ANNOUNCEMENTS:

It is to announced that Khru had organised, 1st Late Tulan Mohan Memorial Lecture cum Seminar on the date of 24th of January 2010 at the official hall of Department of Historical and Antiquitious Studies. The lecture was delivered by Sri Yohom Buragohain (special officer, DHAS)and was chaird by Binit Saikia (Director, DHAS. Following that, the seminar was took place in two technichal sessions. It was chaired by reknown trnsilator Mr. Labanu Kr. Bora and by Sri Ritu Thaosen lecturer of History, Cotton College. The paper were presented by SRI HEMASRI DEVI, RESEARCH SCHOLAR, GAUHATI UNIVERSITY, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, UGC (SAP), SRI AJOY LUTHURI CHATIA PATOR,TEACHER IN PHYSICS, MARGHERITA COLLEGE, SRI MARY CHAYA PATIRI RESEARCH SCHOLAR, DEPT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, GAUHATI UNIVERSITY, SRI RASMITA GOGOI,M.A. IN HISTORY, GAUHATI UNIVERSITY,SRI CHUCHENG FA GOGOI, RESEARCH SCHOLAR, DEPT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, GAUHATI UNIVERSITY, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, UGC (SAP). Theseminar was attended by various interested persons and by the 25 scholars from 9 different countries, such as Laos, Combodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Tahiland, China etc.The main concept of the seminar was: Ahom Kingdom; A Retrospection.

Tai Ahoms ritual Um-pha and Ai-me-nang Dance.

The meaning of the term “Um” means to worship and the term ‘Pha’ stands for god. Thus the ritual of Um-pha means worshiping god or ‘Phi’. As the Tai ahom people believe, the history of the Um-pha puja begins in the realm of the first ancestor of Tai’s- Khun-Lung & Khun-Lai. The grand son of god Lang-Don started this ritual in Mung-Re-Mung-Rum following the order of his grand father. As the Ahom belief, a person is not reborn after death. The person then becomes a DAM then PHI (God) and goes to the assigned place in one of the several heavens and lives with relatives. Thus it has been believed that worshiping in the name of those DAM & PHI compels them to come to the earth to bless there sons, daughters, grand children and others. The ritual of Um-pha has been presented in three raised bamboo platform (Phun or Mehenga) made of bamboo is constructed in the name of deity, namely Lang-Kuri, Phi-Me-Thao and Lai-Lung-Kham or Po-Phi-Su. In the platforms three piece of battle nut wrapped up with chinkara flower, three packets of rice beer and rice are offered. After arranging all offerings in the right places the priest will purify the devotees by sprinkling water mixed with chinkara flower and explains the importance of each and every god and goddess in Ahom language and then call upon them to come. This is calling Aotang in Ahom. The main priest of Um-pha (locally known as Deories), starts behaving abnormally and he starts dancing in the rhythm of Kong-Cheng (Drum) and traditional song which traditionally known as Ai-me-nang. Then the Deori starts predict for the coming year in his unconscious state of mind. During the early stage of Ahom rule this puja had been performed in Se-Rai-Doi ‘Deo shal’ but in passing of time this puja has been organized in Amlakhi Deo Shal of Lakua Ranga gara and in bokota’s bor deo shal of Sivasagar district.

The Tai:

The term named Tai, Thai and Shan are most often used indiscriminately and interchangeably. Such use makes their denotations blurred, if not confused. The name ‘Tai’ refers to all the groups and sub groups of a people who usually call themselves as ‘Tai’ and are the speakers of the languages classified under the family named ‘Tai’. They are found in India’s North-East, in several regions of Burma, all over Thailand and Laos, Northern Vietnam, and the five southern provinces of China namely, Yunnan, Kwangsi, Kwangtung, Kuechu and Zechuan, and are known under a variety of national, regional and local appellations.

Objectives:

Conduct research in the areas of socio, cultural, political and anthropological importance of TAI and TRIBALS.
Generate data base in the areas, mentioned above.
Conduct documentation of the Tribes and the Tribal villages.
Organise cultural met and community programmes.
Highlighting the importance of the tribal issues at the government policy implication.

Members:

CHUCHENG FA GOGOI.

AJAY LUTHURI CHETIA PATOR.

BIMAN BORGOHAIN.

PANKAJ BORA.

SUCHITRA BARUAH.

BHAIRAB GOGOI.

SOMIRAN BARGOHAIN.

MERRY CHAYA PATIRI.

JINI PHUKAN.

RAKESH GOGOI

BIKASH RANJAN KONWAR.

INTRODUCTION:

KHRU has been born out of the objective to foster study in the areas of TAI and other Tribals of north east in general and Assam in particular. The institution was established in 2nd of December, 2008 as a cultural society and in due process had performed various programmes at the bi-annual function of Purbanchal Tai Sahitya Sabha, in the month of January, 2009 held at Golaghat and also organized street plays in the month of- April, 2009. It is in the year October 2009, the members and the Advisers of the KHRU, realised the necessity to make extensive studies in the areas of socio, cultural, political and anthropological importance of the Tais’ and Tribals communities, which are still in a resultant stage till date. Thus KHRU have been motivated with the idea of propounding research and generate data base in the area mentioned, which is infact through a method of participatory learning process.