Arindam Chaudhuri bags Delhi team of i1 Super Series
Money counts for nothing as commodity exchange on the barter principle is the norm at the historical Jonbeel mela of Assam which binds different tribes from the state and Meghalaya together
At a time when the money market is controlling the entire economy of the world, a unique market, operating on the barter principle, is still held once every year on the first Thursday after Makar Sankranti. Jonbeel mela is held at Jagiroad of Morigaon district. Gova King Deepsing Deoraja inaugurates the fair. When the King takes part in a community feast on the first Wednesday after Makar Sankranti, the mela is considered to be open.
Tribal people of the erstwhile Gova kingdom come down from the neighbouring Khasi and Karbi hills to the mela with their harvest of crops and fruits to exchange them with fish, traditional pitha and sandah and other commodities that are locally produced in the plains.
While the British took over the reins of Assam on February 24, 1826, after the Yandabu Treaty, the Gova kingdom came under British Rule in 1835. But traditional practices continued without any break. The Gova people select the King, abiding by the rule of hierarchy. The present King is a 17-year-old boy from Nongphu in Meghalaya who is studying in the tenth standard.
Hundreds of Khasis, Karbis, Jayantias and Tiwas walk down the hills with loaded bamboo baskets hanging from their forehead. Meanwhile, the people from the plains also gather. They exchange commodities throughout the day. The Tiwa people of the Gova kingdom are busy fishing while the market goes on. Guests are served fresh fish caught in the four beels (lakes) of the Gova King: namely Jonbeel, Arambeel, Khamrangibeel and Thakurdovabeel. There is another lake in the Gova kingdom where the local people do community fishing as the Assamese new year breaks in April.
The Jonbeel mela is a symbol of unity among the people of the plains and the hills. Both these communities address each other as "mama-mami" (maternal uncle and aunt). At a time when even the most remote corners on earth are not insulated from the effects of globalisation, the barter system of exchange gives Jonbeel a unique character.
Though the Gova kingdom obviously does not have any political significance today, it works as a cultural institution of the Tiwa tribe with a 51-member strong royal courtier group. Some of the portfolios are Borbarua, Jela (priest), Bhitarmazi, Bormazi, Muchi, Komar, Kumar Arandhora, Ranua, etc. Actually, these positions were meant to help the King to run the various functions of the Gova kingdom in the older days. Today, the royal courtiers are mainly responsible for organising cultural celebrations like Kharbeel mela in April, Gosai Olowa mela and Lakhimi puja (once in five years) on the bank of the Jonbeel lake.
At the Jonbeel mela, the King collects ‘tax’ from the tributary kings and traders coming to the mela. The tax is taken in the form of money or material.
According to one of the courtiers, Jursing Bordoloi, also a relative of King Deepsing Deoraja, the main problem of the mela is that they have no land of its own. For years, the fair is being held on rented land. “It is the most unfortunate situation,” he laments. The newly formed Tiwa Council has decided to dig a part of the historical wetland, the Jonbeel, to construct a cultural auditorium and a gate carved with traditional Gova designs.
On the last of the three days of Sankranti, King Deepsing Deoraja visited the mela. He arrived in a car and not on the elephant. The tributary King Bhadra Singh Deoraja also came to mark the festival. Meghalaya Governor Ranjit Shekhar Musahari, Member of Parliament Rajen Singh, former president of Tiwa Sahitya Sabha Tulsi Bordoloi were other prominent dignitaries who graced the market with their presence. The Meghalaya Governor said that anthropologically, Lalung, Kachari and Karbi tribes descended from one mother and such a celebration can help strengthen friendly relations among the different tribes.
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
IIPM: What is E-PAT?
"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here
IIPM Mumbai Campus
Money counts for nothing as commodity exchange on the barter principle is the norm at the historical Jonbeel mela of Assam which binds different tribes from the state and Meghalaya together
At a time when the money market is controlling the entire economy of the world, a unique market, operating on the barter principle, is still held once every year on the first Thursday after Makar Sankranti. Jonbeel mela is held at Jagiroad of Morigaon district. Gova King Deepsing Deoraja inaugurates the fair. When the King takes part in a community feast on the first Wednesday after Makar Sankranti, the mela is considered to be open.
Tribal people of the erstwhile Gova kingdom come down from the neighbouring Khasi and Karbi hills to the mela with their harvest of crops and fruits to exchange them with fish, traditional pitha and sandah and other commodities that are locally produced in the plains.
While the British took over the reins of Assam on February 24, 1826, after the Yandabu Treaty, the Gova kingdom came under British Rule in 1835. But traditional practices continued without any break. The Gova people select the King, abiding by the rule of hierarchy. The present King is a 17-year-old boy from Nongphu in Meghalaya who is studying in the tenth standard.
Hundreds of Khasis, Karbis, Jayantias and Tiwas walk down the hills with loaded bamboo baskets hanging from their forehead. Meanwhile, the people from the plains also gather. They exchange commodities throughout the day. The Tiwa people of the Gova kingdom are busy fishing while the market goes on. Guests are served fresh fish caught in the four beels (lakes) of the Gova King: namely Jonbeel, Arambeel, Khamrangibeel and Thakurdovabeel. There is another lake in the Gova kingdom where the local people do community fishing as the Assamese new year breaks in April.
The Jonbeel mela is a symbol of unity among the people of the plains and the hills. Both these communities address each other as "mama-mami" (maternal uncle and aunt). At a time when even the most remote corners on earth are not insulated from the effects of globalisation, the barter system of exchange gives Jonbeel a unique character.
Though the Gova kingdom obviously does not have any political significance today, it works as a cultural institution of the Tiwa tribe with a 51-member strong royal courtier group. Some of the portfolios are Borbarua, Jela (priest), Bhitarmazi, Bormazi, Muchi, Komar, Kumar Arandhora, Ranua, etc. Actually, these positions were meant to help the King to run the various functions of the Gova kingdom in the older days. Today, the royal courtiers are mainly responsible for organising cultural celebrations like Kharbeel mela in April, Gosai Olowa mela and Lakhimi puja (once in five years) on the bank of the Jonbeel lake.
At the Jonbeel mela, the King collects ‘tax’ from the tributary kings and traders coming to the mela. The tax is taken in the form of money or material.
According to one of the courtiers, Jursing Bordoloi, also a relative of King Deepsing Deoraja, the main problem of the mela is that they have no land of its own. For years, the fair is being held on rented land. “It is the most unfortunate situation,” he laments. The newly formed Tiwa Council has decided to dig a part of the historical wetland, the Jonbeel, to construct a cultural auditorium and a gate carved with traditional Gova designs.
On the last of the three days of Sankranti, King Deepsing Deoraja visited the mela. He arrived in a car and not on the elephant. The tributary King Bhadra Singh Deoraja also came to mark the festival. Meghalaya Governor Ranjit Shekhar Musahari, Member of Parliament Rajen Singh, former president of Tiwa Sahitya Sabha Tulsi Bordoloi were other prominent dignitaries who graced the market with their presence. The Meghalaya Governor said that anthropologically, Lalung, Kachari and Karbi tribes descended from one mother and such a celebration can help strengthen friendly relations among the different tribes.
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
IIPM: What is E-PAT?
"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here
IIPM Mumbai Campus
No comments:
Post a Comment