Appeasing a god through devotion and penance for getting rid of one’s misery is something very commonly seen in the wide range of rituals in India. But invoking a god through enticement is not so quotidian in religious customs and this sets the very foundation of Hudum Puja. Observed mainly by the Koch-Rajbongshi people of districts Dhubri and Goalpara in western Assam, Hudum Puja is an age-old custom to bring rains at the end of a prolonged period of dry spell. The Koch-Rajbongshi are the largest trans-border ethnic community of South Asia, who follow animistic religion and Hudum Puja is customary in the agrarian communities, as the relation between the two is axiomatic. Through this custom, the role of women in sustenance of life is further cemented.

Hudum Deo is considered to be the son of Basumati and Indra according to mythology amongst the Koch-Rajbongshi. The name Hudum comes from the Hudu birds that are said to be a symbol of Indra, who is the Hindu god of thunder and rain (Ray & Wary, 2015). According to the folklore, a male and a female Hudu bird sitting on a tree branch talking with each other about rain in the mean time rainfall occurs. The usual time of observance of Hudum Puja is on any Tuesday or Saturday night from the end of month Bohag (May) to end of month Jeth (June) in the Asamiya calendar, when the earth dries up and pines for the gift of rain. This very feeling of yearning for rain gets an erotic connotation in the context of Hudum Puja, and is compared to the female sexuality yearning for its counterpart so that procreation may take place. And thus, the custom takes place solely within the purview of women and no man is allowed in the vicinity when the rituals are carried on. Even no priest is needed for this ceremony. Usually, elderly women and women with only one child are the initiator of the rituals with participation of prepubescent girls in various stages.

Hudum Puja needs several components like the head of a crow, nest of black drongo, coconut without a head, soil from the tusk of an elephant, water from seven ghat (river banks), soil from the threshold of a prostitute and many others which are considered culturally specific symbols of fertility (Barman, 2023). It also sees a lot of elaborate rituals, all performed by women. The foremost ritual is the setting up of the Hudum Khuti by cutting the stem of a banana plant. It can be done only by an Ekkushiya, a woman with a single child. Seven days before establishing the ‘Hudum khuti’, seven unmarried girls collect soil and water from seven different houses using a winnowing fan ('kula'). On the ceremony day, these girls wash a ploughing tool ('nangolor juwoli'), apply vermilion to it, and then simulate the roles of bullock and plowman while ploughing, sprinkling the collected water from the seven houses. The banana stem is then implanted near a paddy field away from the residential area and it becomes the symbol of Hudum Deo. The other components are tied together in a banana leaf which also contains other offerings such as sugar, bananas, uncooked rice, flowers, fruits and incense. These are offered by the Ekkushiya who take on the role of the head priestess, accompanied by the sounds of uludhwoni (ululation) and dhak (drums). The drummer is the only male but his eyes are tied with a black cloth as the viewing of these rituals by men is strictly restricted. Afterward, she bathes with water from a new kula and uses the remaining water to wash the hudum khuti. She completes the ritual by burning incense sticks and offering naivaidya. Folklore holds that rainfall begins immediately after planting the hudum khuti. If the rain does not commence within three days of the implantation of Hudum Khuti, then the actual Hudum Puja starts in which songs and dances are performed to please Hudum. A symbolic marriage ceremony for frogs is also organised as it is said to bring rain.

The fascinating part in the rituals is that the Ekkushiya follows all of them in the state of being naked and her hair let free. Also she has to cut the stem of banana tree in the darkness of night in a single breath. Other than that, the other priestesses also join her in dancing around the Hudum Khuti in a circular motion. The main singer is called Gidali. The entire set of songs, dances and rituals have immense symbolic importance. The Hudum Khuti represents the phallus and the masculine generative power. The songs have erotic undertones and the dance has several movements which mimic the agricultural activities of ploughing land, harvesting crops, thrashing the bundles of paddy, winnowing and so on, along with gestures meant for sexual evocation. The dancers also hug the Hudum Khuti turn by turn. In the songs one can also find mentions of Madan Dev also called Kama Dev who is the god of erotic love and desire. In a way the women are actually seducing Hudum Deo as a lover, comparing themselves to the parched soil in need of rain. The Ekkushiya here is an important symbol of a land that was once fertile but is left barren now and is hoping to be able to bear life in the form of crops again. These symbolisms also elucidate why nudity of women is an important part of the rituals. Nature is not bound by any external factors; it has its own way and flow. Through the act of stripping off clothes, untying their hair, singing and dancing around the Hudum Khuti, they represent the infinitude and the generative power of nature that nurtures life. It is primal, not bound by the values of culture and society. 

In present times, Hudum Puja have taken backstage due to effects of modernization and lack of privacy in a digital era, but in some interior villages these are still observed. The dances and songs of Hudum Puja are often performed on stage in cultural programmes to save them from getting lost, albeit with some modification of the overtly sexual tone into a milder version. Young girls are also trained in Hudum dance in cultural centres to preserve the form and prepare the future generation for the custom. Innovation is being encouraged along with tradition. Hudum Puja as a whole not only puts forth the importance of fertility rituals but also encompasses the contribution of women in fostering culture and society from time immemorial.  An abundance of rain is an important factor for a good yield of paddy, the staple of Assam. Through these rituals, these women actually save their own community from starvation by their belief of ensuring a good harvest through worshipping Hudum in an unconventional way. Along with this, there is also a space created for women where they may break free of the standards of modesty and vulgarity of the society and traverse the confines of domestic life, even if for a small time. They are free from the male gaze where they have no shame or hesitation in being naked as they are guarded by the dark night and offering their sexuality to the divine. Here, the women are the only ones who are in control. There is no difference between them and nature.

Hence, Hudum Puja is not only a custom for invoking the rain god for nurturance but is also a setting for women where they may express their sexuality, beliefs and devotion for the welfare of their community. It is a dual symbol of their endurance and resilience against the odd forces of nature and their role in nurturing life by realising their oneness with nature. 

References:

• Barman, P. (2023). The dance and the dancers: Tradition and innovation within the indigenous performances of the ritual dance of the Hudum Deo. In Reflections of Dance along the Brahmaputra (pp. 79-92). Routledge India. https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Reflections_of_Dance_along_the_Brahmaput/1vTEEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=hudum+deo&pg=PT12&printsec=frontcover

• Ray, M., & Wary, J. (2022). Hudum Puja: A Religious Festival of the Koch Rajbongshis. Quarterly Journal of The Mythic Society, 113(4), 50-57.

• Roy, D. (2021). ‘Hudum Puja’Of Koch-Rajbongshi Tribe: An Analytical Study. Webology (ISSN: 1735-188X), 18(1).