Among the Koch and Rajbanshi communities living in North Bengal and lower Assam, one of the most widely discussed and controversial festivals is the worship of Hudum Deo. Usually, when a region suffered from a prolonged drought, the worship of Hudum Deo was performed on the Amavasya (new moon) of the Krishna Paksha of the month of Chaitra to invoke rainfall. In 1877, William Wilson Hunter mentioned: “A simple relic of old superstition is the worship of the God Hundumdeo. The women of the village assemble together in some distant and solitary place, no men being allowed to be present at the rite.” On the other hand, in 1890, James George Frazer wrote in his famous book The Golden Bough: “A similar rain charm is resorted to in some parts of India. Naked women drag plough across a field by night, while the men keep carefully out of the way, for their presence would break the spell.” In various writings and books, only the external aspects of the worship ritual of Hudum Deo have been discussed. However, any discussion on Hudum Deo will remain incomplete if the historical background and the social-economic conditions of the people are not taken into account. Amanatulla Ahmed Khan Chowdhury, in his book History of Cooch Behar (1936), mentioned that the Bengal famine had a considerable impact on the Cooch Behar Princely State. Compared to the neighbouring Mughal-ruled regions, the condition of the subjects in the state of Cooch Behar was far worse. Human life had no value. In the northern part of the state, Bhutia soldiers frequently launched sudden attacks and carried out plunder. Captain Turner, while travelling through Cooch Behar on his way to Bhutan in 1783 AD, witnessed the misery of its inhabitants. The subjects had to spend one ana a day merely to manage a simple meal of rice and greens. The northern region had become almost depopulated in comparison to the southern part of the state. During the latter half of Maharaja Dhairjendra Narayan’s reign (1775 -1783 AD), power struggles within the royal families reached an extreme. Corrupt royal officials lent money to the subjects at exorbitant rates of interest. The monthly interest on a single rupee was as high as 2 to 3 annas. Agricultural land was confiscated from farmers who failed to pay revenue. Many, burdened by debt, mortgaged themselves or sold themselves into bondage. Some, unable to endure the oppression, fled the country. The situation deteriorated to such an extent that people were compelled to dress up their own children and take them to the rural market to sell them. Rajbanshi boys and girls were usually sold for 12৲ to 15৲ rupees. In comparison, Koch boys fetched a slightly higher price—around 25৲ rupees—because they were considered more hardworking. Children of the Kalita caste were sold for nearly 50৲ rupees. The children who were sold were taken away to the Garo Hills, Bengal, and even distant Burma, where they lived as slaves. The only way to escape from such misery was to produce a good harvest so that taxes and debts could be repaid- otherwise the entire family would be torn apart. Subsistence agriculture, low yielding seeds, primitive farming methods and lack of rainfall along with drought, worsened the suffering of the peasants. Without rain, their households, families—everything—would be ruined.
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From this point begins the significance of Hudum Deo. In the Koch and Rajbanshi communities, Hudum is regarded as the God of Rain. According to mythology, Hudum Deo is the son of Indra, the king of the Gods, and Basumati (Mother Earth). When Basumati became pregnant by the grace of Indra, all the other Gods expelled her from heaven. With no place to seek shelter, she finally took refuge under an Atiākola (seed-bearing banana) tree, where she gave birth to Hudum. The word Hudum means udom or udolā, that is, naked, and Deo means God. Many people believe that, at first, a group of young girls would go from house to house collecting rice, atiā banana, curd, batāsa (sugar sweets), clay, and cow dung for the purpose of the ritual. Bringing water from seven households, they kneaded all of it with tush (bran) to prepare a special cake (pithā). First, an image of Hudum Deo was made using cow dung. The worship of Hudum is performed outside the home in an open space, known as Addorbari. All activities take place under the supervision of an elderly woman, known as the Mareyani (Convener). After that, everyone gathers to worship the deity. If rainfall occurs within three or four days, they rejoice and eagerly begin the next phase of agricultural work.
Deoya Jhori Aayre
Dakiya Dakiya
Ek Chilki Jhori Deo
Jang Gao Dhuiya
***(1)***
(God showers upon us with thunder. Splash a little water on us, and I will return after taking a bath.)
But if rainfall does not occur, the Mareyani begins to feel increasing psychological pressure. Compelled by circumstances, she forms a group with the elderly women of the village. They mentally prepare themselves, keeping aside their families and household responsibilities. Finally, on a dark Amavasya (new moon) night, they gather in a deserted distant field (Dabribari) or by the riverbank and begin the second phase of Hudum Deo worship. First, a pit is dug in the ground, and into it a banana sapling is planted by a woman in the group who has only one child. This mother of a single child is called Ekkushiya. On the banana pseudostem, naibedya (offerings) such as flattened rice (chira), monuya banana, curd, and batāsa (sugar sweets) are placed. At the instruction of the Mareyani, a woman called Gidali begins to sing the Hudum songs. According to many, this night-time Hudum ritual is entirely excluded from male participation. According to another belief, only one dholak player accompanies the group, and even he is blindfolded—and the reason behind tying his eyes needs no further explanation.
Hilhilache komorta mor
Shir sirache gao
Konte kona gele ela
Hudmar dekha pao
Aul hoiche khopa mor
Patani khan poriche khosia
Kote acho Hudum tomra
Dekha deo go asia
***(2)***
(My body is trembling. My head is spinning and my limbs feel weak. Where have you gone, My Lord? Let us see Hudum. My hair has become completely ununited. My cloth/ Patani/ Saree has slipped off. Where are you, Hudum? Please appear before us and show yourself.)
But in this second ritual, some opposite and contradictory behaviours can be observed. It is as if, out of frustration, the devotees’ patience toward the deity finally breaks. Therefore, instead of prayerful pleas, the ritual turns into abusive words, curses, and obscene gestures directed at the god. Charu Chandra Sanyal, in his book Rajbanshis of North Bengal (1965), wrote that middle-aged women, with their hair untied and bodies unclothed, perform a sensuous dance around the banana plant. After the ritual, they plough a small patch of land, sprinkling water and scattering seeds. Thereafter, they return to their homes in the dead of night. The women shout loudly: “Bētā chhāwā mānashilā sagāy pālao” (Get away, you men, we are coming!). Because of the women’s loud uproar, the men do not step out of their homes. In this manner, the women’s honour remains protected.
Hudum Deo re Hudum Deo
Hagi Acchi Paani deo
Hamar Dyashot nai Paani
Haga tikaay Bara Baani.
***(3)***
(Hudum Dev, Oh Hudum Dev, in our region, there is no water. Please give water that I wash myself, unless I have to pondering rice without cleaning after defecation)
Aaye re Deoya Gijji
Dhan Chal Jauk Bhiji.
Aaye re Deoya Shosheya
Maang Niya Thhak Bhyashreya.
Aaye re Deoya Dakiya
Dhaan Chaul jauk Bhashia.
Aaye re Deoya dakiya
Doi-chira deng makhiya
***(4)***
(Oh Hudum, come with thunder shower and let the paddy and rice be wet by your rain. Your arrival widens the womb of the earth. Come with your mighty roar cloud— let the paddy and rice drift away in your flood. Come here, we will offer you curd and flaked rice in devotion.)
The second stanza above reflects the pronunciation and accent style of the Rangpur–Jalpaiguri region, while the next stanza from three and four represents the pronunciation patterns like Cooch Behar and Alipurduar districts. From this, one can estimate the geographical spread of the Hudum ritual. It is believed that the worship of Hudum Deo was practiced not only in Namni Assam (Goyalpara, Kokrajhar and Dhubri), Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, but also in Rangpur, Dinajpur, and the north-eastern border regions of Bihar and Nepal. Many believe that through the blessings of Lord Shiva, Hudum became the God of Rain. Hudum is said to be unmarried and of a naughty (Olobjiya) nature. Therefore, in order to obtain boons (rain) from Hudum, women attempt to entice and please him through their rituals. However, after India’s independence, with the improvement of primary education, the system of rationing and food security (Kontoler chaul / controlled-price rice), and later the land reforms of the 1970s, along with the introduction of irrigation and high-yielding rice varieties, the Koch and Rajbanshi people became economically more stable and intellectually more aware. At the same time, increasing population density and settlement made the ancient Hudum ritual gradually disappear. Today, to invoke rain, villagers organize a large ceremonial event in which they dig a pit, fill it with water and water hyacinth, creating a symbolic pond, and then perform the marriage of a male and a female frog. Many Rajbanshi people of Jalpaiguri and Mainaguri believe that the frogs brought for this ritual wedding represent Hudum and Hura (wife of Hudum).
Hura Hudumer Biyao Hoy
Sitar Sendur Daane Paay
Joy Joy Aaji Hudumer Biyao Hoy
Kaaner Sona Daane Paay
Joy Joy Aaaji Hudumer Biyao Hoy
Huda Hudumir Biyao Hoy
Poroner Shari Daane paay
***(5)***
(Hura and Hudum are getting married, and they receive vermillion powder as a gift. Blessings, blessings—today is Hudum’s wedding, and he receives gold earrings as a present. Hura and Hudum marry, and they are gifted a sari.)
It is worth noting that while performing these various rituals, observances, and repeated corrections of faults or omissions in the worship, half a lunar month (15 days) often passes. During this period, if a Nor’wester brings a Kalboishakhi storm, the atmosphere becomes somewhat calm. With the accompanying rain, the glory of Hudum Deo and the validity of the ritual practices become established, and the honour of the Mareyani is preserved.
SOURCE:
- Hunter, W.W. Ed. 1877. A Statistical Account of Bengal. Vol-VX, Reprint 1974. Page 378.
- Frazer, J.G. Ed. 1890. The Golden Bough. Macwilliam and Co. United Kingdom. Page- 93.
- Khan Chaudhury, Amanatulla Ahmed. Ed 1936. History of Cooch Behar. Vol-1. (Bengali Version) Page 225, 226, 227.
- Sanyal, Charu Chandra. Ed. 1965. The Rajbanshis of North Bengal. The Asiatic Society. Kolkata-16. Page 162.
- Ray, Girjashankar. Ed. 1999. Uttar banger Rajbanhsi Kshtriya Jatir Puja parbon. 2nd edition. N.L. Publishers. Dibrugarh. Assam. Page- 265.
- Dey Dilip Kumar. Ed. 2007. Cooch Behar Lokasanskriti. Anima Publishers. Kolkata. Page - 157.
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