FOLK TALES AND THE ASSAMESE SOCIETY

Every society dearly preserves its share of oral tradition. The beauty of Oral tradition is immense. They keep traditions alive and societies united. They are the best source of indigenous knowledge systems. They can range from folk tales, folk songs, fables. There is no such record to name the date of their creation. They have been transmitted from one generation to another. Granny's pass them to their grandchildren. In many cases no written records are available. As a child, I remember my father go out at night after dinner. During the monsoons, the paddy fields would be packed with pools of water. There would be swarms and swarms of fishes amidst the young plantains. It seemed as if the fishes were getting themselves ready to attend a marriage. My uncle and father would be ready for the fishing season. For us children, we were excited as to whose father would have the maximum number of catch. My father's fishing equipment included a big fishing net called "langi", a lamp, and a knife. I have grown up hearing and reading folktales, some of them from my grandparents. My father often at night would lull me to stories of imaginary characters like "Daak", "Burha Dangoriya" and many more. For me, at that point in time, these characters seemed so very real.

                           Under the moonlit sky on a summer night, sometimes as these stories would end I could hear the tip-toeing of Burha Dangoria and the footsteps of a fast horse. At other times "Daak" seemed to invite me to the waterlogged paddy fields. I could not make out whether it was the ambiance which father was successful in creating perfectly well or my little world of imagination that they appeared so real. As I grew up these stories appeared to be less important. With changing times and societies getting more complex, the fabric of the societies we live in has undergone many changes. Fairy tales and folk tales got replaced with academic books over a period of time. As a child, I remember accompanying my grandparents on numerous occasions to Naamghar. It refers to a community place of worship in Assamese society. It came into existence due to the effort of the great religious reformer Sankardeva. He was a torchbearer in the spread of Vaishnavism in Assam in the 15th century.

                             Burha Dangoriya is one such character that finds a place in Assamese folk tales. Often have I heard people talking about it. When I interacted with elders to know more about it my inquisitive mind failed to answer all of my questions. Yet time and again I keep pondering about that. For many of us, it might appear a fictional character, yet it is so deeply associated with the Assamese society. Some say it protects the Naamghar. Yet no one has seen it. The very thought of it sends chills down one's spine. Elders describe it as a man in a white

 

Community place of worship, Naamghar

dress in a turban on his head on a horse. Every time I pass by the Naamghar I stop for a split second probably to have a glimpse of it if  I turn lucky. On other occasions as I sit under the moonlit sky on a full moon night, I turn around in rapt attention every time I hear any sound. Though I know well that it is the rustling sounds of the coconut leaves yet I wait back to hear the galloping of the sounds.......... an endless wait for Burha Dangoria.