Bathou religion is the traditional religion of the Bodos

Image sources: Himalay Iswarary

The word ‘community’ has a significant meaning attached to it. The Oxford Dictionary of Sociology says: “The concept of community concerns a particularly constituted set of social relationship based on something which the participants have in common – usually a common sense of identity.” According to sociologist Talcott Parsons, ‘community’ denotes a ‘wide-ranging relationship of solidarity over a rather undefined area of life and interests’.

Also read: UNDERSTANDING BATHOUISM : WHAT IS BATHOUISM?

The folk culture of many communities reflects the close bond between humans and nature. This bond is nurtured through the ideas, values, and philosophy of religious practice in the communities. In fact, the ethos and ethics of folk cultural practices eventually frame religious practices among many communities.

The Bodo community, which is scattered across northeastern India, is one of the most significant communities. They belong to the greater Mongolian stocks, who are considered to be the inhabitants of a country north of the Himalayas and to the west of China.

The Bathou religion is their traditional religion. It is one of the oldest religions in the world. The community worships Bwrai Bathou as the supreme god. In the Bodo language, the word ‘Bwrai‘ refers to the ‘eldest’ man concerning power or knowledge. In other words, it indicates the supreme one.

Therefore, Bwrai Bathou represents the supreme soul, who is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. For them, the Sijou tree (Euphorbia Splendens being its scientific name) symbolizes the Bwrai Bathou. Thus, they also worship this tree. In fact, religion defines the socio-cultural life of the Bodo community. Consequently, it incorporates the rites, rituals, social norms, culture, traditions, ethics, and philosophy of the Bodo community.

Words by Himalay Iswarary