Kherai Puja celebrated to commemorate Bodo-Mech heritage

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, Feb 25: The historical Kherai Puja celebration organized on the bank of River Sankosh under Gossaigaon subdivision of Kokrajhar district concluded recently. It was the 455th year of the historical ‘Kherai’ celebration. This historical Sankosh Kherai Puja was initiated by the then Bodo King- Haoriya Mech way back in the year of 1562 and traditiolly the ‘Kherai Puja’ is the primitive trait of the Bodo people who were earlier regarded as the ‘Mech’.

 The 19th Bodo Rajkhungur- Rajkumar Prithviraj rayan Dev Mech, who is also the president of the Royal Union of Koch Mech (RUKM), said that a large mass gathering was held at Sonkoch River bank in connection with this celebration which was graced by the chief of BTC, Hagrama Mohilary, political representatives as well as leaders of various Bodo and tribal organizations, along with the descendants of various Mech (Bodo) Royal families of Mechpara and historical Sidli kingdom. Several Bodo people hailing from different parts of Nepal, West Bengal, BTC region and Assam also participated in the grand celebration.

Dev Mech heartily welcomed all the Bodo people of this region, several leaders of various Bodo organizations and other tribal communities of the area who participated in the celebration. He thanked the Dularai Gudi Bathou Afat for taking the lead initiative and their active role in organizing the celebration. Dev Mech appealed to all quarters not to bring any division in the greater Bodo community in the me of religion.