Bodo Culture and Modernity

The Bodos, among the earliest inhabitants of India, particularly Assam, possess a distinct culture encompassing their language, religion, housing, livelihoods, social customs, beliefs, dress, ornaments, furniture, utensils, food habits, musical instruments, and festivals. This unique cultural possession differentiates their society from others.

Traditional Bodo culture is slowly transforming due to modernity, with changes evident in both material and non-material aspects since the 19th century. Their mindset, living style, behaviors, morals, values, beliefs, ideologies, and economic philosophies are all undergoing gradual shifts. Modernity has influenced house planning, cultivation, religion, hygiene, livelihoods, traditional diet, dress, and festivals, broadening their world and bringing fundamental changes to their cultural life.

The Bodo society now includes a middle class comprising professionals such as bureaucrats, teachers, doctors, and lawyers, contributing to a more modern and global outlook. A segment of the Bodo population has converted to different religions, making it a multi-religious society that embraces pluralistic concepts, reflected in diverse surnames like Brahma, Patgiri, and Lahary.

Key factors contributing to these cultural changes include modern education, the influence of Bodo social organizations, Christianity, urban and semi-urban development, advancements in science and technology, improvements in communication, and various development schemes implemented by government agencies.