two lady dancers embodied with the spirit of their deity with the accompaniment of the playing Kham (Drum) and Siphung (five holed flute) perform all sorts of prayer for their wellbeing and prosperity of the community.
The most iconic dance of Bodos is ‘Bagurumba’ associated with marry making dance form resembling to the movement of butterflies attired with colourful Dokhona and phalli fastened with the Aronai. This dance is performed in all occasion with melody tune of Kham, Jotha and Siphung played by men. The main festival of Bodos is Bwisagu celebrated during spring to mark the beginning of new year according to the agricultural calendar.
Bodos are very expert in handloom and handicraft. From time immemorial, almost all bodo women weave their own traditional dresses at home. Right from the raising of silk worm to the spinning of eri-yarn and dye and followed by weaving in different design earn its popularity as the expert weaver in Northeastern India. Dhokhona is a traditional wide and rectangualar single wrap around worn by the Bodo womenfolk. Aronai is a long strip of designed clothe worn and adorned by every bodo people as their cultural identity and respect.
Places of interests in and around Bodoland Region:
The Baukungri hill trekking and Dang Dupur Hill Station being the only place in the entire North East India to offer Paragliding are the exiting advanture for the tourists.
The peace and tranquility of the Deeplai bheel is a rare and soothing experience to relax and enjoy.
The Very Fact about the region is that most of its land is filled with jungles and forests which lies unexplored and untouched. Explorers from the rest of the world are yet to reach the deepest and darkest place of it. For which it is mostly unknown to the world how many species of Birds, Animals and Fishes are stocked in this region.
Rare wild animals such as Golden Langur, Capped Langur, Pigmy Hog, Great Indian One Horned Rhino, Elephants, various speicies of Deer, various species of Cats, Barbets, various species of Hornbills, Wild Ducks, Butterflies, Snakes etc. are the commonly found in the region. Many migratory birds also do visit this heavenly place in their respective seasons
Manas Biosphere Reserve, Tiger Reserve and National Park that shares with its boundaries with the famous Royal Manas of Bhutan is very picturesque biodiversity hotspot. It was declared by the UNESCO as one of the World Heritage site in the Year 1985 with an area of 391 sq.kms. It houses many critically endangered faunal species like Pygmy hog. Other endangered species listed under the IUCN found in Manas are Hispid Hare, Golden Langur, Tiger, Fishing cat, Dhole, Chinese Pangolin, Indian elephant etc. In Manas, there is a record of having 497 avian species of both resident and seasonal migratory. Bengal florican -globally threaten avian species found in Manas.
Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary : Small hillock forest located in the districts of Kokrajhar and Dhuburi districts of Assam with an area of 45580 ha and is famous for the long running conservation history of Golden langur successfully. Other animals found in the sanctuary are Leopard, Malayan giant squirrels, Jungle cat etc.
Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary: It is part of the buffer zone of Eastern Manas Reserve with an area of 26.22 sq kms located at the foothills of Bhutan of eastern Himalayan spread over in Baksa and Udalguri districts of Assam. It is an important elephant corridor and is famous for sightings for Indian Gaur or Indian Bison, Tiger, Leopard, Capped Langur, Sambar, Barking deer, Hog deer, Pigmy hog, Hispid hare, Slow loris, Dhole and Peacok. It is also known as the good habitat of endangered species -Pigmy hog.