Boro people

Boro is the self-designation or autonym of the community.[15] Boro comes from Bara-fisa, which means "son of Bara", and Bara stands for "man" or "male member" of the group.[16] In the cognate language Kokborok, Borok means man ('k' being a suffix for nouns) and so logically, Boro would mean man even in the Boro language.[17] Generally, the word Boro means a man, in the wider sense Boro means a human being (but not specific to a female member of the family) in the languages used by the Bodo-Kachari peoples.[18]

The Boro language is a member of the Sino-Tibetan language family. It belongs to the Boro-Garo group of the Tibeto-Burman languages branch of the Sino-Tibetan family. It is an official language of the state of Assam and the Bodoland Territorial Region of India.[19] It is also one of the twenty-two languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.[20]

Traditionally, Boros practised Bathouism, which is the worshiping of supreme God, known as Obonglaoree. The shijou tree (in the genus Euphorbia) is taken as the symbol of Bathou and worshiped. It is also claimed as the supreme god.[22] In the Boro language, Ba means five and thou means deep. Since Boros believe in the five mighty elements of God – land, water, air, fire, and ether – the number five has become significant in the Bathou culture, which is similar to the five elements of other Asian religions.

According to Bathouism, before the creation of the universe there was simply a great void, in which the supreme being 'Aham Guru', Anan Binan Gosai or Obonglaoree existed formlessly. Aham Guru became tired of living a formless existence and desired to live in flesh and blood. He descended on this great void with all human characteristics and created the universe.[23]

In addition to Bathouism, Boro people have also converted to Hinduism, especially Hoom Jaygya. For this worship through fire ceremony, a clean surface near a home or courtyard is prepared. Usually, worship offerings include a betel nut called a 'goi' and a betel leaf called a 'pathwi' or 'bathwi' and rice, milk, and sugar. Another important Hindu festival, the Kherai Puja, where an altar is placed in a rice field, is the most important festival of the Boros. However, caste and dowry practices are not practised by the majority of Boro Hindus, who follow a set of rules called Brahma Dharma.[24]

Christianity is followed by around 10% of the Boros and is predominantly of the Baptist denomination.[25] The major Boro Churches associations are the Boro Baptist Convention and Boro Baptist Church Association

A group of Boro women at Delhi

The history of the Boro people can be explained from folk traditions. According to Padma Bhushan winner Suniti Kumar Chatterjee, mythologically, Boros are "the offspring of son of the Vishnu (Baraha) and Mother-Earth (Basumati)" who were termed "Kiratas" during the Epic period.[26]

Aroi or Ari or Ary is a suffix in Boro language, which means folk.

Some of the important clans of Boros are:[27]

1. Swargiary: The priestly clan, with Deoris and Ojhas selected from this clan.
2. Basumatary: The land-holding clan.
3. Narzary: The clan associated with the jute cultivation and supply.
4. Mosahary: This clan is associated with the protection of cattle.
5. Goyary: This clan is associated with the cultivation of areca nuts.
6. Owary: This clan is associated with the supply of bamboos.
7. Khakhlary: This clan is associated with the supply of Khangkhala plant required for kherai puja.
8. Daimary: This clan is associated with the river.
9. Lahari: This clan is associated with the collection of leaves in large quantities for the festival.
10. Hajoary: The Boros that lived in the hills and foothills.
11. Kherkatari: The Boros associated with thatch and its supply, found mostly in Kamrup district.
12. Sibingari: The Boros traditionally associated with raising and supply of sesame.
13. Bingiari: The Boros associated with musical instruments.
14. Ramchiary: Ramsa is place name in kamrup. It is the name by which Boros were known to their brethren in the hills.
15. Mahilary: This clan is associated with collection of tax from Mahallas. Mahela and Mahalia are the varient forms of Mahilary clan.

• 
  Boro women at Hornbill Festival
• 
  Kherai Group Dance
• 
  Boro man and woman
• 
  Boro man
• 
  Boro woman
• 
  Boro woman playing harp

Distribution of Bârâ people, as reported in the Language Survey of India 1903

• Rajni Basumatary[28] Filmmaker and actress
• Harishankar Brahma[29] 19th Chief Election Commissioner of India
• Upendra Nath Brahma,[30] Boro activist, known by the title Bodofa[31]
• Ankushita Boro,[32] Indian boxer
• Jamuna Boro,[33] Indian boxer
• Pramod Boro,[34] Former President of ABSU, President of UPPL, CEM of Bodoland Territorial Council
• Sansuma Khunggur Bwiswmuthiary,[35] former Member of parliament
• Hagrama Mohilary,[36] president of Bodoland People's Front political party and former Chief Executive Member of Bodoland Territorial Council.
• Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary,[37] former governor of Meghalaya, retired IPS officer, former director-general of National Security Guards (NSG) and the Border Security Force (BSF)
• Halicharan Narzary,[38] Indian footballer
• Kenny Basumatary[39] Filmmaker and Actor
• Proneeta Swargiary[40] Dance India Dance (season 5) Winner
• Bishnu Prasad Rabha,[41][42] Indian cultural icon
• Medini Mohan Chaudhury,[43] Indian novelist

• Bodo Sahitya Sabha
• Bodo culture
• Ual (tool)

• Deka, Hira Moni (2009). "The Historical Background of Bodo Movement". Politics of identity and the bodo movement in Assam (PhD). Guwahati University. hdl:10603/67844.
• Endle, Sidney (1911). The Kacharis. MACMILLAN AND CO. LIMITED.
• Kakoty, Suchitra (1981). "The Historical Background of the Bodo-Kacharis". A study of the educational development of the bodo tribe during the post independence period with particular reference to the northern region of Assam (PhD). Guwahati University. hdl:10603/67775.
• Sen, Debasis (1984). "Ethnic Elements in the Political Life of Ancient Assam". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 45: 101–106. JSTOR 44140186.
• Siiger, Halfdan (2015). The Bodo of Assam: Revisiting a Classical Study from 1950 (PDF). NIAS Press. ISBN 978-87-7694-160-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 August 2020.

• Media related to Bodo people at Wikimedia Commons