Habitat and Distribution:

Habitat and Distribution: the Meches' migration into India is a fascinating historical journey. They entered India through the Patkoi Hills, between India and Myanmar, and gradually spread into modern Assam, North Bengal, and parts of Bangladesh. Their migration likely occurred in three directions, each leading to unique settlements. One part went south along the river Brahmaputra and established themselves in the modern Assam up to Goalpara and in some parts of Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar districts of West Bengal. The third part went towards the west along the foot of the Himalayas up to the river Mechi, running between India and Nepal. They settled on the river's north bank as Mech or Mechia, crossed the river, and established themselves in the deep forests of Darjeeling Terai and Baikunthapur of Jalpaiguri. They marched eastwards, crossed the Tista, and spread in the Duars, Jalpaiguri. After that, they moved east, crossed the Sankosh River, and went towards Goalpara in Assam. This migration pattern provides a clear picture of their historical movement and settlement.

Social Structure and Family Life:

The Meches are renowned for their peaceful and amiable nature. They are intelligent, docile, and free from prejudices. B.H. Hodgson remarked, “Among their communities, there are neither servants nor slaves, non-aliens of any kind.” H. Beverley noted in his 1872 report that the Meches frequently inhabit the Terai region, thriving in a climate detrimental to other races. They are primarily pastoral people, maintaining large herds of buffaloes that graze on bamboo leaves and jungle fodder.

About a century ago, the Meches of Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts in West Bengal were divided into two sub-tribes: 'Agnia Mech' and ‘Jati Mech.’ Intermarriage between these groups was usually prohibited. H.H. Risley noted that the Meches in Assam were divided into four sub-tribes: Agnia Mech, Assam Mech, Kachar Mech, and Thampai Mech. The Meches of Bengal are organised into several clans, or 'Gotras.' Risley identified twelve clans: Bamoda, Bosmathe, Chhonsgthing, Chongphran, Isare, Kuktaiare, Mochari, Narjenane, Nobiane, Phadam, Sobaiane, and Sibirgare. Additionally, some 'local gotras' are driven by profession, such as ‘Khatlou-ari’ (cultivators of sweet gourd), ‘Gaya-ari or Gua-ari’ (areca nut growers), and ‘Bhargao-ari’ (village leaders). C.C. Sanyal observed that some Mech women in the Baikhantapur Forest and Naxalbari area had a trident mark on their forehead, indicating their affiliation with the Iswar-ari sect. Some Meches have adopted Bengali titles like Mondal, Ray, Singha, and Thakur. There is no caste or varna system among the Meches. Interestingly, they also do not hire anyone as their servants. Hence, one can’t notice any stratified classes among them.

The Meches use the word ‘Nokhor’ to denote the concept of family. A ‘Nokhor’ typically includes a father, mother, sons, daughters, brothers, and other close relatives. They follow a patriarchal family system, whereas their cousins, the Garos, have a matriarchal system. Mech men usually do not establish a separate household after marriage; if separation is necessary, it is managed by the family head. B.H. Hodgson noted that the Meches are generally known to be good husbands, ideal fathers, and caring sons. Inheritance primarily goes to sons, while daughters, whether married or unmarried, do not have property rights. Widowed mothers and unmarried daughters receive maintenance from the family.

Marriage holds significant importance among the Meches. Marriages are typically arranged and settled by the mothers of the groom and bride. A dowry-like endowment called ‘Jan’ is generally taken from the bride’s family, though this practice is increasingly frowned upon by educated Meches. Marriages usually occur within the tribe and occasionally within different ‘gotras,’ but rarely outside the tribe. Married Mech women typically do not wear vermilion on their foreheads, conch shell bangles, or iron bangles, although recently, some have started adopting these practices, emulating Hindu Bengali culture. A day before the negotiated marriages, the Gods Batho or Bathau and his consort Maino are worshipped without animal sacrifice. Generally, the Meches do not perform any animal sacrifice before the event of marriage. But at the time of the marriage, Bathau, Maino, and other gods are appeased with sacrifice. The animals are not strangled or killed with cruelty. Instead, they are headed with one stroke. Bathau gets a goat, cock, hen, and a pigeon. Maino gets a hog, Mahakal gets a castrated goat, and other gods get a pigeon or cock. Marriage preparation is standard for both the Bodos living in Assam and Bengal. During the ceremony, on the completion of the ‘Goy Khaonai’ or ‘Achau Thepnai’ act, the party returns home and arranges for the main ceremony of marriage. Sufficient betel nuts are purchased, and on the scheduled date of the marriage, ‘bairathis’ or marriage party from the groom’s house go to the girl’s house with Jou rice, paan leaves, and those areca nuts. Widow remarriage is also allowed in their society. A widow, usually called an ‘atia’, puts on a white cloth or ‘Doksha’ until death. In some remote villages, widows are also seen to wear coloured clothes.

The Meches community maintains its unique traditions while gradually adapting to modern influences. Their peaceful disposition, strong family values, and rich cultural heritage make them a notable ethnic group in the northeastern region of India.

Professions:

Until the end of the twentieth century, the Meches practised 'Jhum' (Hadang ), i.e., the slash-and-burn cultivation method. They were also found to earn a livelihood through weaving, fishing, making bamboo articles, etc. Now, they have transformed from 'Jhum' to settled agriculture (Hal-wai-nai) with the bullocks and the plough. The change in the cultivation system affected their demographic strength, killing the stabilisation of their social structure. W.B Oldham, the Deputy Commissioner of Darjeeling district, wrote in his report that the Meches were radically diminishing compared to other races because of such a change. The introduction of tea plantations also affected the balance of the life of the Meches, as such plantations acquired lands that were primarily owned/used by the Meches for cultivation. 1895, Meches held nearly 9759.36 hectares of land in the Falakata area. The Meches, since then, have lost their land to different ethnic communities who had crept into their land and settled there. These include caste Hindus, Muslims, and other groups like Rajbanshis, Mudas, Oraons, etc. Maynaguri, initially considered an area concentrated with Meches, had no Mech population in the district census in 1961. A similar fall in numbers can also be traced to the Darjeeling Hills areas.

Along with paddy cultivation, other cash crops like jute (Corchorus capsularis Linnaeus), mustard seeds (Brassica nigra Koch), areca nut (Areca catechu Linnaeus), arum [ Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott], various pulses and vegetables are also cultivated in large scale by the Meches. They are also known for their age-old cottage industry, Eri-culture. The Mech women are traditionally skilled in rearing silkworms, spinning, and weaving. The Mech family rears fowls, cows, pigs, ducks, and goats. These constitute a source of income, especially for the women. The Meches are also known to be good hunters. Before hunting was declared illegal by the Indian Government, they used ‘jilit’(bow) and ‘Bla or thir’ (arrow) to hunt wild animals.

Religion:

Rev. Endle says, “The religion of the Kachari (Mech) race is distinctly of the type commonly known as ‘animistic’, and its underlying principles is characteristically one of fear or death.” B.H. Hodgson says, “The religion of Bodo (Mech) is distinguished like their manners and customs, by the absence of everything shocking, ridiculous, or incommodious. It lends no sanction to barbarous rites, nor does it hamper the commerce of life with tedious insane ceremonial observances.” He called the religion of the Bodo “The Natural Religion of Man.” Hodgson also says, “...the Meches or Bodos do not have idols or temples. They have innumerable deities or gods. Their divinities are divided into male and female, old and young. A good number of deities or gods bear the title of ‘Raja’, which exemplifies the classic Hindu practice of defying the mortal benefactors of humanity in a word, apotheosis or hero worship.”

The Meches worshipped several Gods and Goddesses. They borrowed some deities from Hindus, according to A. Campbell, the religion of the Meches is the Shivite form of Hinduism. They divided their popular deities into three classes: 1) Noni Mondai Household, 2) Doini Modai-river gods and 3) Gamini Modai-village gods.

Amongst the Noni Mondal Household Gods, the Bathou is their chief god. Apart from him, many gods worship mainly inside their homes, like Agrang, Khoola, Mainao, Manasho, Brali, Jaman, and Rajhkhandra. The Bathou, however, is not an elemental god, but he identifies with something tangible, viz. the Sij or Euphorbia. The Meches primarily worship him as a living symbol, the Siju tree. Bathou was worshipped regularly previously, but presently, Bathou is worshipped only when an occasion demands. In the Mech society presented, Bathou is identified with Siva, who is Hindu. Bathou was worshipped as Siva by King Naranarayan (the famous Koch king), according to ‘shastric’ rites. The following important household deity is Mainao, the wife of the Bathou. She is also called Balikhungri, the guardian or protector of the paddy field.

Doini Modai, or River gods, include Dhorla, Dudhkoshi, Tista Buroi, Kangai, Mechi, Torsha, Jaldakha etc. The worship of the river god seems to be of less importance now. In previous times, rivers were especially revered and worshipped. Brahmaputra is the chief river deity of the Meches (both from Assam and West Bengal).

Gamini Modai-village gods are worshipped outside the house, mainly deduced from several natural elements. The list of the gods is as follows: Ha Modai or eath, Wat Modai or fire, Hajo or a Raja, Kathakuver, Sukhrabrui, etc.

The religious rites of the Meches consist of the sacrifice of animals and birds. Prayers consist of invocation of the protection for the people, the crops, and the domestic animals. In his account, Hodgson had given details of the rites of the Meches, “the prayers are few and simple when stripped of their mummery; and necessarily so, being committed solely to the memories of a non-hereditary and very trivially instructed and mutable priesthood. The offering consists of milk, honey, dried rice, eggs, flowers, fruits and red lead or cochineal; the sacrifice of the hogs, goats, fowls, ducks and pigeons, most commonly hogs and fowls. Sacrifices are deemed more worthy than offerings so that all the higher deities, without referring to their supposed benevolence or malevolence of nature, only receive sacrifices from the lesser deity’s offerings. Libations of fermented liquor always accompany sacrifices because to confess the whole truth, sacrifice and feast are commutable words, and copious potations must crown feasts. Malevolence appears to be attributed to very few gods, though all will resent neglect, and hence the absence of savage, cruel rites.”

Sij, as Mahakal, worships the Meches in the month of Baisak (April-May), and the big puja is called ‘Baisagu’. They arrange ‘Garam Puja’ and worship all gods at a time-Bathau or Mahakal or Siva, Mainau as Kali, or Laxmi, Arang, Khoila, Manashu, Sanjan and Braliand all river gods and goddesses. All the villagers attend the pujas. In these puja celebrations, they offer rice plantains, milk, sun-dried rice, and flattened rice (cura) to gods and goddesses. Flower, basil or bael leaves are not used. Hens, cocks, pigeons, and pigs are killed as offerings. Manasha puja is held in Asar (June-July). In this puja, the Meches worship snake goddesses. Six male goats and female goats and pigs are sacrificed. The boys and girls go from house to house, playing Twitch music and collecting donations for the upcoming ‘Devi puja’ parallel to our Durga puja. Still, the ceremony is performed without any idols. It is called ‘Bak-Khela’ or ‘Daubo-Khela’ in Aswin (September-October). Many Meches also host and celebrate Kali Puja from October to November. They also perform a puja called ‘Hagra-madai’ in the month of ‘Pous’ or December-January. They worship the goddess of the forest and essentially worship the ’Tree god.’ In the so-called month of ‘Chaitra’ (March-April), there is ‘Oa-gele-nai puja’ or the festival where they worship the bamboo. Interestingly, one can notice that Christian Meches or Brahma Meches are more bent towards following the archaic tribal ceremonies and avoiding the ceremonies which are mainly a product of the assimilation of Hindu culture.

The Meches do not hire Brahmins as priests for these pujas or ceremonies. Anybody can wish to qualify as a priest from the Mech community, though his position will not be hereditary. In his work, Charu Chandra Sanyal writes that the priesthood office is handled by three classes: Dhami, Deosi and Ojha or Roja. Dhami is the district priest, while the Deosi(s) are generally village priests. They are paid fees after each ceremony.

Food habits:

Rice is the staple food of the Meckes. Many families are cultivating wheat (Triticum aestivum Linnaeus) but are not used to taking flour or atta. They also take maise, fish, meat, vegetables, and milk. Usually, they take boiled green vegetables; some are wild species. Some of which are useful for curing diseases. They also drink milk and use mustard oil to cook food. Ghi is eaten; also, dahi (curd). Com is eaten both raw and cooked. Plantains, papaya, oranges, and other fruits are eaten. Sesamum indicum Linnaeus (Sibing Bigodk) is grown around the cotton plant. The seed is crushed in the wooden mortar and mixed with vegetable curry to whet the appetite. An alkaline salt (Khardoi Bedai) is made by burning twigs of Vigna mungo (Sabai Gwchhwu). The ash is collected in a pot. This is added to the curry. The Meches have modified their food habits, particularly some animal meats like beef, owing to the growth of Hindu influence on their culture.

They eat meals thrice a day: an early morning meal (Kham-go-zang), a midday meal (Sanja-phu), and an evening meal (Bi-ni-mi-kham). Early morning meals consist of stale rice cooked last night with salt, chillies, onion, etc. But wealthy families take hot rice. Often for breakfast, they take ‘petha’, like south Indian idli, ‘Maira Sitao’, like rice pancakes, and ‘Sitao gran’, which resembles dosa. They take rice, vegetable curry, meat, or fish for mid-day meals. The evening meal is the same as at midday. They are used to take the following meats: of pigs (Oma Bidor), of fowls (Dau Bidor), of ducks (Hangsha Bidor), of pigeons (Pharau Bidor), of goats, etc. The poultries and pigs are reared for household consumption and constitute a source of income, especially for women. Tea drinking has become very popular among the Meches now. Tea is called ‘chia’; in Assam, it is called ‘saha.’ Among the Meches is a tradition of making liquor from fermented rice called ‘jou.’ It is consumed both in households and during several religious-cultural ceremonies. There are primarily two types of ‘jou’: ' Bokha jou’ and ‘Hasa jou.’

Smoking tobacco is also popular among the Meches. They never consume opium and hemp. C.C. Sanyal states in his work that the elders and the youngsters smoke together. An earthen or wooden ‘Hang-kha’ or ‘Phuski’ is used, and it is a widespread and constant companion. These ‘Hang-kha’ or ‘Phuski’ are pipes with a wider upper end for the tobacco and a narrow end for the mouth.

Houses:

A house is called 'Na'; some pronounce it as 'No'. A living hut is generally 18'-24' long and 12'-8' wide. The huts with mud plinths are erected to enclose a quadrangle or a nearly square yard. The huts are made of straw or jungle grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) supported by bamboo trellis (Bambusa sp.) or bamboo strips. The thatched roof resting on a bamboo (Bambusa sp.) or wooden (mainly Shorea robusta) framework projects considerably beyond the walls. The walls are mud-plastered. There is one open space for the door (Duar) and sometimes one or two small openings in the wall for the window (lana/a), but there is no window in most huts. Formerly, an opening in the front wall was the door, and the small space between the roof and the wall served as a window. A piece of jute cloth hung over the opening served the purpose of a door cover. Now, reed or wooden door covers are used. All huts have mud floors raised about 2ft from the ground. A separate cooking hut (No-a-ghar) and sleeping huts are separate. The northern hut (Na-ma i.e. house for the mother) is generally the bigger hut where Mainou (the goddess of wealth) resides. At the northeastern corner of the yard, a Euphorbia royleana plant is enclosed in five layers of bamboo trellis. This is their Great God, 'Bathou'. The cattle byre is a lowly thatched hut and is always built outside the inner yard.

Well-to-do Meches have built wooden houses on poles (Shorea robusta) about 7ft in height from the ground, with wooden floors, wooden walls and corrugated iron or tiled roofs. These houses are often referred to as ‘Cheoari No.’ Brick floors have also been found in such houses.

The cooking hut has a mud floor about 3 feet high with a thatched roof. Some families construct pucca or semi-pucca Assam-type houses with C.I. sheet roofing in Assam. Every house has a well of its own. It was previously dug into the earth, but now concrete ring wells are becoming popular. The well is called 'Doi khur' (water dug-out). The district's local self-government department and Village ‘anchals’ are establishing many concrete ring wells to supply drinking water to the villagers. Cast iron pipe wells are available but are not favoured. Some portion of the homestead is covered with different plant species like Artocarpus heterophyllus, Neolamarckia cadamba, Gmelina arborea, Lagerstroemia reginae, Callicarpa arborea, Bambusa spp. etc. A ditch and fence surround each house. The fence is usually made of split bamboo (Bambusa nutans) and a trunk stripe of Areca catechu. Some plant species are used for fencing, like Jatropha curcas, Gliricidia sepium, Justicia adhatoda etc. The Mech tribe does not just build their house on any site or place without ascertaining that the site is free from evil spirits. H.C. Narjinary stated, “To select a site for homestead, they adopt a special rite performed by the local priest or ‘deosi’.” Interestingly, in a house, one can notice huts built for unmarried boys, called ‘No-cha’ or ‘No-sha;’ such arrangements are also made for unmarried girls. The huts built for them are called ‘mandas.’

Dressings, Ornaments and Head Gears:

Usually, the Meches use traditional garments, which are unique and practical in their ways. The children put on a small piece of cloth called 'Nangti' spun and woven by the ladies. When ten to twelve, they wear a larger cloth, 'Gamcha', that turns between the legs and buttocks and hangs down to the knees from the loins. Young and old people also put on a 'Gamcha' of a slightly bigger size. During winter, they used to wrap their bodies with a wrapper (Modomni Gamscha) of cotton or Endi spun and woven at home. The cotton is obtained from Gossypium arboreum. Endi is made from home-raised worms fed on the leaves of Ricinus communis (Eri). They also use a banian, a coat of cotton or Endi. The one without a button but tied with two tiny threads of the same materials is called 'Bushta-bhoto' or 'Bodo bushta '. The one with raw buttons and eyes in front along the chest and abdomen was called 'Bandia' or 'Bandia'. A piece of hanging woven cloth covered with a flowery design is also used by Mech men around their necks, called 'Amai'. An arnai is about 3-3.5 feet long and 8 - 10 inches wide. The male dress has two parts. The upper garment is ‘shuma’, and the lower garment is ’gamcha’, passed between the legs and folded several times around the hips, with the end tucked behind. Generally, they do not wear any shoes; instead, often, you would find them wearing wooden sole covers with a knob to pass between the great toe and the second finger, called ‘champoi.’ These footwears are grossly replaced by Hawaiian chappals nowadays.

The women tie a cloth around the chest just below the armpit that hangs to the knees. It is called 'Dakhna-thinthai' (when plain) and 'Dokhna-ashar' (when ornamented). Yellow is the favourite colour of Mech women. They sometimes wear headdresses called ‘pagri.’ In winter, they cover the body with a sheet of cloth called ‘Hishma.’ Nowadays, younger Mech women often wear saris and blouses when they work outside. At home, they prefer to wear their traditional dress, ‘dokhna.’

The Meches use a headgear of fabricated bamboo strips and leaves of Phrynium pubinerve (Laihu), which protects the head and the back from the rain and the sun. It was called 'Ghum.’ It had no handle. It was put on the head. Many Meches have started using modern umbrellas, but the men engaged in cultivation adhere to the old head cover for convenience.

The Meches are fond of ornaments, but most cannot afford to buy ornaments like gold or other precious stones. Mostly the women are seen to use ornaments, which include ‘boula’ for the upper ear, ‘puti’ a small flower-like plug made of silver for the ear lobes, ‘nak-phul’ a nose pendant made in a shape of a flower or knob, and necklaces which include ‘chandra haar’ and the illustrious silver ornament ‘jibou-zin-siri.’ They often wear a bangle called ‘mutha’, generally studded with dense ornamentations.

Music and dance (including their musical instruments):

The Meches have their artistic originality for their dance. Mech or Bodo dance has gained popularity at the National level. The Mech dance is divided into the ‘Kherai dance, Bagurumba dance, Haba Janai dance and Domashi dance.’ Kherai dance is exclusively related to religious festivals. The Bagurumba dance has become most popular among the Bodos and the Meches. Baisagu is another chief dance of the Bodos. It is a New Year festival dance. Baisagu is held in the first month of the Bengali New Year. Haba Janai dance is exclusively a wedding dance. Domashi dance is performed by ten young boys in the village. It is conducted every month.

The pioneer of Mech dance at present is Osdad Kamini Kumar Narzary. It is said he is mainly responsible for popularising this dance throughout Assam and North Bengal.

This ethnic group has many musical instruments. Among those, the popular instruments are Sipkung, Kkam, Kkamwang, Serja, Jotka, Tkarkha, etc. Sipkung is a long bamboo flute with five holes. An extended drum made of wood and the skin of a goat is called Kham. Kkamwang is a pair of round metallic plates hanging to each other by a jute rope. A violin-like instrument with a round body is known as a Serja, and Jotha, the basin-like instrument of brass, is beaten together in pairs. Tkarkha is made of bamboo split into two halves for clapping.