Bordoisila: Personification of a thunderstorm in Assam

She is much more energized. She cannot be tamed. She can destroy anything that crosses her on the way. She is mostly feared by the poor in Assam. Everyone knows, whenever she arrives, she will uproot trees and destroy houses. She is Bordoisila, the thunder-wind, which denotes the coming of the monsoons in the state has a special place in the hearts of the Assamese. Let us know more about Bordoisila.

Bordoisila: a pre monsoon weather in Assam. Image Source: Sentinel Assam

The month of April is the most awaited time for the Assamese. In the middle of the month, the traditional new year of the Indian calendar begins. This event is celebrated in many places under different names since it also refers to the commencement of the harvest season. Particularly in Assam, it is the time for Bihu.

The Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu is considered to be very close to an Assamese heart. It is the time when the cuckoo's call wakes you up in the morning. The foxtail orchid adores the gardens and the loud beats of the dhol make the heart flutter. Everyone gets ready to visit their ancestral homes in the countryside.

Bordoisila wants to do that as well. She gets angry because her husband does not allow her to visit her mother before Bihu. But, she is a rebel. She will anyway visit her parents and her siblings who she knows are ready with their gifts and just waiting for their daughter/ sister to arrive. But no, her husband does not allow her.

The thunderstorm, which originates in the Chota Nagpur Plateau, moves towards the east and northeast direction. Sometimes, they carry enough moisture along with them and are also accompanied by hailstorms. The thunderstorm that takes place in Assam is the Bordoisila whereas the one in West Bengal is popularly known as Kalbaisakhi.

This downpour is necessary for the upcoming harvest season. Also, the dust storms that occur in the month of March are important for the germination and pollination of seeds that turn into lovely flowers in the spring season that just follows these storms. Be it the storm or the personification of the storm, Bordoisila has become an intrinsic part of the Assamese culture.

She runs away from her in-law's house. She runs very fast towards her mother's home. She brings heavy rainfall along with her, uproots forests, destroyed homes in her anger. She does not care. All she needs is to spend time with her family on Bihu.

Who is Bordoisila anyway? Bordoisila is actually derived from a Bodo word "Bardoisikhla", where "bar" means wind, "doi" means water, and "shikhla" means a beautiful maiden. The term is used to refer to the spirit god of rain and wind which marks the beginning of the festival month of "Baisakh" or "Bohag."

The month of March witnesses the vernal equinox. This is the time when the sun is exactly over the equator and both the day and night have an equal length. After this, the earth tilts and the sun rays falls vertically over the Tropic of Cancer (which passes through India). This means the temperature in India rises.

Due to the high temperature, the atmospheric pressure remains low. Wind generally blows from the west and southwest towards the north and Northeast India. These are very short-lived dust storms that become a common phenomenon in North and Northeast India during the month of March April.

The foxtail Orchid or “Kopou ful” blooms during this time of the year. Female Bihu dancers uses it as a decorative piece in their hair bun. Image Source: Wikipedia

The Northeast and Southwest trade winds. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons