What is a Dheki ? About the use of Dheki in Assamese society, Relationship of Assamese women’s society with Dheki, Dhekithora, Katara
The sound of the Dheki brings bihu. In almost everyone’s house, a woman has dug jalpan (one kiind of snack), chira -sandah(one kiind of snack) for Bihu. This is a picture of the Assamese villages people’s life a few years ago. But now this picture is on its way to becoming a past.
What is a Dheki?
Briefly, Dheki is a piece of rectangular wood about 7-8 feet long. There are different ingredients. For example, humans are a set of organs made up of hands, feet, eyes, nose, ears, etc. Similarly the set of different parts of Dekhi’s is called Dekhi.
Names of different parts of Dheki Different parts of Dheki are known by different names. In Assam, the names of these parts vary from region to region and ethnic community. A rectangular piece of wood about 7-8 feet long.
Dhekithora: A long piece of good wood is placed in the front with a hole in the front. Which is called ‘Dhekithora’. The distance from the head part of Dheki to the thora is about 26 inches. The length of the shed is about 2 feet. The place where the thora digs the paddy is called ‘khuboli’.
Gul: This stem should generally be of strong wood. At the very end of the thora is a ring-like iron attached which is called ‘Gul’. The place where the thora digs the paddy is called ‘khuboli’. The diameter of the gull is about 4 or 5 inches.
Shalkhadal: The part of the very back of Dheki which is used with the foot is called ‘Dheki’s tail’. A short distance away from it is a shawl that balances Dheki which is akar shala. The length of the shalkhadal is about 3 feet from the foot of Dheki.
Katara: The shalkha comes in through the stem (the material that holds the shell). The length of that shell is 19/20 inches. Shalkhadal is called Akar Shala or Akhal Shala.
Barhni Mari: In addition to this, even if it is not part of the original Dheki, the crushed part is used by the lone Dhekirist by hitting a long one to get into the skull. Which is called barhni mari.
Satini Zari: On the other hand, the flattened mari stalks used for scratching jalpan, chira -sandah(one kind of snack) etc., are called khasra bari or ukhani mari. The roop tied to the Dheki tail is called Dheki zari. The hand-held zari is called satini zari to balance when giving Dheki. All this tool is combined and called dekhisal.
Use of Dheki in Assamese society
Dheki is a mythical tool for assamese villages public life. Dheki is a cherished treasure of Assamese national life, a treasure trove of everyday life at one time. On Bhogali Bihu and Rongali Bihu the sound of Dheki with the beat of drums is another source of enthusiasm in Bihu.
Dheki has been in vogue in Assam since time immemorial. In the past, most of the items like paddy, wheat, chira, sandahgudi(one kind of snack) were crushed into dekhi. Dheki has a close relationship with Assamese literature and culture.
Assamese People beliefs about Dheki Many beliefs about Dheki and Dhekisal have been prevalent in the folk life of Assam. Rational thinking seems to lie at the heart of some of these beliefs.
Dheki is used in digging the ethos of the ethos under the wedding ceremony. Dhekisal is the residence of Lakhi. There is a rule in many societies to show the new bride a dekhisal when she enters the house.
On the day of Magh Bihu, in the morning, along with the lagni trees of bari, the poles of the house, as well as Dheki is tied by wrapping paddy straw. This ethos is known as ‘Magh-Bandha’.
When the weather is dry, the sun-facing Dheki (east-west) from a house is stolen and buried overnight. It was believed that it would rain soon.
Apart from this, in Bihu, on Thursdays, which are considered as Lakhimi Bar, the Dhekisal is kept clean by wiping the Dhekisal in the funeral of the deceased.
When some communities set up a new Dhekishala in the house, it was also customary to invite three or five gopis and organize a ceremony to give a pitcher.
According to tradition, Dheki is made from the wood of the Black Myrobalan (Scientific Name: Terminalia chebula) tree. Because shilikha is a tree of medicinal value, people are less likely to get sick if the tools made from it are used in food preparation.
Other beliefs related to Dheki are that one cannot make rice in the evening and in the Dheki of eating rice. A portion of the food items prepared by digging into the Dheki should be eaten on their own, otherwise there may be sore throat or other illnesses.
It is also believed that when sitting in Dheki, the fieldworm eats. It is believed that having two Dhekiris in a single family and in a joint family that is cooked and eaten in the same village does not bring prosperity to the householder.
Relationship of Assamese women’s society with Dheki
Dheki has a close relationship with women’s society. In the past, it was customary for housewives to dig the rice used daily in agricultural households every day and take out the rice
Bihu, during marriage, the busyness of women in the Dhekisal increases. They pack the kitchen’s chang-hendali by digging up the snacks.
At the end of the kitchen work, Aainam, Biyanam, Bihunam sing’s daughters-in-law also get the opportunity to open their minds in Dhekisal.
Assamese folk literature like Ainam, Biyanam may have been created in the face of illiterate women. Dheki was a tool of physical exercise in women’s society in the past, a gymnasium.
Most of today’s generation may not have the proper knowledge about Dheki. In the world of mechanics, people have left behind many of the most important resources of Assamese society while trying to shield themselves.
Today is the time to keep pace with modernity. But in the midst of all this, it is our duty to take the old forward.
Dheki still exists to some extent in many rural areas of Assam. The last way to retain them is by introducing these mythological traditions to the new generation when the time is right.