Rituals of Desire and
Fertility: Cultural Symbolism in Bas Puja and Hudum Deo Puja
among the Koch-Rajbongshi Community
Deepjyoti Medhi
ABSTRACT
Assam is among the seven sisters of north-eastern
India, is home to a rich tapestry of ethnic, tribal, and religious
communities, each sustaining unique cultural practices and belief
systems. Among these, the Koch-Rajbongshi tribe’s rituals provide a
distinct prospect into the symbolic expression of fertility and
desire. This research paper will critically discuss both the Bas
puja and Hudum Deo puja of the Koch-Rajbongshi tribe by grounding a
multidisciplinary theoretical framework drawing from ritual theory,
anthropology of sexuality, and performance studies. It will
critically evaluate why sexuality and fertility are ritualized
rather than hidden. In both rituals, phallic symbols are used in the
form of bamboo poles, banana stems, erotic songs, and dances. The
folk community praises the phallus, which symbolizes strength,
sexuality, continuity, and fertility. These erotic symbols and
erotic dance postures in sacred rituals can be critically analysed,
where sexual union and desire are mirrored as cosmic creation,
reinforcing fertility among the Koch-Rajbongshi. Both the rituals
are specifically gendered performances of fertility; only male
members celebrate the Bas puja/Madan Kamdev puja, and the Hudum Deo
puja is a rain-invoking, women-centric ceremony. Both the pujas’
challenges Sanskritic religious morality by centering female ritual
authority and sexual openness as sacred necessity.
Key word: Tribal rituals, fertility, desire, cultural symbolism, and
sexuality
