Chaklang

The Assamese culture is full of varieties. Various communities and their traditions have made this place a garden with a mixture of colorful flowers. So, there is no end to the rituals and customs in the social festivals. Even the marriage system in the Assamese culture is found to be practiced in different ways in various places. In this context, I would like to pull you towards the marriage systems of the Ahoms. In Assam, marriage is being termed as ‘biya’ and there is a particular way of celebrating this heavenly relation between the ‘dora’ (groom) and ‘koyna’ (bride). This very special tradition of marriage is known as “chaklang” in the Ahom community.

It is being considered as a social custom to be practiced by all Ahoms and is being noticed to be practiced since the days of the Ahom kings. As an instance Swargadev Rajeswar Singha’s marriage with the Manipuri Princess Kuranganayani can be mentioned. If the origin of this custom is being traced then it has to be mentioned that it first started when Lengdon got married with the eldest daughter of Ak-Kai-Mo-Hung, Nang-Hun-Hpa. The matrimonial process started when Lengdon sent a present of honor containing betel leaves and Areca nuts, clipped on both ends by being decorated on Sarai (a kind of platters with stands). Also, this whole gift was being covered by hand made red towels. So, this was the beginning of the Chaklang custom.

Let us now know the whole Chaklang process and the varieties of rituals followed in it in detail. Such rituals are not only for the well being of the bride and groom but also shows the rich thinking and livelihood of the Ahom society. The following things are being performed in an Ahom marriage and are being tried to be mentioned in the order these are being followed:

• Offering of Juran
• Ceremonial bathing of the bride and groom or noani
• Ceremonial feast
• Rik-khan ceremony
• Deo-ban ceremony
• Bathing with medicated water or Ap-Tang
• Ganthian khunda
• Doiyan
• Marriage procession
• Huaguri-tola
• Sitting of the groom in front of the alter made with a sacred madal under the marriage pandal
• Leading the bride and making her sit on the left of the groom
• Relating the family history of both the bride and groom for seven generations of ancestors
• Performing the Chaklang ceremony
• Presenting a Hengdan and a cloth gridle to the bridegroom
• The priests advices the bridegroom and the bride for their happily married life
• Gold rings and silver lime box with silver chain are being exchanged
• Pancamirta bhojan
• Dice and cowree are being played and
• As the bride enters the bed chamber of the bridegroom, oblation is paid to the five deities

All these activities are being practiced one by one in an Ahom marriage and leads to the divine bonding of the bride and the bridegroom. Each of such rites prepares the bride and the bridegroom mentally and physically towards a very holy and heavenly relation.

First is the Juran. The word Juran means (ju: to live and ran: to join) living together. In this system, articles are being sent to the bride as a token to live together from the bridegroom’s family. This token contains two earthen pots, wedding dresses, cosmetics and ornaments. If the bridegroom’s family is rich then there is tradition of giving seven sets of dresses to the bride. All these things are being decorated with cotton yarn, fresh mango twigs containing five leaves, rice and four packets of mati-mah (black pulse) and halodhi (turmeric) pastes, pen-knives with a silver lime box or a betel-nut. All these are being wrapped by beautiful napkins and gifted to the bride. All these things need to be carried by the bridegroom’s mother or any elderly lady of the family. She is being accompanied and helped by other members of the family and neighbors.



Photo of a Juran

This group of ladies gets the bride dressed up in the sets carried by them and dresses her to be a bride. This process also includes trimming and oiling up her hair and doing other things of make-up. Also a gold ring is placed on a betel-nut above her head and oil is being poured on it. She is being given vermilion mark between the parted hair of her head and on her forehead. While such activities are carried away the ladies present in the Juron group use to sing Juran songs and makes ‘uruli’ (sound made by moving and hitting the tongue in the mouth).

Next is Noani. It is the ceremonial bathing of both the bride and bridegroom which is being performed separately at their own homes. The bride is made to take bath by sitting under a temple like small platform. This is made of a banana spadix which is said to be ‘kaldil’ in Assamese. This is being made by the people who are engaged in the responsibility of decoration and other activities of the marriage. This whole banana tree made thing looks quite eye-catching and is said to be ‘beyi’.

For performing the bathing task a tamuli-pira or bor-pira (a kind of wooden stool) is placed at the centre of the ‘beyi’ and the bride is made to sit on it. All ladies of the bride’s family takes part in this ceremony and gives hand in her bathing. Every ceremonial bath that is performed in the marriage is done by rubbing the paste of mati-maah and halodhi on the bride and bridegroom. Even the water that is used for the bride’s bath is collected and carried by the village women from any pond or river. For this task all ladies use to move towards the pond by singing pani-tola naam which a part of the biya-naam. The biya-naam is a kind of song and is an indispensable part of an Assamese marriage. This biya-naam and also the uruli are unavoidable practices that are being found to be performed during the whole ceremony till the marriage gets completed.

After that begins the ceremonial feast and this feast is being offered to the family members and all others of the community. This is being regarded as providing oblation to the bride or the bridegroom’s nine generation of ancestors and therefore, is said to be the ‘no-purukhor saul khua’ (feast to the nine generations) ceremony.

The ceremony of rik-khvan: It is a Tai word which means invoking long life. This ceremony is performed by three priests who holds Jakoi (a bamboo made thing used for catching fish) in their hands and worships the water-deity Khao-kham in any nearby pond.

Then Deo-ban ceremony is performed on the second day of marriage in both houses of the bride and bridegroom. In this ceremony the Ahom deities are being worshipped.

Ap-tang: In this process the bride and the bridegroom takes ceremonial bath by sitting on the platform made for bathing, ‘beyi’. This bath is taken before sitting for Deo-ban. This bathing ceremony is said to be Ap-tang.

Ganthian khunda: This ceremony is performed before the day of Chaklang. Ganthian is a knotted plant and is pounded (khunda) on a stone slab by any women in relation with the bride and bridegroom.

Doiyan-dia: On the wedding day, i.e., on the day of Chaklang, women sing Doiyan songs and apply curd (doi) on the cheeks, arms and feet of the bride and bridegroom. In this process a woman holds two betel leaves and dips it in the curd and applies on the bride and bridegroom.

Then the marriage procession takes place followed by Huaguri-tola, sitting under sacred madal, sitting behind the bridegroom and relating family history of the bride and bridegroom. After that comes the real practice of the Chaklang ceremony. The bride and bridegroom sits placing hundred and one saaki (fire lighted on small earthen pots with oil in it) in front of them. Then they utter prayers as pronounced by the priests by holding flowers, rice in their folded palms. A few lines of prayers are being uttered and the oblation is being thrown to the altar. At this the women present in the ceremony makes ‘uruli’ and the same procedure is practiced by the father of the bride’s father. After that he makes certain offering to the bridegroom as a sign of welcoming him. Such offerings contain a gold ring, a set of clothes and certain other things. Then the father puts the bride’s thumb upon the bridegroom’s thumb and utters mantra as directed by the priests. The bridegroom also utters prayers and then the bride stands up by holding a garland of flowers. This garland contains hundred and one flowers in it and these can be of various types. But the presence of Singkara flowers is must as it plays a key role in all the ceremonies held by the Ahoms and for them it is like an alternative of Tulsi. She puts it round the neck of the bridegroom who stands up to receive it. Mantras are being pronounced by the bride while doing so and the bridegroom also do the same thing of placing the flower garland round the Bride’s neck.



Exchanging flower garland

Right after this the bride and bridegroom are being knotted together by tying one end of the bride’s chadar with the scarf of the bridegroom. After that prayers are pronounced by both as led by the priests and the bride’s father presents him the Heng-dan (sword), already kept on a nearby platter. By giving it the guardian asks the bridegroom to abide by his responsibilities of protecting his own county, family and property. The bridegroom accepts it by uttering prayers in reply. At the end of this ceremony women present makes uruli and showers rice and flowers on them.

This ceremony then is followed by the rest of the rites and the marriage ceremony comes to an end. Thus, the wedding rites of the Ahoms are quite auspicious and prepare the couple to be dedicated and responsible towards each others. The following vow (slok) then ends the entire auspicious and holy ceremony of Chaklang:

“pā cāi Khā pi neng man pin dām sī
Nu lē phā Khrung phā Khrung ju koi //
bā sī lit lāi cāng khāi bā /
kāp nāi cāng nāi cāng sā cāng tim/
kāo lying thā soi cāo mau lāo cik ku mo
ku wan lāng juk ā mo pāi hit tā//
kāo kā phu bā mā khup mā boy/
ā mu tāng lung sāng khun/
rum cup kān khen tā ī sāo lung hāi sā oi
heu ngak tāng lung sāng khun/
ju hit tā/
ko mu ko bān cāo niāo bān lying paw cāo
mē cāo pī cāo kā khui cāo kkālung tā kheu
khāo pun nāi cām wān mau mān thāng cen nān
kān mā tā khān cām ī nu tā/”


With help from - “Tai-Ahom Religion and Customs” of Dr. Padmeswar Gogoi

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