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KHERAI

The Kherai is another Bodo festival and is associated with worshipping Bathou (Lord Shiva) the principal god of this particular tribe. The Kherai puja (act of worship) is always followed by a series of ritual dances called the Deodhani. The puja and dance are inseparable, the dance being an essential part of the Kherai worship. The term Deodhani is derived from the Sanskrit word deva meaning god or deity and dhani me aning sound or echo. Hence the word “Deodhani” literally means the sound or utterings of a god or deity although some people believe dhani has the meaning woman.

Traditionally a young girl, a female shaman or oracle, is selected to play the key role. She must have reached adulthood, be a virgin, and possess a shapely form with a slender waist. The priest first consecrates this dancer at the altar of Bathou after which she leads the Deodhani dance.  The dance is performed only by women but is accompanied by two men playing the khum ( drum), two men playing the sifung (flute) and two men playing jotha (cymbals).
The dancers, with their hair free, wear long woven dresses, often red in colour, black girdles, and a yellow or red gamocha around their waists. Historically, at the time of dancing the main dancer was naked above the waist other than her jewellery of nose rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets, used to carry a small drum as a talisman, had a vermillion mark on her forehead and her hair dressed in a heart-shaped plait. Three stages mark the puja the main dancer performs. Firstly, with the help of the Oja (priest) who is responsible for ensuring that all th e sanctities and rituals are performed correctly, she falls into a trance and he consecrates her before the altar of the Bathou.


She then begins to dance with the intention of appeasing and seeking favour from nineteen gods and goddesses beginning with Bathou (Lord Siva) and ending with Lakshmi. At one stage she dances a fierce war-dance at which time she takes up a sword and a shield. Her movements reflect the different deities to which her dance is dedicated and the beat of the  accompanying instruments also changes accordingly. The third stage is at the end of the dance when she predicts fortunes and answers questions addressed to her by the attending villagers.
 

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