Sonowal Kachari Vernacular Architecture

The Sonowal Kacharis, who are the third largest plain tribe of state, belong to the great Bodo group who trace their close relation with the Barmans of Cachar, Boro Kacharis of Lower Assam districts and the Dimasas of the North Cachar Hills districts. It is said that the Sonowals once had their own kingdom in the Sadiya region called Halali kingdom and the Haidang and Husari-geet of the people has mention of this (Baruah:2000). They are scattered in the districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sibsagar, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Golaghat. They do not have their own language and speaks the Assamese language. It is said that the prefix “Sonowal” (Gold washer) was added as they used to collect gold particles from the sands of river.

There is prevalent an anecdote:

The Kacharis of Upper Assam who became the disciple of “Gosain” (a religious head) named “Kechaideo” were considered to have super natural power of offering a certain quantity of gold in a bamboo tube while the Ahom king Godadhar Singha was on the throne. And these people came to be known as Sonowal Kacharis. (Barooah:1998)

1) House and Architecture:

The Sonowal Kacharis show considerable affinity with the non-tribal Assamese population in respect of architecture. Like the Assamese homesteads, their homesteads have a well-managed, bamboo-fenced campus that grows the necessary items of daily use and different functional houses are constructed around a courtyard. Thus, they construct separate structures for residence, cattle, duck, fowls etc. Like the Bodos, they construct the granary to the eastern side of the courtyard. The residential houses have apartments and the room used as drawing room is accessible by the outsiders easily, which is not possible in case of other parts (B.N.Bordoloi & Thakur:1988).

The houses are constructed with natural resources found in the surrounding. The site is selected through the process called “danda-chowa” that is identical to the system of “danda-bheti-chowa’. They traditionally construct three main houses, Bar-ghar, Maral-ghar and Chora-ghar, in a homestead. Simultaneously, other subsidiary structures such as barn, byre, and cage for domesticated animals are constructed in the homestead.

2) Bar-ghar:

As the name suggest, this is the main and most important architecture of the homestead. The Bar-ghar faces the east cardinal direction that accommodates the elderly couple of the family. A bamboo platform of about six feet height, attached with a wooden ladder, is constructed inside the Bar-ghar, used by the old couple to sleep. It is proscribed to bow down while entering the house, so the Sonowals keep the main entrance in the gable end and make it high enough like Morans. Since the Bar-ghar is the main of the houses, there are prevalent certain rituals and tradition in the construction of this house.

The Bar-ghar is actually the cooking cum dining area of the home. The house is partitioned into two parts. The northern part of the Bar-ghar is the cooking area or the kitchen, called muzia, which possess the main fireplace and hearth. The other half, double in size to the muzia, is used as the dining space. Sometimes, the dining area is called mozia while the other part, separated by a wall, is called randhani-shal. The hearth is constructed near the northern wall of the house. Simultaneously, an altar known as Lakhimi-shal is established in the south-east corner of the house . Near the partition wall to the side of cooking area, they offer oblations of rice, curd, wine etc. during the ceremony of Na- Purusia Sakam, whereby, oblations are offered to the deceased ancestors.

Sonowals believe that the God Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu live inside this house. So, certain restrictions and taboos are prevalent around this house. Thus, no person other than the main cook of the house can enter to the kitchen. Even a married daughter or a daughter-in-law cannot enter the room until they are ceremonially given the onus. They keep a bamboo basket inside the muzia, which should never kept empty (Hazarika:2010:125). Above the hearth, they construct a two-tiered shelf known as juichang or bar-chang. Usually the sparsely woven bamboo shelf that hangs above the hearth is called dhoa-chang where pitchers used for the preparation of rice beer are kept upside down. The loft above this shelf that rests on the beams is called bar-chang, where different bamboo implements as well as wine pitchers for ceremonial use are kept. Inside the kitchen, they construct a ledge known as pani-chang to keep water in pitchers or buckets.

The construction of the Bar-ghar starts with the ceremonial planting of the main, north-east corner post. After digging the pit for the post, the main person of the house offers a pair of betel nut and leaves in the pit along with a coin. He kneels down and prays with folded hand while the people present on the occasion chants hari-dhavni (ceremonial utterance of blessing). Thereby, the land is ceremonially purchased from the Basumati for the purpose and Her permission and blessing is sought.

The villagers usually willingly come on the occasion of the construction of the Bar-ghar but there is another traditional institution called Hauri / Harimota, whereby community help and mutual exchange of free labour can be solicited, and extend the help through. In turn, the host entertains the people with a feast. Usually the Bar-ghar is constructed in one day or within two days. The construction of the Bar-ghar ends with a ritual. Thus, after the completion of the thatching of the Bar-ghar, a person remains on the roof, who is first offered with a lota of wine. Then a person cuts little of the thatch tip in the eave of the house. The person on the rooftop is offered subsequently with a lota full of water and he enquires about his clan and family of the owner. Then he pours the water from the lota and the pouring water is collected in a bowl putting basil leaf and dubari (bent-grass) in it. This collected water is subsequently sprinkled around the Bar-ghar to sanctify it.

After the completion of the work, all the people present are entertained with a feast. And on this occasion, apart from the villagers, the near relatives of the family also join. Especially, the son-in-law(s) of the family must be present on this occasion and provide a duck or cock along with a pitcher-full of rice beer for the feast of the occasion. After this feast, rice is prepared inside the Bar-ghar, which is served to the bhakats. Until the bhakats are entertained with the food first cooked inside the house, the family cannot use it. This is a mandatory ritual for the Bar-ghar, which is the house warming ceremony of this house.

3) Maral Ghar / Mal-ghar:

The Marol ghar is the next important structure of the homestead. The construction of this house also starts with the ceremonial planting of the north-east corner post. This house is constructed parallel or perpendicular to the Bar-ghar. A roofed passage connects this house with the Bar-ghar. This is a big house that contains up to six rooms, which accommodates the boys and girls of the family in separate rooms. One of the rooms of the house contains a second fireplace, where important guests are entertained. A two-tiered shelf is constructed above this fireplace and the wine pitchers are kept on the upper shelf while on the lower one, they store and preserve different foodstuff or spices. In another room, the husking peddle is installed while threshing of paddy is also done in part of this house which usually kept open.

4) Chora-ghar:

The Chora-ghar is the auxiliary structure in a homestead, constructed at one side of the chotal. This house does not have any enclosing wall and keep open. The family members take rest below the roof of this house after coming back from the paddy field or an unimportant guest is entertained here. There is no formality associated with the construction this house.

5) Other Subsidiary Structure:

The Sonowal homesteads possess the architecture of barn and byre apart from the residential houses. The barn is a platform structure primarily made of bamboo. The platform is made with bamboo split (gadhoi). The barn is constructed to the eastern side of the Bar-ghar. On the other hand, the byre as well as the cages for the fowl, duck, or pig is constructed to the southern side of the main house.

6) Beliefs and Rituals:

Apart from the rituals as mentioned above, different other folk rituals and beliefs associated with the house are prevalent among the Sonowal Kacharis. There is prevalent certain taboos in regard to the house. Thus, they held the kitchen of the house with certain sacredness and reverence and entry to this area of the house is strictly restricted. Similarly, the materials for the construction of house are not cut or collected on Tuesday or Saturday. On the other hand, thatching of roof in the month of Magh is a taboo.

The Sonowals have different beliefs and ritualistic practices around the barn. Thus, they have a ritual called Lakhimi Adora, whereby they ceremonially collect 9 number of paddy shook, respectively on the first and last day of harvesting, and hangs these shook on the wall or beam of the barn. They perform a ritual before the first extraction of new rice grain from the barn, where a duck is killed through hammering and the blood is offered at barn entrance. This is performed before the Magh month and in the month of Magh, they do not extract rice from the barn. It is said that the Sonowals have two divisions viz. Hinduria and Behari and the Beharis perform the worship of Lakhimi during the time of Kati bihu where fowl is sacrificed in the barn (Baruah:2000). And before extracting rice, the main lady of the house lit an earthen lamp, prays and then only rice is extracted from the barn. There are some other taboos prevalent in this matter. Thus, they neither sell nor extract rice on Monday. Simultaneously, the day on which the father and mother of the family died, they do not extract rice. They do not touch or extract rice from the barn if someone dies. Unless there is an emergency, an outsider is not allowed to enter into the barn.

There is prevalent a ritual with the byre which is performed in the months of Bohag, Jeth, or Ahar. This ritual is known as Gohali Dangaria Xakam, or as “Kani Paan Diya’. In this ritual, along with Prasad (sacramental food), opium or marijuana is offered and taken by the Bhakats. For this, they prepare tablets of opium or marijuana by boiling it in water. Then a tablet is offered in the earthen lamp and rest are taken by the Bhakats.