Chaklong

Terwiel noted that contemporary Ahom priests were unable to provide a clear etymology of the term "Chaklang." He suggested that it may derive from the Ahom word chak (related to Sanskrit chakra, meaning "wheel") combined with long ("great" or "large").^[3]

The Choklong wedding system is an Ahom ritual of marriage. The Chaklang custom, considered a social tradition among the Ahoms, has been practiced since the era of the Ahom kings. An illustrative example is the marriage of Swargadev Rajeswar Singha to Princess Kuranganayani of Manipur. As per Ahom myth, it dates back to the marriage of Lengdon with the eldest daughter of Ak-Kai-Mo-Hung, Nang-Hun-Pha. The matrimonial process commenced with Lengdon sending ceremonial gifts of betel leaves and areca nuts, presented on sarai platters with stands and wrapped in red cloth, which is regarded as the origin of the Chaklang tradition.^[4]

Some modern scholars have examined the extent to which present-day Chaklang rituals reflect earlier Tai-Ahom practices. Anthropologist B. J. Terwiel observed that a central ritual feature of the ceremony—a large circular mandala made of multicoloured rice powder constructed on the floor around which the marriage rites are performed—is not attested in other Tai marriage customs or ethnographic descriptions. He suggested that the use of such a mandala may represent a later incorporation influenced by Hindu religious practice rather than an original Tai element.^[5]

Terwiel further noted that in a Chaklang ceremony he witnessed in February 1980, several ritual elements described in earlier detailed accounts were absent. In particular, he observed the absence of the recitation of ancestral feats and triumphs extending back at least seven generations in the Tai language, which had been described as an essential component of the ceremony in published works. He also recorded that a series of Ahom ritual phrases and prayers documented in earlier descriptions were not performed. Instead, the ceremony he witnessed was conducted entirely in Assamese. Terwiel interpreted these discrepancies as evidence that certain components of the ritual may have been reconstructed in the context of modern revivalist practice.^[6] He also recorded that contemporary Ahom priests and scholars were unable to provide a clear etymology of the term "Chaklang," which he interpreted as indicative of modern revival and reinterpretation of the ritual.^[7]

Among the Ahoms, intermarriage within the same clan is prohibited.^[8] Numerous traditions observed during Ahom weddings are shared with other Assamese communities, including the joron ceremony, daiyan, and gathiyan.^[9]

A suitable girl is identified, and the boy's family approaches her family with a Sodhanibhar, which includes betel nuts and leaves, rice, ducks, and other items. If the proposal is accepted, a date is set for the girl's family to visit the boy's household. Subsequently, a wedding date is agreed upon.^[10]

During the ceremony, the bridegroom is seated in the courtyard, while the bride circles him seven times before taking her place beside him. They then move to a private room where one end of a cloth is tied around the bride's neck and the other to the bridegroom's waist. Nine vessels filled with water are arranged on plantain leaves. The Siring phukam (master of ceremonies) recites from the Choklong puthi, and three cups containing milk, honey, and rice frumenty are presented to the couple to inhale.^[11]

The couple then exchange knives, and each secretly places a ring into a basket of uncooked rice for the other to retrieve and wear. Afterward, they pay respects to the bride's parents and assembled guests, completing the marriage.^[12]

Two days before the wedding, the priest performs rituals at a river or tank in honour of the deity Khoakham. Offerings of rice, eggs, betel nuts, and betel leaves are made, and a ritual fishing using a bamboo implement is conducted. If a fish is caught, it is cooked and served to the couple as a protective rite.^[9][13]

On the day preceding the wedding, the deoban ceremony venerates various Ahom deities. The priest recites from sacred texts concerning marital duties and recounts the ancestral histories of both families, traditionally spanning seven generations. The couple then participates in customary rites including exchange of rings, consumption of panchamrita, and symbolic games.^[14][15]