A duet with the river god - Boliya Pitaier Sohoki Sootal

For Suren Boro and 650,000 people living in 126 villages of Bodoland in the southern side of the River Pagladia, the river is a living god called "Pagla Baba". Situated near Indo-Bhutan international border of Assam, the river runs from the west to the east contrary to the locations of the villages in the south. The majority population is ethnic Bodo. Round the year they remain engaged in pushing the river down south, for every use of water - drinking, household, irrigation. There is no other source such as a tube well, dug well, or water stream. Since the 1920s, they have constructed 13 bunds (embankments) with whatever materials at their disposal - boulders, stones, sand, trees, climbers, straw. Tarpaulin and plastic sheets are the latest inclusion in their armory. The entire arrangement is controlled, maintained and regulated by a registered society since 1954. During the work of repairing a bund, Suren gets the news that his wife has fallen sick. He returns home immediately and finds his wife in labour. In the hospital, she gives birth to a son. Meanwhile the villagers have nearly completed repairing the bund and are preparing to allow the water to flow. The next morning when the water reaches the channel near Suren's house, his wife performs ablution of the new born baby with the water of Pagla Baba. The Baba has blessed them with the child.