MP Biswajit Daimary graces 'Bathow Puja' at Baksa

Guwahati, February 3, 2019:

The ‘Bathow puja’ which has unknown origins, has been celebrated by the Bodo tribe of Assam for eons. The ancient ceremony is a celebration of Bodo rituals and culture. In this festival, the Bodo tribe offers puja (act of worship) to ancient deities such as Gila Damra, Khlia Bwrai, Sri Brai, Bathow Bwrai. It is believed that some identify this God as Lord Shiva, one of the primary deities of the Hindu pantheon. The Bathow puja, which is celebrated by over 40 lakh Bodo people in the North eastern region of India, is held for the good harvest of crops.

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In Goreswar, located in Assam’s Baksa district, the grand 4-day celebration of ‘Bathow puja’ officially came to an end. The East Baksa district and Goreswar area society puja was celebrating its silver jubilee (25 years) this year. At 1 pm in the afternoon today, a religious discussion meet was held under the guidance of Kabindra Boro which was inaugurated by Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary. Daimary, while addressing the media, explained the significance of the Bathow religion.

“Bathow religion is an age-old religion. No scholar has been able to trace its origins. It is attached with the rituals of the Bodo community. It lays out how to lead your life, which is the core tenet of the Bathow religion”, he added. Daimary stated that anyone is free to pursue the ‘Bathow’ religion and it is a pagan religion. He said the five elements in nature are considered are worship-worthy according to the doctrine of 'Bathow'. In an intriguing revelation regarding 'Bathow', Daimary stated that the ‘ou khatta’, a local tangy fruit, is regarded similar to human life by the religion as it has five peels, signifying the life cycle of humans and also added that the seed of the fruit symbolizes the eternal human soul.

Finally, Daimary clarified that the meet had no connection to politics, despite the venue being thronged by thousands. “Members from BJP, AGP, Congress are all here. Politics and Bodo society are two separate entities”,  he added. Further, he stated that he is trying to get the religion officially recognized by the Government as 'Bathowism'.