POSTSCRIPT

GENDER | SOCIETY

Their God Died Young

The Bohuroopis of rural Bengal are not just
mendicants wandering in search of alms or
offerings, they are in the business of being god.

Nirupam Hazra

W
hether youre god-fearing, god-loving or god-negating,
chances are god plays an important role in your life as
the supreme service provider, albeit with a whimsical
sense of delivery. We pray, we perform rituals, visit holy places
and even sometimes indulge in the most sinful acts in the name
of god, all to make our lives better and to bring greater prosperity.
The disappearance But what happens when people
of Bohuroopi as a choose to become gods themselves
profession may be as a source of livelihood? No, Im
interpreted as the not talking about the familiar god-
sacrifice of another men or god-women who have suc-
cessfully used the power of modern
traditional
profession at the altar media like television and the inter-
net to attain godhood status. I refer
of modernisation...
to a less fortunate breed of gods,
who are neither sophisticated nor tech-savvy. They only dress
up like gods and wander the streets in different incarnations.
In Bengal, they are called Bohuroopi (one with multiple
appearances or forms). Dressed and painted like godsand
sometimes as demons or other mythological charactersthey
roam from place to place, seeking alms and offerings. In our
childhood, when entertainment was not all virtual, Bohuroopis
were a source of unceasing curiosity and amazement. Their
divine attire and godly attitude confounded our under-
standing of both god and humans. But it was not only the
appearance that attracted people. The Bohuroopis were
treated like incarnations of god; people touched their feet,
sought blessings and gave them money or food.
But Bohuroopis are not mendicants and certainly not gods.
They are in the business of being godand being god is more
difficult than being human. They have to be always conscious
of their godly avatar. A Bohuroopi is not expected to engage
in activities which are quite normal to mortals. For instance,
they are not supposed to use umbrellas in the scorching summer
or dorn footwear, as these may dent their divinity.
Bohuroopis also have to show godly restraint in conduct.
So, when they are ridiculed or made fun of, they have to bear
it with godly doggedness. These attributes have been part of
their art, but sadly the art has now been reduced to artefact.
With the passage of time, the profession of the Bohuroopis has
lost its sheen, and gradually they are starting to disappear.
As with many good things of the past, the Bohuroopis failed to
re-invent themselves. Their attire no more attracts children,
their incantations no longer evoke devotion, and their claims
to godhood are too nave to match those of tele-evangelists.
164 july 16, 2016 vol lI no 29 EPW Economic & Political Weekly
 POSTSCRIPT
SOCIETY | LITERATURE

As part of Bengal folk culture, especially of rural Bengal,

Bohuroopis performed, preached and blessed. They repre-
sented the cultural diversity that separates one region from
the other. Every region had its own distinctive choice of colour,
costume and narrative for the Bohuroopis. Stories are an
important part of their art. Most are based on mythologies,
but local histories and myths also regularly made their way
into their narratives. Through the Bohuroopis the oral form of
storytelling has survived. Apart from entertaining people, they
sometimes played an important role in disseminating informa-
tion, generating awareness or spreading social messages.
You may still find the occasional Bohuroopi in local trains
or at a fair or special gathering. The Bohuroopis say that
being god is no more profitable. People do not want god, they
only want god to get things done. These days no Bohuroopi
can support his family through this business or art. So, while the
elders in the family take up other activities for a living, the
younger ones are allowed to continue the legacy. The reason is
purely economicalthe investment in the making of a young
Bohuroopi is much lower and the possibility of earning is
higher as people often offer money more generously to these
little colourful children than to an adult.
Nonetheless, the practitioners of this art do not see any future
in it. Most of them have gradually shifted to other more
rewarding occupations and only the more passionate ones
pursue the tradition in their leisure. The disappearance of
Bohuroopi as a profession may be interpreted as the sacrifice of
another traditional profession at the altar of modernisation
another example of a conventional form of entertainment mak-
ing way for more modern and sophisticated ones. But with them
disappear a cornucopia of stories and the art of storytelling.
The Bohuroopis re-presented popular myths with the colour of
local culture and language, a sort of reflection of the colours
they smeared on their faces. The ineluctable passage of time,
however, has forced them to wipe off the colours, so that they
can be newly recognised, so that they can be forgotten.
Nirupam Hazra (hazra.nirupam@gmail.com) is an Assistant Professor at Bankura
University, West Bengal.

Economic & Political Weekly EPW july 16, 2016 vol lI no 29 165