Ancestor Worship

Ancestor worship is an essential component in the religious worldview of the Tai Ahom. In earlier days, it was a custom of all families in the Tai Ahom community to worship their immediate ancestors, and the ancestors up to 14 generations during any occasion such as marriage, the beginning of a new business or enterprise, going on a long journey, etc.

Considering the worship pattern of the Tai Ahom, the ancestor worship is divided into three categories. These are griha-dam (girha means house, griha-dam means household deity/ancestor spirit of the immediate dead-first generation), dam chang-phi ren (ancestor spirits from the sixth to 14th generations in heaven with temporary status of god), and chao-phi-dam (ancestor spirits from the 15th generation who have attained permanent status of god in heaven) (see Gogoi & Gogoi 1994). The people worship their ancestors of up to four generations, which is conducted in individual families (griha-dam or dam-phi ren), particularly in the kitchen. The worshiping of ancestors from the fifth generation to 13th generation (chang-phi ren) is performed outside the house but within the territory of their own homestead land.

The ancestor worship is a major component of Tai religion. The Tai people believe in Nature and hence, they follow the natural trail with regard to religious activities. Primarily, observance and performance of rituals and festivals, thus the culture veer around various stages of wet rice cultivation. The Tai, under the leadership of Chaopha (in Tai the elite groups and group leaders were generally called Chao) created the concept of heaven. In Tai religion or Taism there are concepts of heaven and earth. In between the earth and heaven there is Mungklang (the middle space in between the earth and heaven believed by the Tai people who came with Chaolung Siukapha) which establishes linkage between the two. They also believe that there was a ladder or steps linking the sky and the earth. The first batch of heavenly Tai led by two grandsons of the Lengdon (Gohain 2022) came down to the Mung-Dun-Chun-Kham, the golden land through the golden ladder. The Tai Ahom people believe that they are heavenly beings and belong to the clans of gods and goddess. Hence, they consider all of the gods and goddess of heaven as their forefathers. Therefore, they worship the spirits of the ancestors as the gods and goddess of heaven. In the under­standing of Tai Ahom there is no concept of hell and no rebirth. After death, everybody goes to the heaven. Hence, the ancestor worship is a major component of the religious world­view of the Tai Ahom.

2.2.1 Holita Joluwa

This ritual is observed every year. Presently, this ritual is performed by both the Hindus and the Phuralung sect⁵ of the Tai Ahom. It is noted that the Tai-Ahom have no separate prayer hall. For worshipping ancestors they clean a place in the kitchen which they call dam sthan. They keep a lamp, and on a leaf or dish eatable items, betel nut, betel leaf, etc. on the spot for the purpose of dam worship. The priestly clans of Ahom namely, the Deodhai and Bailung set up their place of dam worship in the eastern corner of their kitchen while the Mohan do the same in the western corner. But, the non-priest Ahoms, set up dam place normally in the eastern side of the kitchen. This ritual traditionally was observed by the people before going out for some auspicious purpose (Phukan 2016:80). In the name of the dam they light lamps and sacrifice animals. In case of non-priest clans animal sacrifice is not compulsory. The Tai Ahom people make their traditional food items inside the house or kitchen and offer a quantity of it along with local Luk - lao (undiluted rice beer) (Phukan 2016:81) first to the ancestor with prayer and then food items are distributed among the members present on the occasion.

2.2.2 Me-Dam-Me-Phi

It is one of the ancestor worship rituals of the Tai Ahom which is conducted all over Assam every year on a fixed date since the 13th century, which at present corresponds to 31 January in the Gregorian calendar. The Ahom kings used to hold prayers on this day at Charaideo, the first permanent capital of the Ahom kingdom from the 13 th century, in order to cel­ebrate victory after the war and as a preventive measure against any misfortune. It was also the burial site for the kings of the Ahom dynasty. In Me-Dam-Me-Phi, 'Me' means offer­ings, 'Dam' means the ancestors, and 'Phi' means god (Sarmah & Borah 2012:10).

2.2.3 Kin-on-Meu or Na-Khuwa

Another important and the most popular ritual of the Tai Ahom is Kin-on-Meu or Na-Khuwa which is celebrated in the New Year’s month of Dinsing or Aghun month (corresponding to November-December^ (Dinsing and Aghun are corresponding calendar months of Tai and Assamese). In this festival, the first seasonal crops, vegetables, and fruits produced by the household are offered to the ancestor first (Gogoi 1994:182). It is observed both at indi­vidual and community levels. The Tai Ahom people pray to ancestors; the prayer is rendered below in English in the following words:

“Oh, our ancestors, we pray homage to you on this day. Please bless us. If there is any misfortune likely to occur to any member of our family, we pray for its remedy and wellbeing of them. Because today is the occasion of Na-Diya (first use of the rice from the harvest - explanation added), the offerings are made to the deceased. May the deceased be satisfied at this offering and do away with any kind of disease, misfortune or evils that might occur; and may they bless the household with such abundance that granaries in the front and backyard remain full throughout the ages to come and the beggars and paupers may also be given enough of the grains from them”.

2.2.4 Umpha Puja

Like other rituals, the Umpha Puja is also an important ritual of the Tai Ahom.

2.3