An Insight into the Chakmas

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[This account on the Chakmas is based on the personal experience of the author and some of the hearsay passed down from generations to generations.Most of these accounts were retold to him by his parents,grandparents,and some elderly people he met]


A life begins with birth.So let us start with the birth rites which will be then followed by marriage and death rites in the later post.


It is normal to conceive child after marriage. But there are some exceptional cases where a couple cannot get children even after years of marriage.The Chakmas believe that such a thing happens due to Deva
Karam ( action of the spirit ) or Manei Karam (action of human being) and sometimes illness.So for illness the Chakmas consult the Vaidyas (physicians) and Padhu Ojhas (maids).They prescribe medicines as per symptoms consulting the traditional Tallika (list of medicines and medicinal formulas ) where symptoms, medicines preparation and doses are clearly mentioned.They also some times prescribe it  from their own experience.

In case of Deva Karam, they will prescribe talishmen, perform pujas and sometimes animal sacrifice.The spririts who are responsible for child birth are believed to be Moginhee and Mrala. The Mralas are said to be seven sisters with different taste.They are sometimes believed to be seven fairy sisters.They are believed to kill the infants.So when a couple cannot keep alive their first children, they offer Mrala Puja  with animal sacrifice, sweetmeat, flowers, puffed rice etc.Afterward,the Vaidyas used to bind talishmen on the couple with certain rules to observe.

BIRTH RITES
On conceiving a child, the pregnant mother approaches the Padhu Ojha, the maid who helps in child birth. She is an Ojha(exorcist) and a physician and well conversant with mantras (magical chanting) and Talliks (medical formulas) concerning child birth and pregnant women. She is usually an old lady, may be a widow. First she would  physical examination of the conceived woman called Pet Molana (literally massaging the belly) and diagnosise the position of the foetus.She would ask the pregnant to have close contact with her for any ailment like untimely discharge, back pain etc.She is also conversant with the magic and would chant magic  on water  for Sul(pressure) headache, displacement of uterus, etc.In the olden days she would advice them to  sacrifice  a chicken at the riverghat to appease Ganga, the water goddess and under a evergreen tree to Bhooda-the ghost, (the son of Ganga and the hunter) for easy delivery of the child. In the meantime,the pregnant woman will have regular visits with the Padhu Ojha and have check up of the foetus. The Padhu Ojaha will sometimes  correct the position of the foetus. Some families even keep with them the Padhu Ojha for months until the child birth. Such practice is called Boidhya  Ojha {literary, sitting Ojha).

A pregnant woman is forbidden hard work and to lift heavy loads. She is forbidden to go out after sun set or to visit a death house. She is allowed to take any food or beverages she fancy. But she is not allowed to sleep during day time. As it is  believed that sleeping during day time will make the head of the child big and it will cause complicated delivery. It is also encouraged to set sweat by a pregnant woman as it is believed to ease delivery.

Delivery of Chakma children are usually done at home.It may be in the dwelling house or a separate house called Biyani Shal which is constructed for the purpose. On the start of delivery pain, the Padhu Ojha is called up. She will  examine the mother and calculate the exact time of delivery. She may ask the family to sacrifice a chicken at the river ghat  or stream to appease the water deity, Ganga.. As it is believed that if the water deity Ganga is unhappy with the woman she will cause delivery problems.In the meantime a fire on a plate or earthen pot will be made and placed at the entrance of the house to keep away the bad spirits. The Ojha  will then ask for Tela Nada (cotton soaked in mustard oil) and massage the belly with it. Before massaging she will chant some mantras on the Tela Nada for the easy delivery. In complicated cases the Ojha had to apply many procedures like applying mantra chanted water for strong pushing, to send the baby to the lower abdomen etc. She had to some times prescribe medicines for all complications. She had to some time ask the family to search for a Vaidya (physician) if it is beyond her capacity. It is also seen that  some Ojhas had caused child birth amputing the limbs of the dead child. It is said that some Ojhas could dissect a dead baby by magical chanting and drawing lines with sharp knife on the  plantain leaf figure of a baby  placed on the mothers womb.After delivery of the child  some complications may be seen with the Gharpada (placenta). It sometimes do not come out.For that also the Ojha had to chant mantras or prescribe medicines. After the child birth, the umbilical cord is dissected with the help of  sharp blade  made with the outer skin portion of a bamboo  called Dulhuk applying mustard oil. The end of the dissected cord is bounded  tightly with the believe that if the bind is loose, the naval will bulge out. This process called Nar Kabana..Afterward, the umbilical cord is buried. This process is called Gharpada Garana. Afterwards the baby and the mother is washed with warm water and the Padhu Ojha also goes to the river to wash herself. The mother is also offered bitter things like bitter gourd soup, curry etc. The baby, the mother and the Padhu Ojha are afterward sanctified by sprinkling Gheela Kojoi Panhee. The mother of the baby is also advised to go to the river as soon as she is able to do so. She is also advised to flow the first breast milk in the river with the believe that she should get flow of breast milk like the flow of water.Afterwards only she breast feeds her child.

From the next day the mother is provided with good food to regain her strength and fill up the blood called Lo Bharana(literary filling up the blood).The neighbours and relatives also offer her with good food  with scented rice, items like meat, fish, dry fish, fresh vegetable, fruits, sweetmeat etc.  This system is called Bhat Moja Dena  (literary meaning to offer Bhat Moja-the rice packet). The new born mother is forbidden to take chillies with the belief that it will cause colic pain to the new born child..She is also refrained from doing heavy works up to about one month. During this period she is also asked to take bath with warm water boiled with medicinal herbs.

The Chakmas believe a new born house and a dead house to be impure unless the purification ceremony called Kojoi Panhee is performed. In  such a house no person with a talishman with the knowledge of medical chanting will enter. Less the power of magic is decreased.  After about one week when the Nar (umbilical cord ) is separated from the baby the family may perform the purification ceremony called Kojoi Panhee (literary water of Gheela, a horse chestnut like jungle fruit and Kojoi, a tamarind like jungle fruit grown on thorny creeper in the jungle). The Chakmas regard these two items as purifying agent. The Chakmas  regards a new born house as impure unless the Kojoi Panhee rite is performed. Hence no Vaidya will visit such house. Any person with a Talishmen will also refrain to visit such house knowingly. He will either visit such house leaving  his Tabit/Kabach (talishman) in safe place or he will have to  Jagei (invoke energy) on it. It is believed that once any one has entered a impure place , the power of a talishmen is lost. So a new born house, a death house and a woman with period (menstruating) is always is avoided by a person with talishmen which are regarded as impure.

Kojoi Panhee : 
After about one week from the day of delivery, when the piece of umbilical cord is dried up and separated from the baby's body, the rite of Kojoi Panhee may be performed. In a Kojoi Panhee, the presence of the Padhu Ojha is a must. If unfortunately she dies before the performance of the Kojoi Panhee rite, it should be performed with a dry bamboo piece. For performing Kojoi Panhee : Gheela, Kojoi, water, raw turmeric, rice, piece of gold and silver are kept in a pot or bamboo tube. A crowing cock, one bottle of Maud (rice wine), one bottle of Kanjee (rice beer), one piece of Pinon (lower garment of the women), one piece of Khadhee (breast cloth of  the women and at least five rupees are required. The host may arrange other provisions and materials for the Padhu Ojha and  for a feast on the occasion. At first the Padhu Ojha  is offered those provisions by the 'Biani' (mother of new born) with the prayer  that she should forgive her for her inability to offer her more comparing the service she had rendered for the delivery since the virtue of an Ojha is invaluable..That she should not take it otherwise  for her inability to offer more and she should bless her and the child for long and healthy life. The Ojha will first accept those provisions and take the baby on her lap. She will then sprinkle Gheela Kojoi water from head to toe of the child plucking one tail from the tail of the cock chanting prayer  that all ill luck, ill fate, dangers, illness of the child  should vanish with the touch of the purifying  water and that the child should have long life of such years as her hairs of her head..She will also  bless the mother and the child by plucking feathers from the cock and dipping it in the Maud and  Kanjee and sprinkling on the mother and the baby. She may some times drink a little of maud and Kanjee as a token of her acceptance of the offering. She may also allow the rest to be distributed among the relatives gathered for the occasion. Or She may take it to her home. She will also sprinkle the Kojoi Panhee on her and the whole member of the family and the assembled people.. She will then ask to sprinkle it on the whole house. Thus the rite of Kojoi Panhee is over.

On the day of Kojoi Panhee, village elders and the relatives are invited. A feast consisting of wine, rice beer, meat, fish , vegetable and other provisions are also arranged. After preparation of the food, first it is offered to Gongei (the God, usually in front of the Buddha Idol or Picture) called Syong, then to MAA LOKKHI MAA, the goddess of wealth usually in a rice basket called CHOLE LEI or CHOLE BHERA along with lighting lamps and flowers, then to the Ojha and others. It is also seen that a couple  whose previous children are not survived will offer his new born to the Ojha  on the KOJOI panhee day and it belongs to the OJHA. But  before leaving the house she will offer it for sale and the couple will purchase on nominal payment. Such a child is name as  EKANNYA, DWIANNYA, meaning who has been purchased with one anna, two anna etc. Apart from the Ojha, the new born is also blesses by elders on the day of KOJOI PANHEE with SEP (blessings with rice and cotton) and money. Naming  also is sometimes done on the day of Kojoi Panhee. The names are usually given by elders like grand father, uncle etc.

However, now a days, delivery is performed at hospitals. In such case Kojoi Panhee is not performed but sprinkling of purified water is done. But Kojoi Panhee rite is still performed in the villages.

Usually a Chakma mother breast feed her child till the birth of her next child. The youngest child takes mother breast for long time. It is said that Shri Indrajit  Chakma of Nunsury, MIZORAM, the maternal uncle of the author, who is  the youngest among the eight brothers and sister took his mother's breast milk for up to fourteen years and he got married at sixteen two years after giving up his mother's breast milk. He is now eighty-two years of age..

The Chakma children in the olden days did not get any formal education. They had to learn the knowledge of life gradually from the day to day works and happenings around them.Up to the age of  about six they used to remain naked. Afterward their dress code was very simple only one loin cloth called Tennya which was wraped from front to back tucking at the front and back on a string bound around the waist called Pharat Duri ( literary waist cord.) and the body remained bare except in winter. Some parents used to bind Jhanjhani/Jhunjhunee (ghunguroo) around the waist as ornament and sometimes bangles were also worn. The children are not provided special food.  Except the mother's milk, they are provide usual rice and curry. But some times eggs, liver of animals, gizzard of  chicken, chicken soup are specially prepared for children with less spice like chillies.

During work in the jhum,the adult used to catch insects like some edible beetles like Bhagadang, Kech Kumori, Komreng Puk, Sing Puk (Rhino-beetle), Phiring (Grasshopper) etc. On reaching the jhum hut these are roasted and given to the children.Sometimes jungle fruits, edible roots like yam etc. are also procured which are given to the children. The Chakma mother also cools her children  with threat like  black cat will come, Dhudukhang ( a crab eating kite who hunts crabs  at night making peculiar sound). She also puts her child on cradle called Dhulon and make them sleep singing lullabies called Olee.. Every household with children have cradles.

The Chakma mother is also a physician.She used to treat the simple ailments by herself with the knowledge she learned from her mother and grand mother. She also learns some mantras and talliks along side cooking and household chords like drawing water, carrying firewood, weaving and jhum works. So when her child is crying she will first observe the symptoms of such crying. Whether it is colic pain or uneasiness caused by the spirits. If colic pain she will offer her child bile of a snake. If it is the cause of spirit she will first put mantra chanted black spot on the forehead from the bottom of cooking pot. She may also bind mantra chanted mustard seeds on the hand or neck of the child to drive away the spirit. If not cured she may approach a Vaidya to prepare a talishmen for her child  or put a  Mantra chanted ball of black flea wax on the tiff of hair of the child called Rokkhya Banana ( to bind protection).

The Chakma children suffer from many ailments like Pet Phuleya (diarrohea), Agalana (vomiting), Disti (indigestion), Jar (fever), Tinno Pira (Pneumonia), Kach (cough), Seba (cold), Mrala Krenga (celebral malaria), Ludi  (hum), Aranga (chicken fox), Sugor pira (mamps), Kumkumo, Dola (lump), Phora (boils and abseces), Ranga pira (jaundice), Doth (ring worm), pakkwa, etc. For all these ailments they have some ready made treatment. If not cured, they will approach the Vaidyas.

On attaining the age of eight to ten the child will accompany his or her father or mother and learn minor works. If accompanying the father,the boy will learn -how to catch fishes, hooking, netting, setting a coops etc. He will also learn how to hunt animals with traps, noose etc and bamboo craft like weaving of baskets, mats, and other containers., A female child will learn from her mother the art of cooking, distillation of wine, cotton threading, ginning, weaving etc and some female games like Gheela Khara (a game played with gheela- the horse chestnut like jungle fruit), Keim Khara (bamboo stick game), Samuk Khara (literary apple snail game), Peikh khara (literary bird game) etc. also learn playing of Khengrang and singing..  Up to the  age of puberty they will go on learning above art and also   different games and sports, like Gheela khara, Nadeng (top) khara, Bach thela-theli, Pun tulho-tulhee, Bach kharam dumur, Kurho jutdho (cock-fight), Bhangara gujurana, Porh khara, Patti Khara, Mach Khara, Bhulong khara, Bak khara, Samuk khara, Andhik khara, Baluch Khara, Charchari khara etc., playing of traditional musical instruments like  Bajhi(flute), Khengrang (a harp like mouth organ), Singya, Dhuduk, some times Bela (guitar like musical instrument )etc.. On attaining puberty, they will start joining community work like Bala Dharadhari (exchange of work) Maleya {one time heping} Mora Kaam {funeral} Dharma Kaam (shraddha/devotion),  Mela Kaam(weddings),Metbana Kaam(feast), Daru Tulho(collecting medicines), Vaithdhyo Khoja (fetching of physician) etc. During these social intercourse he/she will learn the social aspects of the society and also learn about sex from the elders and experienced friends.

Earlier the boys  and girls had to perform some rite after attaining puberty. The girl had to bind the breast cloth called Khadee ceremoniously where a feast had to be arranged. The boys also had to perform the Dhudhi Khana, for wearing the first Dhudhi (Dhoti). However these rites are not performed nowadays. But  the Tangchangya Chakmas still practice the Dhudi Khana in some rural areas. In a Dhudhi Khana, the invitees and the guests had to be given feast to their satisfaction with provisions like rice, sticky rice-cakes, wine, Kanjee, Jagarha and all available curries like meat, fish, dry fish, vegetables etc. An invitee has the right to demand anything like wine, one full chicken etc but he must pay the price for such demand. This rites need huge expenditure on the pare of the parents of the boy or girl.

A boy will also learn how to select a site for jhumming (shifting cultivation),the art of construction of a newhouse,he may also approach a teacher called Guru Thagur to learn the scripts and Vaidyali ie. the art of magical chanting -the art of healing a patient. He may also learn black magic like Challan, Tona, Jadu etc to inflict harm to his enemies and  also to get  protection from such harms. The girl may also learn the scripts and the art of a maid with the medical formulas concerning gynecology and child care.  She will also learn the various patterns of weaving and try to become expert in household chords and weaving. As before choosing a girl for a suitable bride  it is always enquired whether  she is expert in cleanliness, household chords and weaving of clothes etc.. The young boys and girls used to exchange gifts. The girls used to present hand loomed clothes like haat kabor (shawl), toboilya (towel), khabang (a cloth used as a head gear), etc and the boys present bamboo baskets like  Sammwa, Biyong, Phur Bareng etc which are woven with fine bamboo or cane tapes. The boy will also try to attract a girl of  marriageable relation with magic called Ek Goronhee.  It may be with administration mantra chanted edibles like paan, cake, oil etc. or without any administration. It may be also applied for detraction from a rival called Pharak Goronhee. A boy participating in the clearance of jungle for Jhum was considered  of marriageable age and a girl who  does  all works is considered fit for marriage.