I was driving my car crossing the bed of Howri river with the
objective of reaching a far-flung village called Totopara for
official duty.
I was accompanied by two bank officials who
were with me in my car. A person from the local branch was standing on the
other side with his motor-cycle to guide us to the visiting bank branch. We
could see ankle-deep water flowing through the bed of the river like a rippling
stream creating waves on the pebbles of the river bed.
It was a comfortable journey without any
hindrance. Suddenly, the person on the other side started shouting at us and
waving his hand with the signal to retreat. We were in a dilemma for a few
minutes not knowing what to do. A cyclist going in the same direction came near
us and advised us to take back the car to the bank from where we had started. He
told me that there would be a flash flood in the river and within a few minutes, the water
would rise to an alarming level that could blow away our car.
So we had no alternative but to return to the
river bank and parked the vehicle in the compound of a government office. Soon
we found that the crystal clear water had turned to muddy colour and gushing
waves were approaching towards the downstream. Then we could understand, why we
were warned by the local persons not to proceed. It was the result of huge
rainfall in the mountains that resulted in an increase in the volume of water upstream.
Within a couple of hours, the volume of water
gradually reduced to around knee-deep and the flowing water got back to its
original colour. I did not take the risk of going by car and we paddled through
the river to the other side. I was carried by the motor-cycle and my
companions walked uphill to the village.
Where is Totopara
Totopara is
located in Madarihat block of Alipurduar district of West Bengal. The
village is placed in the elevated area of Madarihat, 22 km away from the town.
It is the fringe area of Jaldapara National Park, with the Bhutan border on the
northern side.
Who are Toto Tribes
Toto is a primitive Indo-Bhutanese tribe, unique in nature not matching to the other local tribes like Koch, Mech, Rajbanshis of Bengal and Assam and of Sharrchops of Bhutan. The majority of the people are of Mongoloid features with dark skin.
The tribe which
was on the verge of extinction in the 1950s had increased to around 1300 as per the latest census due to continuous safeguards by government departments. Initially, the tribe remained isolated keeping a distance from mainstream civilization. With
the passage of time and an increase in education level, some members had entered
the mainstream.
Lives and Livelihood of
Totos
Totos live in elevated
hutment about a meter above the ground level to avoid touch with the moisture of
the ground and insects and serpents, especially in the rainy season. The roofs
are thatched with straw and a ladder is placed at the entrance for climbing up
and down.
The food mainly consists of
rice, milk, curd, animal protein like goat, pig, fowl, fishes, and few animals
available in the forest areas. Fermented liquor is consumed as part of meals on
regular basis and definitely on any occasion.
Their main activity includes
farming on a small scale as landholding is very less and kitchen gardens around
their dwelling places where seasonal vegetables are grown. Every household has
either cattle or small ruminants along with small poultry. Fishing is also
practiced in nearby streams and rivers.
The majority of Totos follow
Hinduism as a religion with the influence of Buddhist culture but the way of
performing religion got deviated from the mainstream with the presence of their own
deity in form of nature. Animal sacrifice is followed during religious
festivals.
Totos live in a patrilocal
society where monogamy is generally practiced but polygamy is not prohibited.
In case of the death of a husband or wife, the living partners are allowed to remarry
under certain conditions. The marriage takes place within their tribe and there
have been rare incidents of marriage outside their community.
Totos have their distinct
language which has been scripted very recently. However, the majority of children
speak in Bengali and Nepali as also prefer to undertake a formal system of
education. A Toto has educated himself and has been serving as branch manager
of the local regional rural bank. The first lady graduate has been absorbed in
government service.
How To Reach Totopara
The place is accessible by
road from Madarihat and only one bus plies between Madarihat and Totopara
subject to weather conditions. However, share vehicles are available till
Ballalguri is around 10 km on another side of the river. The main hurdle
is the river which remains overloaded with water during monsoon and occasional
flash floods. The majority of the people are forced to cross the river either on
foot or with bicycles and motorcycles.
Boarding & Lodging
Few homestays have come up
in Totopara where the tourists can spend a couple of days experience the ethnic
culture and lives of the tribe. Most tourists from mainstream
civilization make a day visit and return to Madarihat or Birpara in the evening.
There are few restaurants
which cater to the requirements of local people and visitors neither in a large scale
nor high scale. However, the special attraction of Totopara in winter is the
supply of quality oranges to the nearby towns.
My Experience
I was forced to spend a day
in Totopara because of a flash flood conjugating with official work. It had been
a nice experience interacting with the local people, visit some of the
residences, and tasting their cuisines.
The ambiance of the homestay was very moderate, efforts were made to make food to our taste with a local touch but their hospitality was excellent. They kept no stone unturned to make us comfortable with their pleasant smiles and helping attitude.
The tribe tried to retain
their unique features of culture, heritage, language, religion, and system and
they expect that the legacy might continue to the next generation.
The population, after
getting reduced drastically had gained momentum as they did not reject the
fruits of modern civilization.
They were keen to educate
their children so as to make them self-reliant which in turn would upgrade
their gen-next.
A trip to Totopara for a couple of days will definitely enrich your dimension of life and gain new experience of the lifestyle of a primitive tribe residing within fruits of modern civilization and ethnic culture.
Photo Courtesy Google
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