Hajongs, like most of the tribes of northeastern India, are of Mongol origin. There first settlement in India was in the Kamrup District of Assam and this was their home for a long time. Following natural calamities a major portion of the tribe settled in areas of West Bengal, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradeshand also in hilly parts of Bangladesh.
Hajongs follow Hindu rites and customs and also take Hindu titles. Every Hajong family has a temple for worship called 'Deo Ghar' and they offer prayers in the morning and evening. Hajong community is patriarchal and father or elder man is the chief of a Hajong family. Hajongs live in groups and the area of a group is called a 'Para' or ‘Gaon'. A Hajong village is like an autonomousKingdom. Every Hajong man compulsory to takes membership of a 'Gaon.' Hajongs live on agriculture. After marriage, the Hajong bride goes to the bridegrooms' house. Polygamy and divorce is rarely seen in the tribe. Hajongs have close cultural links with the Garos.
Hajong men wear bhiza gamsa and women wear Ranga Pathin and Phula Aagon, a standard size piece of cloth, with broad and medium borders with a typical color combination(with red is the main colour).
Hajong Folk Dance/Folk Music:
LEWATANA | CHORKHELA | THUBA | MAGA | GUPINI GAHEN | KATKA GAHEN |
PUILA GOSA/ROWA LAGA GAHEN | GITLU GAHEN
Like many other aborigines, Hajongs are basically a farming community. At one time they were accustomedto Jhum farming, but now they follow plough farming. Side by side with rice and other crops they grow cotton and make fabrics at home. In addition to these activities, peoplebelongingto the Hajong community collect wood from jungles and do some other kinds of work.
In terms of religious belief Hajongs are close to Hindus. Hajongs worship Durga and other Hindu gods and goddesses. But Lord Shiva is their chief deity. They observe a number of bratas (vows) including the Kartik brata performed in the month of Kartik (October-November). Girls and women dance and sing in brata ceremonies. Hajongs also worship the Brahmaputra river. Like Hindu Brahmins, Hajongs wear paita (the holy thread) on their bodies. Hajongs are believers in reincarnation too.
Hajong society is patriarchal. After the death of the father sons inherit his property. Daughters however, are given some money and ornaments at the time of their marriage to start a new family life specially those who are not financially sound. Young men and women marry with their parents' consent. A Hajong man can marry a woman of his own clan as well as of a different clan. After marriage, women put on Sindur (vermilion) mark on their sithi (parting of the hair on the middle of the head). Child marriage is not allowed. Premarital sex is strictly prohibited. Hajongs generally abide by the rules and principles of marital purity. A husband cannot have more than one wife. Divorce is not uncommon and widowscanremarry.
Rice is the staple food of Hajongs. Fruits, vegetables, mutton, pork, ducks and chicken are other major items of their diet.
Hajong men wear Bhiza Lengti(Gamsa) and women wear Ranga pathin, Plain pathin phula agron preparedby themselves. Hajong men & women are very expert in weaving, they weave pathin, phula agron, gamsa and rumal for themselves and for others too.
Hajongs lead simple lives like Garos. Most families live in thatched houses. Relatively better off families have tin-shed or brick-built houses. Houses are neat and clean reflecting the neatness of their life-style. As modernization is making people's life standard in different turn, more and more Hajongs are dwelling houses in town and cities. Like other ethnic groups, Hajongs build and maintain community houses for social needs aswell as for other purposes.
Hajongs have their own language, but do not have an alphabet. Their spoken language is a mixture of local dialects. Speaking in colloquial Bangla is a common practice among them. The Hajong language was originally a member of the Tibeto-Burmese group of languages, but later got mixed with Assamese and Bangla. Modern education is being gradually spreadin Hajong society.
In their life-style, Hajong people maintain, to a large extent, their traditional ethos of simplicity, honesty, and hospitality as well as other common plebeian characteristics. False play and deceit are rare in this society. Like Garos, Hajong people have protested vehemently against injustice, oppression, exploitation and persecution in the past and have histories of rebellion against feudal and imperialist forces. They took part in historic movements like the Hatikheda movement, the Tonk Movement, agitations againstZamindars, and the TebhagaMovement. Hajongs cremate dead bodies. Usually, after 13 days of death the Shraddha(obsequies) ceremony is performed.
