Bodo Serja

Serja, a traditional instrument in Assam, is made from Gambhari wood or Sijou, with four strings made from muga or endi/eri native silks. Its handle is made of bamboo and is stringed with odla. Serja is mainly used in festivals and marriage ceremonies, with other instruments like Sifung/siphung used during Bwisagu and Domasi festivals. It lasts 15-20 years if used with care. Serja is a type of violin used by the Bodo people and has four strings and is traditionally played by a small bamboo bow. The bow string is made of horsetail hair or snake plant hairs, while the Sijou tree is considered sacred in the Bathou religion. Serja's accessories include four puthis, ghora, and a bamboo bow with horsetail hair or Odal bark. The instrument has an elegant aesthetic and intense melodious music, with parts resembling human parts and displaying names like crowns and tuning screws.