Part 2.9 - Recreation and Games (of the Thengal Kacharis)

Man need some leisure hours in order to relax oneself from tensions and stress. So people chase different ways and means by which they can make themselves fresh in their mind and body. The Thengal Kacharis of Assam are basically agrarian. So they remain busy in their agricultural activities. Inspite of these they along with their young ones play certain games for recreation.

Robert A. George states:

‘Play is a form of expressive behaviour common among all human beings and manifestly overtly in all culture. Like art, language and religion, play is a complex phenomenon that cannot be defined succinctly.’^[1]

‘One important characteristic of the social life of the Kachari people is that they go for fishing in groups and hunting are two ancient practices of the Thengal Kachari people.’^[2]

During the field study, an informant^[3] informed that during their childhood they went for fishing and hunting. They caught in traps the squirrels and birds. They also played games like tang guti, ghila khel, luka luki, marbles etc. Another informant^[4] said that the children in their village nowadays play cricket, football and other modern games. They do not play the earlier games like sur pulis, roja rani, running, jumping etc. With the change of time they have lost those games, which they played with great excitement in those days.

Another informant^[5] informed about another culture of catching cricket like insect called ‘Sakson’. The Children get lot of joy and fun when they catch this insect. This is one of the favourite pass time of the children in the earlier days. ‘Sakson kheda’ was done in the month of Falgun or Choitra. Two split pieces of bamboo, three to four bhang plants are planted in the courtyard. Earthen lamps are lit near the plants. The young boys and girls make a ‘tik-tik’ rhythmic sound with the split bamboos. As soon as the sound is heard the ‘sakson’ immediately fall in the bhang plants. They get fun out of this and catch those. These are kept in ‘khaloi’ or such other containers.

The children while catching this insect sing song as follows:

‘Sakson ei xitoli xitoli
Mar baper ahiba godhuli godhuli
Aam gasat naparibi
Aam atha lagibo
Kathal gasat naparibe
Kathal atha lagiba
Mur gat porivi
Jak Jak Uribi
Khaboloi Khaboloi tetelia’

‘O Sakson you are too soft
Father and mother will come in the evening,
Don’t fall in the mango tree,
The glue of mango tree will stick to you,
Don’t fall in the jackfruit tree
The glue of jackfruit will stick to you,
If you fall on me
You will fly in flocks
You will be very oily to be eaten.’^[6]

These were the games that the Thengal Kacharis played. Time has changed and these games are almost forgotten now-a-days. The traditional and the indigenous games are no longer in practise. In the study area I observed that the young generation does not know much about their own customs and practices. Modernity has touched even the rural areas; they do not have much to be their own.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Op. Cit. Dorson, 1972, P 171

[2]:

Boruah Birinchi: Asomiya Bhakha aru Sanskriti, 1985, P 15

[3]:

Informant: Somnath Borah

[4]:

Informant: Miliki Borah

[5]:

Informant: Dambarudhar Saikia

[6]:

Informant: Dambarudhar Saikia