Rinkumani Pathak
Originally appeared in 'The Assam Tribune'
At a time, when globalization has posed serious threats to the survival of cultural heritage of different local communities, a small group of people has set a unique example of preserving their culture and heritage. With their relentless effort these people have been resisting negative impacts of globalization in making inroads to their lives. The villagers of Namphake village of Upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district have earned a name for showing unique example in preserving their culture and tradition as well as maintaining the beauty, peace and cleanliness of the village.
The village, about 5 K.Ms from Naharkatia town is located behind the Burhidihing River. It is home to about 100 Taiphake families which makes it largest Taiphake village of Assam. With its scanty population, the small community has been living in Assam since the 18th century.There are only nine Taiphake villages in the state-seven in Tinsukia, two in Dibrugarh district. Namphake is the largest among these nine villages.
Sai Akya Gohain, a retired teacher and author from the community said, “This tribe belongs to Tai-Mongoloid group. First we were inhabitants of Mong Mao which was situated in the southern part of China. Then we moved to Hukawng valley of China-Myanmar border. We migrated to Assam in the 18th Century. A group settled down at Tipam and another here in this village. The name of the village Tipamphake derived from the fact that it was adjacent to Tipam hill. This village is called Namphake because it is situated at the lower part. There is no other Tai Phake village after Namphake”.
The daily life of the people of Namphake revolves around the Buddhist monastery. It was established in 1850 and is one of the largest and oldest monasteries in Assam. The monastery is the centre of all the religious, socio-cultural activities of the village.
Special prayers are held on every full moon and no moon days. Poi-Chang-Ken is the major festival celebrated in the monastery which falls in the month of April. It is also called Pani Bihu in Assamese. In this festival people throw water on each other. Other festivals like Poi-Nun-Hok, Pai-Kathin are also celebrated with religious and cultural fervor. Every villager from every generation participates in these festivals with great enthusiasm.
There is a library inside the monastery. “The library preserves many ancient Taiphake scriptures. Some of these scriptures were brought by the Taiphakes while they came to Assam in the 18th century. The library has proud possession of ‘lik-kham’ series which is inscripted on gold”, said Indrajit Chawlu, a young monk of the monastery.
The Taiphake people of the village still wear their traditional woven clothes.Every family has a handloom where women weave their traditional garments. One of the important features of Taiphake clothing is that its designs and colours vary according to the ages. Younger people wear brighter colour.
The villagers are still maintaining their traditional food habit. Rice is their staple food. The rice (topola bhat) they eat is grown at their own field. Though many people of the village have chosen different occupations, every family is associated with agriculture.
The rice and vegetables are grown at their own gardens and agricultural land. Taiphake people mostly eat boiled vegetables. They avoid usage of oil and spices for their cooking. This can be one of the reasons for their happy and healthy life style.
The uniqueness of the village relies on the camaraderie between the villagers and nature. In the heyday of globalization, the Taiphake people are still close to nature. They are all conscious of maintaining the cleanliness and beauty of the village. Therefore, Namphake has bagged award under Swach Bharat Abhiyan. Dustbins made of bamboos are kept in every nook and corner of the village. It has also been awarded by the State Tourism department.
They live in traditional Chang Ghar which is made of wood, bamboo, tree leafs etc. Another extraordinary aspect of the Namphake is that no single police case has been registered from here. The villagers resolve their issues within themselves.
Therefore, the peaceful and picturesque village is attracting both domestic and foreign tourists. If someone wishes to spend some tranquil and serene moments away from hustle-bustle of city life, Namphake is certainly a perfect destination.
Originally appeared in 'The Assam Tribune'
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