ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the Kherai festival of the Bodos of Assam. Besides an investigation of the dance ritual, the role of the Doudini as the mediator between God and the community is examined. She takes the main role in this important festival of the Bodos. The Bodo people perform Kherai for the welfare of the village, while also performing individual pujas (rituals). Singing and dancing are indispensable features of the ritual, with verbal and non-verbal communication taking place simultaneously throughout. Besides asking the gods and goddesses to take care of them, the Bodos, being an agrarian community, ask that they are able to yield a good harvest.
