Assamese Brahmins

Part of a series on the
Culture of Assam
History Proto-historic Pragjyotisha Kingdom Classical Kamarupa Kingdom Medieval Dimasa—Kachari Kingdom Kamata Kingdom Sutiya Kingdom Baro-Bhuyan Ahom Kingdom Modern Colonial Assam Assam Province
People Assamese people Ahoms • Brahmins • Kaibartas • Kalitas • Muslims • • Sutiyas Tribes Bodos • Deuris • Dimasas • Karbis • Misíngs • Rabhas • Rajbongshis • Tea tribes
Languages Major Asamiya (and dialects; Kamrupi • Goalpariya) Script Minor Bodo Karbi Extinct Ahom[1]
Traditions Bihu Gamosa Kirtans - Namghars Lagundeoni Pujas Satras Xorai Zikir
Cuisine Poitabhat • Masor Tenga Pitha • Narikol'or Laru • Til'or Laru Assam Tea • Judima
Festivals Ali Ai Ligang Ambubachi Mela Me-Dam-Me-Phi Bihu Durga Puja Sahitya Sabhas
Religion Major Hinduism[2][3] Traditional – Sanātana Dharma Panentheistic – Ekasarana Dharma Polytheistic – Shaktism Others Ahom • Bathouism • Christianity • Islam • Sikhism
Art Cultural Development of Kamarupa
Literature History Beginnings Orunodoi Era Jonaki Era Archives Charyapads Kotha Ramayana The Orunodoi The Jonaki The Hemkosh Kodom Koli Genres Poetry Folk literature Institutions Assam Sahitya Sabha Awards Assam Ratna Assam Sahitya Sabha Award Assam Valley Literary Award Kamal Kumari Foundation Award Krishnakanta Handique Award
Music and performing arts Music Performing arts
Media Cinema Joymoti – the first motion picture
Symbols Coat of arms
v t

Assamese Brahmins or Bamun are the Brahmins present in the Assamese society. There are two classes in Assam. One is the Ganaks, who are also known as Daivajna (Astrologers). That group follows the Atharva Veda (the solar cult). They are mostly called as "Bamun" or "Brahman" in Assamese language. They were originally priests. Religious worship in temples is generally carried out by them.^[4]

There they promoted learning, Vedic religion and astrology, as well as imparting general vedic knowledge to the public.^[5] The Indo-Aryans of Assam are the descendants of early migrants from the Gangetic valley and a succession of influences, ideas and cultures entered Assam with them. The Brahmins and Kayasthas came to Assam from Videha (Mithila) and Kannauj.^[6]

History[]

Brahmins are considered to be one of the oldest Hindu settlers in the region and held the highest positions in society.^[7][8]

Assamese Brahmins are the community in that state who are considered to have Caucasoid origins.^[9]

In the late medieval period beginning with the early 16th century, a number of Brahmins from Mithila, Benaras, Kanauj and Puri (Srikshetra) were settled in western Assam by the Koch kings for performing Brahminical rites^[10][11][12] and this process was later continued by the Ahom state especially under the Tungkhungia Ahom kings.^[13]

Tradition and culture[]

Lagundeoni[]

Traditionally, the ceremony of Lagundeoni – one of the Sanskaras or rites of passage marking acceptance of a student by a Guru, is a quite prevalent ritual within the community.^[14] A sacred thread – Lagun, given by a Pujari during the ceremony is a symbolic reminder to the young male born to the Brahmin family of his purpose at school, as well as a social marker of the student as someone who has embarked his journey into formal education, where education itself is not limited to ritual and philosophical speculations, but extends to all practical aspects of culture and life in general. The ceremony is typically performed between ages 12 – 14 among Brahmin males.

Death rituals[]

Brahmins of the Assam valley follow a different death ritual as opposed to the other indigenous communities in Assam. A religious rite, known as Caturthā is performed on the 4th day of a person's demise unlike Tiloni, performed on the 3rd day of person's demise by non–Brahmin indigenous communities.^[15]

Pujas[]

Most Brahmin families are involved in performing religious rituals.^[16] These are known as Pujas. The main Pujas are as follows - Satyanarayan Puja, Durga Puja, Laxmi Puja, Shiva Puja, Ganesha Puja, Saraswati Puja, Annapura Puja, Jagadhatri Puja, and others.

Lifestyle[]

Although in general Brahmins observe all the customary rituals, they appear usually less rigid^[17] in some of their traditional lifestyle choices, such as they may eat meat, fish, unlike their counterparts in North India.^{[web 1]}

Present[]

The Brahmins constitute one of the Forward classes of Assam^{[web 2]} based on the classifications of Government of India, although the recent trend on economic condition has not been very well within the community. Assam's former Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi announced setting up of development councils for several communities in the state, including Brahmins.^{[web 3]}

See also[]

• Manipuri Brahmins
• Assamese people
• Bengali Brahmins

Notes[]

References[]

Published-sources[]

• Shin, Jae-Eun (2010). "Yoni, Yoginīs and Mahāvidyās: Feminine Divinities from Early Medieval Kāmarūpa to Medieval Koch Behar, Studies in History". Studies in History. 26 (1): 1–29. doi:10.1177/025764301002600101. S2CID 155252564.
• Adhikary, Madhab. (2018), "Development of Saiva Cult in Koch Kingdom Under Maharaja Biswa Singha (1496-1540).", Uttar Prasanga, 12 (3–4): 25–31
• Das, Sneha (2014). "Engraved Histories: A Study of Legend of Naraka and Political Legitimacy in the Kamarupa Region". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. Indian History Congress. 75: 153–159. ISSN 2249-1937. JSTOR 44158374.
• Sheikh, Amiruzzaman (2012). "The 16th century Koch kingdom: Evolving patterns of sanskritisation". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 73: 249–254. ISSN 2249-1937. JSTOR 44156212.
• Barua, Preeti (2000). Nalinibala Devi. ISBN 9788126009169.
• Dikshit, K. R.; Dikshit, Jutta K. (2013). North-East India: Land, People and Economy. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9789400770553.
• Bose, Manilal (1989). Social History of Assam: Being a Study of the Origins of Ethnic Identity and Social Tension During the British Period, 1905-1947 – Pre–British History and Society. Manilal Bose, Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 9788170222248.
• Patra, S. C. (2011). Socio-economic profile of Rural India (series II) – Roots. S.C. Patra and Ashish Vachhani, Concept Publishing Company, 2011. ISBN 9788180697241.
• Sarma, Anjali (1990). Among the Luminaries in Assam: A Study of Assamese Biography. Anjali Sarma, Mittal Publications. ISBN 9788170992073.

Internet[]