Bathou Religion
Context:
The Bathou religion has been granted a separate code in the upcoming census by the Union Home Ministry.
The Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) government also recently included 'Bathouism' as an official option in the religion column of various application forms.
Who Follows It?
Bathouism is the traditional, ancestral faith of the Bodo community (the largest plains tribe of Assam)
Their homeland is traditionally on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River.
Core Beliefs:
The name "Bathou" is derived from 'Ba'(five) and 'thou'(deep philosophical thought)
The faith is based on the five elements (similar to the Hindu Panchatatva):
Bar (Air)
San (Sun)
Ha (Earth)
Or (Fire)
Okhrang (Sky).
The supreme god is known as Bathoubwrai or Sibwrai.
Bwrai signifies the oldest or supreme being in all respects.
Bathoubwrai represents the supreme soul who is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent
Central Symbol:
Their faith centres around the worship of the Sijou plant
The Sijou plant is considered the living symbol of Bathoubwrai and is planted in the Bathou altar.
It symbolizes life or the soul
Comparison with Sarnaism:
Bathouism shares similarities with Sarnaism (another indigenous faith primarily from the Chota Nagpur Plateau), such as nature worship, belief in ancestral spirits, and having a priesthood
The key differences lie in the ethnic groups that practice them and their geographical contexts (Northeast India vs. Central India).
While Sarnaism is centred on the sacred grove, Bathouism is centred on the Sijou tree.