পক্ষী টোটেমিক ডিমাসা জনগোষ্ঠী : ধর্মচেতনা ও সংস্কৃতিতে পাখির প্রভাব/ The Bird-Totemic Dimasa Tribe: The Impact of Birds on Spiritual Beliefs and Culture

Abstract

The Dimasa people are a Tibeto-Burman ethnolinguistic community, who lived in northeastern India for centuries, currently living in the Dimasa Hasao district of Assam State. They are the larger part of the Kachari group of people. The Dimasa people belong to the Mongoloid group of people and the Tibeto-Burman linguistic family.

          They are known as "sons of the great/big river". The bird plays a crucial role as a totem in Dimasa's tradition, culture and religion. Their entire creation and clan structure are deeply intertwined with Avian symbolism. The bird is a central ancestral symbol, though "Totemism" in the Dimasa context is specifically tied to their clan system and creation myths. A "Totem" is a sacred object, plant or animal as an emblem for a family, clan or group. The dimasa is a bird-totemic ethnic group.

          According to Dimasa legend, the world began with two divine beings, Bangla Raja (the male deity) and Arikhidima (the female deity). Arikhidima is described as a "Devine Bird". She laid seven eggs at the confluence of the Sangibra and Digebra rivers. From six eggs these eggs, the six ancestral gods of the Dimasa were born. The seventh egg, which was rotten, produced evil spirits.
          They have also their own concept of Gods, deities and spirits. Traditionally, the Dimasas worship a number of deities which are collectively called Mdai. They perform many rituals. They think that rituals are a necessity as their life is controlled by these numerous deities and spirits. All the rituals can be performed only by the priest whom the Dimasas call Hojai or Jonthai. Their main gods include Shibarai (Shiva), Alu Raja, Naikhu Raja, Waa Raja, Gunyung-Braiyung, and Hamiadao. Many Dimasas believe in Hinduism, with some historically claiming descent from Hidimba and Bhima.