Heritage of Mech Kingdom

Picture by Bhupendra Narayan Basumatary

History: The proposed Bodoland area and the present Assam State along with its surrounding areas were dominated 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 Chikna Narayan Dev or Chiknath Narayan Mech was the founder king of this territory.

Chikra Mech had established the historical Mech (Bodo) kingdom in the Chiknajhar 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 Danav, who was also popularly known as Maayrong Raja Mahirangaa.

The present Koch Behar and its distinguished royal state was also ruled by Naranarayan and Chilaray whose grandfather was Haowriya Mech, while on the other hand Dambaru Mech was their forefather who belonged to the historical Mech Royal dynasty. Kumar Prithviraj Narayan 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.

Words by The president of the Royal Union of Koch Mech (RUKM), Prithviraj Narayan Dev Mech