This is how the Bodi community
Bodi men wear a cotton bandage around their waist or roam naked. The Bodi tribe is entirely based on animal husbandry and cattle. When a child is born in the Bodi family, the father of that child usually presents to him an ox and a cow. The Bodi tribe has its own distinct language, culture and tradition. Bodi are sociable people and have respect for new people. The Bodi tribe has a population of around 10,000. Bodi use animal sacrifice in many of their cultural ceremonies. Cattle are very important for their social and economic livelihoods. The Bodi community provides cows as dowry to the bride. In addition, cows are the basis of the life of the Bodi tribe from which these people obtain milk, ghee, curd, butter, cow urine, cow dung and blood. (Photo Credit: Eric Lafforgue)
Community leader ‘Komoro’
The traditional leader of the Bodi tribe is the Komoro who is responsible to the entire community and whose order the entire Bodi community treats the deity. He wears a beaded necklace of beads. When the old Komoro leader of the Bodi community dies, the eldest people in that community kill some cattle to elect a new Komoro. After this, cow’s blood is placed in the vessel of dry gourd. Similarly, we put cow’s milk in another vessel. In this, the necklace of pearls is taken out of the dead body and placed in a dried gourd vessel containing cow’s blood. Those beads are then reopened and made into a new design. The deceased Komoro’s eldest son is chosen as his successor and a garland of pearls is worn around his neck. The newly elected Komoro is then blessed by the superior elder of the community with the blood of the slain cattle. He is crowned as the head of the community. Thus the new Komoro is elected in this community. Komoro is not only the leader of the Bodi community but he is also the spiritual master of the entire community. (Photo Credit: Eric Lafforgue)
Cow’s milk and blood for 6 months
Every year in June or July, the Bodi people celebrate the ‘Kael’ ceremony, which marks the beginning of the new year. The person who is the thickest here is treated like a hero throughout his life. In search of the thickest man, a competition is organized here 6 months before Kael. To participate in this, a single unmarried man is sent from every house, who is fed with blood and milk for several months to increase their weight. During this, physical relations with women are also not made. Every morning, the women of a competitor’s family bring cows’ blood and milk in a bamboo pot for them, which are mixed and drunk. During this time competitors use mud and ash to cover their bodies. Cows are considered very sacred among this tribe. Therefore, he is not killed to extract his blood, but blood is drawn through a vein. After this, cow’s horses are filled with the help of soil. (Photo Credit: Eric Lafforgue)
This is how the new year is decided
Kael sets the date of the ceremony, Komoro. The cow is killed on the day of the ceremony. To predict the coming year, the elders of the tribe decide on the last day of the ceremony by performing a traditional countdown to announce their new year based on the moon. For this process, elderly people examine the intestines of the cow. Until the intestines of the cow are correctly estimated, more cows are killed and the process of killing cows continues until all elders in the community agree on an opinion on the prognosis Go. Then the killing of the cows is stopped and in the process the blood of the cows killed during the bowling is poured on the komoro and the komoro announces new years, festivals and other important days. After this, unmarried Bodi men, who are taking a competitive part in the fattening competition, have to pass in front of Komoro and the elders of the community. Komoro then selects ‘Fat Man of the Year’. (Photo Credit: Eric Lafforgue)
Winner gets this reward
The winner of this competition is given fame in the tribe. During this entire ritual, men also wear a headband, which has a feather. The women of the tribe wear goat skirts and the person who wins the festival has the freedom to marry the girl of his choice. The girls with long waists in the Bodi tribe are called beautiful. The cow is sacrificed at the end of the festival, for which the sacred stone is used. During the program, the men are bathed with ashes and mud. A feast is then arranged in which the women perform a special dance called ‘Hate’.
In marriage, the father gives ten cows to his son and 30 to 36 cows as dowry to the bride’s family. The husband is usually given three milch cows by his wife. Before going on a hunt in the Bodi tribe, the men of the community ask their society’s tantra-mantras and sorcery magicians whether they should go on a hunt and whether it will be lucky for them to go on the hunt. If a person kills a large animal such as a lion or buffalo during the hunt, one has to return with the skins and horns of the killed lion and buffalo. The hunter’s father then slays a cow, after which the hunter gives the community great blessings. (Photo Credit: Eric Lafforgue)
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