The Role and Performance of Women in the Assamese Society, Rituals and Festivals- An Analysis through the Assamese Oral Songs

Abstract

Assam is very rich in Folk Literature. Assamese to Folk Literature has been developed through the time. Assamese Folk Literature has been playing an important role in the society of Assam. The Folksongs of Assam may be divided into different sub genre. In Assamese society many folksongs are mainly sung by women. There are many songs mainly reflects the different emotions, feeling and the status of a women in paternal society. These particular songs represent the love, pain, care, beauty, motherhood, protest and resistance and their internal feelings. Through the folksongs as representatives of a society women express their emotions. Women are often unnoticed by the society. Sometimes their hopes and expectations are dominated by the society. For examples- Juna, Baramahi geet, Maishal geet, Mout geet etc. Women also sometimes observe ritualistic facts which feature the singing special songs. These songs are very simple both in literary and musical content but have a heart tuching quality. For example- Sare barat, Subachani puja, Hudum puja, Aai naam, Sitola puja, etc. Bihu is the most important festival of Assam and many bihu songs are associated with the festival. Jeng bihu is only celebrated by the women of Assam. Men are totally excluded from this occasion. Women go out the field and they worship to nature with gogona, toka and claps and with bihu songs and thus they celebrate the festival. In this occasion they get the chance to enjoy their womenhood and share their feelings, in the research paper we are tried to describe about the Assamese oral songs sung by the women in different festivals and rituals of Assam and their roles and performance in these occasions.