A Visit To My Mother's Home: Bordoisila

A visit to my mother's house brings rain and thunder to the land of Assam. According to legend, Bordoisila is in a hurry to meet her mother, and nothing can stop her from going to her maternal home.

Cartoon of Bordoisila I Source: daakor.boson IG

The folktale of Bordoisila revolves around a married woman of the same name. Bordoisila resides in a distant land with her husband. Her parental home is believed to be located in Assam, which she visits annually. During the month of Bohag, which begins in the middle of April, this young woman personified as a strong wind departs from her husband's house. Bordoisila is in a rush to reunite with her mother, and in her haste, everything in her path is disrupted by the mighty spirit as she travels from one place to another.

The legend is accompanied by a tradition. Despite heralding the arrival of spring, the winds challenge the people of Assam. These fierce winds bring lightning and thunderstorms that cause damage to homes and crops. In an attempt to slow her down, the people of Assam place a comb, mirror, and stool in the courtyard, hoping that Bordoisila will pause to tend to her dishevelled hair. However, these efforts are in vain, as nothing deters Bordoisila from her mission to reach her mother.

The word Bor means wind, Doi is water in the Bodo language, and Sikhla translates to girl. This suggests the pre-Ahom origin of the folklore. Stories like Bordoisila hold a special place in the region. They are reminders of age-old practices, the continuance of tradition, and the beliefs of the people. The arrival of Bordoisila also heralds the coming of the new year, marked by the harvest of crops during Bohag Bihu. While Bordoisila causes damage, the people of the region simplified the complex shift in winds through a story, which could be narrated to both the children and the elderly alike.

Geographically, Bordoisila is a northeastern wind that signals the pre-monsoon period in Assam in the month of April. These winds originate from the Chotanagpur plateau, which can thus be identified as the house of Bordoisila’s husband. The wind travels at speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour, crossing the states of Odisha, West Bengal, and Assam. As a result, the wind uproots trees, damages roofs, and destroys crops, which is detrimental to farmers. Bordoisila is the outcome of a geographical transition caused by the sun’s northward shift after the vernal equinox. During this period, the sun is directly above the equator, closer to the Tropic of Cancer, resulting in elevated temperatures in countries along that latitude. This atmospheric pressure imbalance leads to the formation of strong winds.

It is intriguing to observe how this phenomenon was comprehended by the people and its significance in the region's history. The people not only deciphered a complex occurrence but also personified the wind as a daughter returning to her maternal home. Folktales like Bordoisila offer insights into the cultural heritage of Assam and emphasise the special role of oral history within communities. Such stories suggest the harsh conditions of the terrain, the practices of the people, belief in the supernatural, and also the nature of kinship ties.