Assam - the meeting ground of diverse culture

Assam Culture

Assam - the meeting ground of diverse culture
Nestled beneath the Sub-Himalayan range of hills in the North and North East is the state of Assam in India. Assam is encircled by the Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal. Assam - the enchanting sangrila in the North East of India, is a mixing pot where culture, heritage, tradition, lifestyle, faith and belief of her Aryan & Non-Aryan, numerous tribes & sub-tribes, Mongoloids & Australoids, drawn from various hives at different points of time have gone into form the Assamese culture - a fascinating and exotic recipe of delightful flavour. The culture of Assam is a rich tapestry infused with multicoloured yarns of distinguished heritage of all the races that populate her.

The People of Assam
The people of Assam are in fact the result of fusion of people from different racial stocks who migrated to Assam down the ages. The Assamese population can be divided into two broad groups : the non-tribal people who constitute the majority and the tribals.

The Australoids were the first to come to the land; the Mongoloids, came here in a series of migrations from the north, north-east and south-east; and the Caucasoids who came from the west by the valley formed by the Ganges and the Brahmaputra.
Today, the people of the State can be broadly identified and classified as the Non-Tribals or Plains People. The people of the plains generally live in the plains and the Tribals mainly live in the hills. Though, Assam has a valuable tribal population in the plains too.

The state is peopled by a large number of tribal groups; major among them being the Boro-Kacharis, the Deori, the Misings, the Dimassas, the Karbis, the Lalungs, the Rabhas etc. Ahkhomiya or Assamese is the language of Assam. Assam has a reputation for warm hospitality. People of Assam are homely, charming and openhearted.

Fairs & Festivals of Assam
The superb blend of heritage extracted from numerous races have made Assam the home to the most colourful festivals at once blazing, compelling and mesmerizing. Most of the festivals celebrated in Assam have their root in the varied faith and belief of its people. Diwali, Holi, Durga Puja, Swaraswati Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Kalipuja, Shivaratri are some of the major festivals celebrated by the Hindus of Assam. Those of Islamic faith celebrate Idd and Muharram. Similarly, Christians celebrate Christmas.

Besides the religious and national festivals observed throughout the Country, Assam has a large number of colourful festivals of its own replete with fun, music and dances. Assam’s fairs and festivals are as varied as its population which comes from different racial origins, both tribal and non-tribal.

Bihu, the agricultural festival of Assam is celebrated by all Assamese, irrespective of caste, creed or religion. Bihu, Assam's very own festival come off at various stages of cultivation of paddy, the principal crop of Assam. There are three Bihus that come off at various stages of cultivation of paddy, the principal crop of Assam. They are Bahag (Baisakh) Bihu, Kati (Kartika) Bihu and Magh (Magha) Bihu.
In addition to all this, the tribals of Assam have their own colourful festivals like :
- The Kherai Puja of the Bodos
- The Baikhu and Pharkantis of the Rabhas
- Ali-ai-ligang and Prag by the Missing tribe
- The Sagra-misawa wansawa and laghun by the Tiwas.
- The Ahomes of Tai origin celebrate Me-Dem-Mehfi.
- The Ojapali dances of Non-Vaishnavite origin are usually associated with Manasa - the Serpent Goddess.
- Bathow festival is celebrated by the kacharis through sacrifice of goates and chickens.
- The Boros of the plains in general have an intricate pattern of indigenous dances associated with the primitive rituals like the Kherai Puja.
- The Dimasas celebrate Rangi Gobr and Harni gobra at the start of the cropping cycle.
- The Deoris observe Bohagiya visu- the Spring time festival.
- Ambubasi Mela is held during monsoon at the famous Kamakhya Temple.
- Jonbeel Mela is held every year during winter at Jonbeel. The festival is celebrated by the tribes like Tiwa, Karbi, Khasi, Jaintia etc.

Art & Craft of Assam
From time immemorial, the people of Assam have traditionally been craftsmen. The magic of art of Assamese craftsmen is a common passion inspiring the deep senses with its’ age old simplicity and sophistication. Though, Assam is renown for its exquisite silks, bamboo and cane products, several other crafts are also made here. The colourful Assamese Japi (headgear), terracotta of Gauripur and various decorative items bear witness to the craftsmanship of this land. Assam Handloom is indeed noteworthy offering a mosaic of colours and contours with pleasing motifs and designs. The Eri, Muga (Assamese silk dresses) and typical tribal attires are a treat to the eyes of the beholder.

Dance, music, woodwork, pottery, sitalpati or the art of mat making have survived through centuries with fewer changes since it remained an integral part of the locals. The advent of modernity, indeed, has brought a change in the everyday lifestyle of the tribals, yet the basic arts and crafts, and their technique of production has not changed much.

The land of Ahoms, Assam has a rich cultural tradition, which finds detail in several arts and crafts form of Assam. The natural beauty of Assam, is said to be reflected, in them.

Bhagavad-Gita and Its Three Secrets

Bhagavad-Gita and Its Three Secrets

The Gita is not meant for any one person or creed or nation; it is meant for humanity. It speaks to a mind that has fought in life, a mind that is dissatisfied with constant want, a mind that is alert and thinking and that has many conflicts
The Bhagavad-Gita is one of the most ancient religious scriptures of the world. It contains the direct message of God. It is a dialogue between God and his closest devotee. The discourse was delivered originally in Sanskrit, but today its translations are available almost in every language. The antiquity of the Bhagavad-Gita is hidden in tradition, ancient scriptures, myths and legends. Its history, content and personality are intimately connected to the life of Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the Yadava hero, who played a crucial role in the war of the epic Mahabharata.
Lord Vishnu incarnated in the form of Lord Krishna to root out evil and establish dharma or righteous living upon earth. He participated in the drama of human life and left behind his discourse in the form of the Bhagavad-Gita for the benefit of future generations. The scripture is truly an icon of the Sanatana-dharama, an ageless and valuable ancient discourse that has the potential to play a significant role in the alleviation of suffering in all branches of human life, in a world that has been increasingly becoming more complex and unstable.
The central philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita characterizes in many ways the central theme of Hinduism even in today's context. It contains the message of divine centered living based upon right knowledge, faith, devotion, self-surrender, detachment and dispassionate performance of tasks as opposed to the ego centered living that is characterized by incessant striving, self-centered thinking, egoism, and suffering arising out of non-attainment of desires, or union with the undesired objects or separation from the desired objects. The book is a discourse of immense spiritual value, for people engaged in daily battles of life, symbolically or even truly reflected by the episode of Arjuna, who was stricken with sorrow and confusion, being taught and assisted by God himself, in the middle of the battle field of Kurukshetra where good and evil forces stood in confrontation with each other.
The Bhagavad-Gita reveals how any one can perform ordinary duties in the world and yet remain free from the consequences of ones actions. It is not by inaction, not even by doing only the so called good deeds, but by doing deeds without the sense of doer-ship, as a sacrificial offering to God, in the true spirit of renunciation, but without shunning the responsibility that comes with the birth.
The scripture deals with such basic concepts as the nature of our existence, the nature of the true self, our true relationship with God, the truth about action and inaction, the correct meaning of knowledge and ignorance, the inborn qualities of man and how the actions bind him to the mortal world, the meaning of true devotion, the right attitude towards the external world, the meaning and purpose of maya and so on.
The Bhagavad-Gita is a book of self-discovery and inward journey into the Abode of God. It helps one move from sorrow driven mortal existence to eternal and blissful life. Desire is central to all human activity. By eliminating the desires, but by not abandoning the actions, one can free oneself from the bondage caused by the desire driven actions. Such an approach not only liberates us from the struggling and striving that characterizes our egoistic actions, but also reduces greatly our inner anxieties and frustrations, creating in us in the process a permanent basis for a stable, peaceful and contended life.
According to the Bhagavad-Gita the external world is unreal not because it does not exist, but because it is unstable and ever changing. Since it is based upon impermanence, it cannot be relied upon as the vehicle of truth and it should not become the purpose of ones existence. He who clings to such an unstable phenomenon is bound to suffer as he is bound to engage himself in desperate actions to retain his unstable possessions and experience constant anxiety, anger, fear and envy.
Therefore the Bhagavad-Gita searches for a permanent reality that makes life more meaningful, stable, peaceful and purposeful. It discards layer after layer of untruth that surrounds us and reveals the shining self that exists in all of us as the center of truth and permanence that we should all ultimately discover. It is by understanding the hidden Self in us we will ultimately discover the Supreme Self, That exists in all of us and in Whom we all exist.
Great scholars of the Bhagavad-Gita say that the scripture fundamentally deals with three primary teachings, which are called the three secrets. The first secret is about duty. One must do ones duty in accordance with ones nature (swadharmacharana). The second is about the hidden self. In every one there is a real and hidden self which is different from the external false self. Every one must realize this difference between the outer self and the inner self. The third secret is about the omnipresence of God. One must live in this world with the awareness that all that exists in this world is but Vasudeva.
These three secrets are known as guhya (secret), guhyatara (more secret) and guhyatma (most secret). The second, third, fourth, fifth and eighteenth chapters deal with the first secret. The second, sixth, thirteenth to eighteenth chapters deal with the second secret. The third, seventh, eight, ninth, tenth to eighteenth chapters deal with the third secret.
The Bhagavad-Gita has profoundly effected the Indian way of life for millenniums. Its teachings have been at the core of the Hindu fundamental beliefs for time immemorial. They are ageless and relevant even today.
Originally written in Sanskrit, the scripture has been translated into many languages all over the world and is now easily available to interested readers in most parts of the world. It attracted the attention of many scholars for centuries.
Each verse and every chapter in it is loaded with multiple meanings, enabling each to understand it and interpret it in his own way. The more we read the Bhagavad-Gita, the greater is our insight into its deepest secrets. The more we read it, the stronger our feeling that we know but little about it.
When we feel that we have understood it all and can safely go elsewhere for inspiration, a particular verse or a chapter again starts bothering us with its new wisdom or a perplexing insight. That is why today we have so many interpretations of the Bhagavad-Gita from various scholars.
The Bhagavad-Gita contains 18 chapters and 700 verses, which are attributed to the four principle participants of the narration in the following manner:
1. Dhritarashtra 1
2. Sanjaya 41
3. Arjuna 84
4. Lord Krishna 574
Each verse is considered to be a very sacred mantra. The seed mantra of this scripture is said to be the 11th verse in Chapter II. The shakti mantra of this scripture, because of which it is endowed with the divine blessings and able to exert influence on the mankind for centuries, is said to be the 66th verse in Chapter 18.
In all in the entire Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna has been addressed with 27 different names and titles. These are : Anantarupa, Achyuta, Arisudhana, Krishna, Kesava, Kesanishudana, Kamalapatraksha, Govinda, Jagadpatih, Jagannivasa, Janardhana, Devedeva, Devavarah, Purushottama, Bhagawan, Bhutabhavana, Bhutesah, Madhusudhana, Mahabahu, Madhavah, Yadava, Yogaviththama, Vasudeva, Varsheya, Vishnuh, Hrisikesa and Harih.
Whether the Bhagavad-Gita is a revelation or an actual event is a matter of great controversy. Looking to the depth of symbolism involved and the basic purpose of the whole scripture, the former possibility seems to be more acceptable than the latter. Veda Vyasa is regarded as the author of the book. It is not clear from where Veda Vyasa got the whole information since it was Sanjaya, not Veda Vyasa who was the direct witness to the whole discourse between Lord Krishna and Arjuna. Either Vedavyasa might have heard it from one of the participants or he got it through his inner experience, which is generally the case with all the shruti literature.
It is possible that the scripture might have entered the human consciousness as a revelation. It is even possible that the entire episode of the Mahabharata might have happened on a different plane and become a part of the human collective consciousness through the inner eye.
Whether revelation came to Veda Vyasa or to some other sage, we would rather leave the matter to historians and scholars to debate. What is more important is that the Bhagavad-Gita is a divine message for the troubled humanity and it provides many solutions to our day to day problems and helps us to balance our temporal lives with our spiritual needs.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: Forgotten Hero

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: Forgotten Hero
Subhas Chandra Bose (Bengali: সুভাষচন্দ্র বসু) Shubashchôndro Boshu; born January 23, 1897; presumed to have died August 18, 1945, although this is disputed), popularly known as Netaji (literally "Respected Leader"), was a leader in the Indian independence movement.
Bose advocated complete freedom for India at the earliest, whereas the Congress Committee wanted it in phases, through a Dominion status. Other younger leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru supported Bose and finally at the historic Lahore Congress convention, the Congress had to adopt Purna Swaraj (complete freedom) as its motto. Bhagat Singh's martyrdom and the inability of the Congress leaders to save his life infuriated Bose and he started a movement opposing the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. He was imprisoned and expelled from India. But defying the ban, he came back to India and was imprisoned again.
Bose was elected president of the Indian National Congress for two consecutive terms, but had to resign from the post following ideological conflicts with Mahatma Gandhi and after openly attacking the Congress' foreign and internal policies. Bose believed that Mahatma Gandhi's tactics of non-violence would never be sufficient to secure India's independence, and advocated violent resistance. He established a separate political party, the All India Forward Bloc and continued to call for the full and immediate independence of India from British rule. He was imprisoned by the British authorities eleven times. His famous motto was "Give me blood and I will give you freedom".
His stance did not change with the outbreak of the Second World War, which he saw as an opportunity to take advantage of British weakness. At the outset of the war, he left India, travelling to the Soviet Union, Germany and Japan, seeking an alliance with the aim of attacking the British in India. With Japanese assistance, he re-organised and later led the Indian National Army, formed from Indian prisoners-of-war and plantation workers from British Malaya, Singapore, and other parts of Southeast Asia, against British forces. With Japanese monetary, political, diplomatic and military assistance, he formed the Azad Hind Government in exile, regrouped and led the Indian National Army in battle against the allies at Imphal and in Burma.
His political views and the alliances he made with Nazi and other militarist regimes at war with Britain have been the cause of arguments among historians and politicians, with some accusing him of fascist sympathies, while others in India have been more sympathetic towards the inculcation of realpolitik as a manifesto that guided his social and political choices.
He is presumed to have died on 18 August 1945 in a plane crash over Taiwan. However, contradictory evidence exists regarding his death in the accident.

National politics
Gandhi at the Indian National Congress annual meeting in 1938 when Subhas Chandra Bose was President of Congress party.
Released from prison two years later, Bose became general secretary of the Congress party and worked with Jawaharlal Nehru for independence. Again Bose was arrested and jailed for civil disobedience; this time he emerged Mayor of Calcutta. During the mid-1930s Bose traveled in Europe, visiting Indian students and European politicians, as well as Hitler in 1936. He observed party organization and saw communism and fascism in action. By 1938 Bose had become a leader of national stature and agreed to accept nomination as Congress president. He stood for unqualified Swaraj (independence), including the use of force against the British. This meant a confrontation with Mohandas Gandhi, who in fact opposed Bose's presidency, splitting the Congress party. Bose attempted to maintain unity, but Gandhi advised Bose to form his own cabinet. The rift also divided Bose and Nehru. Bose appeared at the 1939 Congress meeting on a stretcher. Though he was elected president again, over Gandhi's preferred candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya, this time differences with Gandhi led to Bose's resignation. "I am an extremist, " Bose once said, and his uncompromising stand finally cut him off from the mainstream of Indian nationalism.Bose then organized the Forward Bloc aimed at consolidating the political left, but its main strength was in his home state, Bengal.
Indian National Army and Provisional Government
When world war II erupted in Europe, Bose was again imprisoned for civil disobedience and put under house arrest to await trial. He escaped and made his way to Berlin by way of Peshawar and Afghanistan. In Europe, Bose sought help from Germany for the liberation of India. He got Nazi permission to organize the Indian Legion of prisoners of war from Africa, but the legion remained basically German in training. Bose felt the need for stronger steps, and he turned to the Japanese embassy in Berlin, which finally made arrangements for Bose to go to Asia. In an unusual joint operation, he was transferred from a German to a Japanese submarine off the coast of Madagascar.
Bose was flown to Singapore and became commander of the INA and head of the Free India provisional government (Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind).
Subhas Chandra Bose with the Greater East Asia Conference in 1943
The INA included both Indian prisoners of war from Singapore and Indian civilians in Southeast Asia. The strength of the INA grew to 43,000. The INA fought Allied forces in 1944 inside the borders of India at Imphal and in Burma, and even succeeding in liberating parts of North-East India from the Allies. Unfortunately, with Japan losing its way in the World War, aid to the INA was also reduced, and the army could not keep up its momentum.
By the end of World War II none of Bose's Axis allies had helped, and Bose then turned to the Soviet Union. Three officers of the INA were tried at the Red Fort after the war; the trial attracted much popular sympathy, including statements by Nehru and Gandhi that the men were great patriots.
Disappearance and alleged death
Bose's last undisputed picture that was taken on the morning of 17 August 1945 in Saigon
Bose is alleged to have died in a plane crash over Taiwan, while flying to Tokyo on 18 August 1945. It is believed that he was on route to the Soviet Union in a Japanese plane when it crashed in Taiwan, burning him fatally. However, his body was never recovered, and many theories have been put forward concerning his possible survival. One such claim is that Bose actually died in Siberia, while in Soviet captivity. Several committees have been set up by the Government of India to probe into this matter. In May 1956, a four-man Indian team (known as the Shah Nawaz Committee) visited Japan to probe the circumstances of Bose's alleged death. The Indian government did not then request assistance from the government of Taiwan in the matter, citing their lack of diplomatic relations with Taiwan However, the Inquiry Commission under Justice Mukherjee, which investigated the Bose disappearance mystery in the period 1999-2005, did approach the Taiwanese government, and obtained information from the Taiwan Government that no plane carrying Bose had ever crashed in Taipei.The Mukherjee Commission also received a report originating from the U.S. Department of State supporting the claim of the Taiwan Government that no such air crash took place during that time frame..
The Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry submitted its report to the Indian Government on November 8, 2005. The report was tabled in Parliament on May 17, 2006. The probe said in its report that as Bose did not die in the plane crash, and that the ashes at the Renkoji Temple (said to be of Bose's) are not his. However, the Indian Government rejected the findings of the Commission, though no reasons were cited.
Bose was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award in 1992, but it was later withdrawn in response to a Supreme Court directive following a Public Interest Litigation filed in the Court against the "posthumous" nature of the award. The Award Committee could not give conclusive evidence on Bose's death and thus the "posthumous" award was invalidated. No headway was made on this issue however.
Bose's portrait hangs in the Indian Parliament, and a statue of him has been erected in front of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
Mysterious monk
Several people believed that the Hindu sanyasi named Bhagwanji or 'Gumnami Baba', who lived in the house Ram Bhawan in Faizabad, UP at least until 1985, was Subhas Chandra Bose in exile. There had been at least four known occasions when Gumnami Baba reportedly claimed he was Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The belongings of the sanyasi were taken into custody after his death, following a court order. These were later subjected to inspection by the Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry. The commission refuted this belief, in the absence of any "clinching evidence". The independent probe done by the Hindustan Times into the case provided hints that the monk was Bose himself.Some people belive that Gumnami Baba died on 16 September 1985, while some dispute this. The story of Gumnami Baba came to light on his death. It is alleged that he was cremated in the dead of night, just under the light of a motorcycle's headlamp, at Faizabad's popular picnic spot, on the bank of River Saryu. his face distorted by acid to protect his identity. Faizabad's Bengali community still pays homage at the memorial built at his cremation site on the anniversary of his birth. However, the life and activities of Bhagwanji remain a mystery even today and was never investigated by any government agency.