There are innumerable species of animals on earth. Some creatures live in the water, some live on the shore, some fly on the surface of the back, some live depending on other creatures. Among all these creatures, some creatures give good gifts to humans and some even harm humans. Since ancient times, people have developed deep relationships with living beings. Meanwhile, people have caught some creatures in their homes with which they have been able to communicate even more. Below is an attempt to explain how the Bodo people are related to domestic animals and birds.
The Bodos are a subsistence farming community. Since ancient times, apart from the cultivation of food grains such as rice, vegetable cultivation, and fruits, animal husbandry has also been practiced. They have used some animals as food and kept some animals at home as needed to support themselves. There is still ongoing debate as to what kind of animals the Bodo breed at home.
The cattle is a herbivorous animal. The Bodos raise the cattle in the hope that it will help them with important tasks in their livelihood. Apart from this, the Bodo people are reared to produce milk from cows. It has already been said that the Bodo people are a subsistence farming community, trying to grow a variety of crops in every season, summer and winter. The cattle is thus used for ploughing and cart pulling. Milk is produced from cows.
Apart from making milk into tea, it is also used to make ghee, butter, and other dairy products. The Bodo people are sometimes seen trying to meet the needs of the family by selling the cattle. Just like the cattle, the buffalo is also domesticated by the Bodo people for the same work and the same purpose. Just like cattles, buffaloes can also provide a good income to the farmers. These animals are used extensively by the Bodo people and are also highly fed and cared for. It is also worth remembering that the grass is always fed on an empty stomach, water is given at the right time and kept in a good place.
The Pig is the most important domesticated animal for the Bodos. Pigs seem to be the most preferred by the Bodo people for food or meat consumption. It is usually ground into a powder. Apart from flour, fruits and vegetables are also eaten raw. Nowadays, the Bodo people consider the pig to be the best animal for trade, although it is heavily engaged in the trade. There are also people who can earn a lot of money by rearing pigs at home and selling them elsewhere. Pigs need a lot of care to keep them well-nourished, so it’s important to feed them at the right time as much as possible, to keep them out of danger, and to take precautions to prevent illness.
Poultry and ducks have been brought by the Bodos as a home farm since ancient times. Poultry and ducks are eaten as food or meat by the Bodo people. It is always important to take care of them. Precautions should be taken so that no illness occurs. In ancient times, jackals, mongooses, crows, and kites used to hunt poultry and ducks. Hence, awareness had to be maintained. At present, the prices of chicken and duck have seen a significant increase. Similarly, the Bodo people are seen buying their necessities by selling chickens and ducks.
A dog is an animal that is bred to be domesticated by humans. The dog barks if there is a new person in the family or if there is a stranger. When the dog barks, the owner of the family can see who is coming. The owner of the house can be alerted if the wrong person enters the house. The Bodo villagers people sometimes take the dog with them when they go hunting in the forest. People tried hunting so that the dog could chase and bite wild deer, rabbits, and pigs. If properly trained, the dog becomes obedient to the owner and is able to provide the family with a good allowance.
The cat is a voracious eater. The Bodo people living in the village, being a farming community, store their harvests at home. Bodos are stockpiled for the storage of rice. The rats are trying to take over the human farm, so the man is seen raising a cat in the house to catch the rats. A person who has a cat in their family cannot have a rat in their family.
In ancient times, silk worms were commonly eaten by rural people. Nowadays, most of them are not seen again. The Bodo people produced indi cloth (silk cloth) in response to the silk insect. They could easily take out their food and clothes. The silk worm are also eaten as food by the the Bodo people. Now the price of the silk worm has increased a lot in the market. The price of silk clothes has also become more expensive than other fabrics.
In ancient times, the Bodo people also used to ride horses to travel the roads, but nowadays they do not go to see horses being reared for motor cycles and motorized vehicles.
Apart from the above-mentioned animals, the rural Bodo people were seen rearing wild deer, hare, tortoise, and some birds such as robin, myna, peacocks, dove, pigeon, and parrots. Nowadays, a gradual decline in the rearing of such animals has been observed. Robin, myna, and parrots can talk a little if they are well cared for at home. Such birds can not only beautify a family, but also make it interesting.
The Bodo people treat the domesticated animals with great affection. All the animals reared by the Bodo people are related to their traditional customs, culture, and economy. Nowadays, all animals are associated with trade, people are seen buying and selling them in the market. If the villagers want, they can cultivate all kinds of animals using modern techniques for commercial purposes.