Rajkanya Niharbala Barua: Assam’s fearless tiger hunter and folk culture icon faces risk of being forgotten

In the annals of Assam’s history, few women embody the rare blend of aristocratic lineage, intellectual depth and fearless adventure as profoundly as Rajkanya Niharbala Barua. 

Born in 1905 into the royal Zamindar family of Gauripur in Dhubri district, she was the aunt of the legendary Goalparia folk singer Padma Shri Pratima Barua Pandey. Today, she is at the centre of a growing local appeal seeking the preservation of her remarkable legacy.

Niharbala Barua defied the social conventions of her era with her extraordinary pursuits. She was celebrated not only as a Vidushi—an erudite woman deeply rooted in scholarship—but also as a conservationist and, astonishingly, a skilled tiger hunter. Married at the age of eleven to Mukund Narayan Barua, she went on to carve an identity defined by skill, curiosity and determination rather than royalty alone.

Her reputation as a hunter remains the most astonishing facet of her life. While no official record exists of the exact number of tigers she hunted, local lore speaks of her exceptional ability, including claims that she once hunted six tigers at a time. Such expeditions were massive in scale, with as many as 40 elephants deployed by the royal family. Her hunting skills were honed from childhood, when she explored the forests with her father, Raja Prabhat Chandra Barua, acquiring deep knowledge of wildlife, forest ecology and traditional hunting techniques. She was also known for her unique style — climbing the trunk of a standing elephant to mount it.

But Niharbala’s legacy stretched far beyond the wilderness. She was a pioneering social reformer, especially in the field of women’s education. Through her persistent efforts, Gauripur’s Pratap Chandra School began offering higher education for girls at a time when the town had only a middle English school for female students. Her advocacy transformed opportunities for generations of young women.

She was equally passionate about Assamese folk culture, championing the songs and traditions often dismissed by the elite as “songs of the little people”. Niharbala embraced dance songs, folk tales, proverbs and the everyday verses of peasants, recognising their cultural value when many in the Zamindar class ignored them. Her writings in prominent publications such as Desh (Calcutta, 1952), Parichay and Viswa-Bharati (1931–1934) remain seminal contributions to Assamese folklore studies. The article she published in Desh on December 27, 1952, continues to be regarded as a foundational text in Assamese folk literature.

Her passion for cultural preservation led to the establishment of the Folk Music and Research Institute. She travelled to Europe in the 1930s and later set up a museum at her own residence to house her extensive collections of artefacts and documents. Although she passed away in 2003, her contributions continue to inspire scholars, cultural workers and folk artists.

However, the physical remnants of her legacy now face neglect. Many of the historical artefacts and personal collections preserved at her Gauripur residence have fallen into disrepair due to poor maintenance. Concerned citizens of Dhubri are appealing to Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma to step in and safeguard the ancient treasures and home of this exceptional Rajkanya, arguing that her legacy is an irreplaceable part of Assam’s cultural and historical identity.