The Diversity of Assamese Culture

Abstract

Diversity is a pre-existing phenomenon in the India in general and Assam in particular. The term diversity simply means differences. For our purpose, it is more then mere differences. It means collective differences from one group of one people to the others. These differences can be divided into many ways- biological, linguistic, cultural, religious etc. On the basic of biological difference, we have religious diversity. When we talk about the religion, culture, tradition, custom, language etc.  Then it represents diversity. Thus, diversity means the variety. Assam is the meeting ground of diverse cultures. The people of the enchanting state of Assam are an intermixture of various racial stocks such as Mongoloid, Indo-Burmese, Indo-Iranian and Aryan. The Assamese culture is a rich and exotic tapestry of all these races evolved through a long assimilative process. The natives of the state of Assam are known as “Asomiya” (Assamese), which is also the state language of Assam. The state has a large number of tribes, each unique in its tradition, culture, dresses and exotic way of life. Diverse tribes like Bodo, Kachari, Karbi, Miri, Mishimi, Rabha, etc. co-exist in Assam. Most of the tribes have their own languages though Assamese is the principal language of the state. This paper is an attempt to examine the diversity of the Assam state with the onset of urge for setting identities amongst the communities in the present world.