Religious practices of the Totola Rabhas

The Rabhas belong to the Indo-Mongoloid group of people and form a part of the great Bodo family. The Totola Rabhas are a clan of the Rabhas and the sad part of this little known tribe is that they are scattered mostly in small groups among other tribes and communities and have lost most of their identities including their own language and culture. However, the Totola Rabhas of 2 no Kataligaon have one surviving cultural identity. Apart from the many Hindu Gods and Goddesses they believe in, the Totola Rabhas worship ‘Bura Bun Gohai’ that can be exactly translated into ‘Old Forest Deity’. She is believed to be the Goddess of all things and the prosperity of the village depends entirely on her. She is all powerful and there have been instances where people have received Boons from her. People believe that their wishes are fulfilled once they ask it from ‘Mother Bura Bun Gohai’. Many childless couples have received the blessings of ‘Bura Bun Gohai’ in the form of their sons and daughters. They are so grateful to her that they now take it as a duty to offer prayers and offerings to her every year. There are many families who conduct the puja at their home and the deity is brought to the very steps of their household accompanied by the beating of big drums and trumpets. I have been a part of this little known tribe and have grown up among the village folk witnessing the puja and bowing to the deity every year. This documentary traces the journey of the Old Forest Deity from house to house in the village of Kataligaon. This is a humble initiative on my part to preserve and throw light on the traditional religious practices of the Totola Rabhas.