Wngkham Gwrlwi: Bodo ‘New rice eating’ festival celebrated in Kokrajhar

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: The Wngkham Gwrlai also known as Wangin is a significant festival celebrated by the Bodo community, primarily in Assam, which is also referred to as the ‘New rice eating’ festival, marking the harvest season and the consumption of new rice. This festival was once widely and most popularly celebrated by every household of the Bodo community with special items of curry to the villagers and guests. Rice beer with pork and other meats were offered to the guests. However, this tradition is nowadays observed among the family members only. 

To revive and to preserve this diminishing social tradition and cultural heritage of the Bodos, an employee of Kachugaon Development Block office Musukha Islary on Tuesday evening celebrated the Wngkham Gwrlwi festival inviting neighbours, villagers, relatives, and his friends, offered various traditional dishes like Onla-dao, Thaganda-na, Oma-Lai, Napam, Gumagwthao, etc, some of which have the GI tag. Rice beer was also offered to the guests.

Before serving the special food items, Islary and his family prayed in the Bathou and sacrificed 26 chickens to deities as per Gudi-Bathou traditions. As the farmers depend on bulls and oxes, the families generally offer the first bite of new rice to them and then to guests. The Ojha (Bathou priest) led the prayers and animal sacrifice at Bathou, as sacrificing of animals is part of the Gudi Bathou. 

The festival signifies the completion of the harvest season and the availability of new rice. It’s a time for the community to come together and celebrate their agricultural achievements. During Wngkham Gwrlwi, the Bodos perform rituals and offer prayers to their deities, seeking blessings for future harvests and prosperity. The festival involves communal feasting on new rice and traditional dishes, strengthening social bonds among community members. Traditional music, dance, and songs are integral parts of the celebration, showcasing Bodo cultural heritage.

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