KARBI FISHING FESTIVAL: UMRANGSO

 Karbi fishing festival is one of the most celebrated festivals of Umrangso. It is celebrated on 6^th April every year. Karbi people living in Dima Hasao or in different parts of Assam come together to celebrate this grand festival.  Karbi fishing festival is celebrated in the golf field, Umrangso where Kopili River passes by.

Karbi fishing festival also has a strong story and message to deliver. It dates   thousands of years earlier when people were localized in an area and had certain rules and regulations developed for the well being of clans in their community. People belonging to a clan considered all the members as their brothers and sisters, and therefore marriage was strictly prohibited within the clan. For example different clans like Hanse, Engti, Timung etc.- they were not allowed to marry within one clan. Like Hanse – Hanse  or Engti – Engti were prohibited to marry but marriage was solemnized between Hanse- Timung or Engti- Hanse  or vice versa. If in those days, couple belonging to a clan fall in love with each other and got married, then they had to meet strict disciplinary action. Muzadhar of the village or the Gaon bura immediately used to call for OKPRU. Okpru is a karbi word, means community fishing. Both the couple were then tied and thrown in a river. They were then termed as fish and villagers like fishermen used to catch them. After that villagers used to beat them, thrash them, drag them in water and ultimately led to death of the couple.

     

But thing started changing when Karbi King Torte Rengbonghom’s son had fallen for a girl of same clan and then the king withdrawn the death plenty to safeguard his son but isolated the couple from the village and the community. The couple had nothing to do in the community or for the community.

Okpru( fishing festival) underwent a lot of change to fit itself with the changing time. There was evolution of Okpru along with the evolving human mind. Only some years past, the site where Okpru( fishing festival) was organized, a platform was given to youths to catch fish there and then the caught fish if they would put in the bag (huk) of the girl according to their likings then villagers used to bless those couples for marriage. But rule remained the same that no marriage should be within a clan.

Presently Okpru ( fishing festival) is organized keeping in mind the traditional, cultural  and religious belief which  passed to them, in one hand and on the other hand they kept the adventure and fun linked with it like -boating, some traditional sports, food and invitees to the fishing festival as guests and chief guest. To initiate the fishing festival now a days,  Goan bura, elderly people and pujari of the locality perform  puja, they are the first ones who give  HIRU to the river water. Hiru is a karbi word means poison – which is secreted from the woody plant. This Hiru makes the fishes senseless for about 2 to 3 hours which helps easy the villagers to catch fish. After the process is completed by the elderly people and Goan bura , then the rest can go for fishing.

Okpru(fishing festival) is also differently celebrated in various Moza(locality). For example in Langku and Longtar area,  Okpru(fishing festival) is different from that of Amri area that is Umrangso.

Special Thanks to Jai Singh Durong

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