Gossaigaon to host Kherai festival to recall heritage of Mech kingdom

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, February 3: The proposed Bodoland area and the present Assam State along with its surrounding areas were domited by the absolute majority of the Mech (Bodo) people as well as historically ruled by the Mech (Bodo) kings. Thousands of years before the Mahabharata era, most of undivided India were ruled by Mech Kings. Chikra Mech alias Chik rayan Dev or Chikth rayan Mech was the founder king of this territory.

Chikra Mech had established the historical Mech (Bodo) kingdom in the Chikjhar area of the Kokrajhar which is still a golden heritage location. Not only Chikra Mech, even the Rangpur princely province located in Bangladesh was ruled by the historically renowned Mech King Mahirangaa Dav, who was also popularly known as Maayrong Raja Mahirangaa. This was stated in a press statement issued by the president of the Royal Union of Koch Mech (RUKM), Prithviraj rayan Dev Mech on Wedensday. In his statement Dev Mec said that the present Koch Behar and its distinguished royal state was also ruled by rarayan and Chilaray whose grandfather was Haowriya Mech, while on the other hand Dambaru Mech was their forefather who belonged to the historical Mech Royal dysty. Kumar Prithviraj rayan Dev Mech, the 19th royal descendant of the Bodo King Chikra Mech also said that the recall of the heritage and historical identity of an ethnic tribe or community is a must for better survival of the community as a whole.

He said that a traditiol Kherai Utsav of the Bodos would be organized at the Sankosh River in Jomduar area near Gossaigaon in Kokrajhar district on February 15 and February 16. He said that all the Bodos along with other ethnic people should happily join this historic programme where differentiation on religious ground would never take place. Dev Mech said that the Bodo people from the various places of BTC along with West Bengal and Nepal would also actively participate in this Kherai celebration. He expected large participation of people from Assam, West Bengal and Nepal. He also thanked and conveyed his gratefulness to the Greater Dularaai Gudi Bathou  Aafad organization for taking the initiative to organize this celebration.