Assam has maintained a rich tradition of various traditional crafts for more than two thousand years. Presently, Cane and bamboo craft, bell metal and brass craft, silk and cotton weaving, toy and mask making, pottery and terracotta work, wood craft, jewellery making, musical instruments making, etc are remained as major traditions. Historically, Assam also excelled in making boats, traditional guns and gunpowder, colours and paints, articles of lac, traditional building materials, utilities from iron, etc.
Cane and bamboo craft provide the most commonly used utilities in daily life, ranging from household utilities, weaving accessories, fishing accessories, furniture, musical instruments to building construction materials. Traditional utilities and symbolic articles made from bell metal and brass are found in every Assamese household. The Xorai and bota have been in use for centuries to offer gifts to respected persons and are two prominent symbolic elements. Hajo and Sarthebari / Xorthebaary are the most important centres of traditional bell-metal and brass crafts. Assam is the home of several types of silks, the most prominent and prestigious being Muga, the natural golden silk is exclusive only to Assam. Apart from Muga, there are other two varieties called Pat, a creamy-bright-silver coloured silk and Eri, a variety used for manufacturing warm clothes for winter. Apart from Sualkuchi / Xualkuchi, the centre for the traditional silk industry, in almost every parts of the Brahmaputra Valley, rural households produce silk and silk garments with excellent embroidery designs. Moreover, various ethno-cultural groups in Assam make different types of cotton garments with unique embroidery designs and wonderful colour combinations. Moreover, Assam possesses unique crafts of toy and mask making mostly concentrated in the Vaishnav Monasteries, pottery and terracotta work in lower Assam districts and wood craft, iron craft, jewellery, etc in many places across the region.
Assam silk:
Assam silk denotes the three major types of indigenous wild silks produced in Assam—golden Muga, white Pat and warm Eri silk. The Assam silk industry, now centered in Sualkuchi, is a labor intensive industry.
Muga silk
Muga silk is the product of the silkworm Antheraea assamensis endemic to Assam. The pupa of these silkworms feed on som (Machilus bombycina) and sualu (Litsaea polyantha) leaves. The silk produced is known for its glossy fine texture and durability. Due to its low porosity the Muga yarn cannot be bleached or dyed and its natural golden color is retained. This silk can be hand-washed with its lustre increasing after every wash. Very often the silk outlives its owner. Assam has received a geographical indication for the production of Muga.
Pat silk:
Pat silk is produced by silkworms which feed on mulberry (Morus spp.) leaves. It is usually brilliant white or off-white in colour. Its cloth can dry in shadow.
Eri silk:
Eri silk is made by Samia cynthia ricini which feed on leaves of Castor oil plant (Ricinus communis). It is also known as Endi or Errandi silk. Due to the fact that manufacturing process of Eri allows the pupae to develop into adults and only the open ended cocoons are used for turning into silk , it is also popularly known as non-violent silk. This silk is soft and warm and is popular as shawls and quilts.
Gamosa:
The Gamosa is an article of great significance for the people of Assam. It is generally a white rectangular piece of cloth with primarily a red border on three sides and red woven motifs on the fourth (in addition to red, other colors are also used). Although cotton yarn is the most common material for making/weaving gamosas, there are special occiasion ones made from Pat silk. Literally translated, it means 'something to wipe the body with' (Ga=body, mosa=to wipe) however, interpreting the word gamosa as the body-wiping towel is misleading. The word gamosa is derived from the Kamrupi word gaamasa (gaama+chadar), the cloth used to cover the Bhagavad Purana at the altar.
Usage of Gamosa:
Though it may be used daily to wipe the body after a bath (an act of purification), the use is not restricted to this.
- It is used to cover the altar at the prayer hall or cover the scriptures. An object of reverence is never placed on the bare ground, but always on a gamosa.
- It is used by the farmer as a waistcloth (tongali) or a loincloth (suriya); a Bihu dancer wraps it around the head with a fluffy knot (see picture).
- It is hung around the neck at the prayer hall (naamghar) and was thrown over the shoulder in the past to signify social status.
- Guests are welcomed with the offering of a gamosa and tamul (betel nut) and elders are offered gamosas (referred to as bihuwaan in this case) during Bihu.
Cultural significance of Gamosa:
Significantly the gamosa is used equally by all irrespective of religious and ethnic backgrounds.
At par with gamosa, there are beautifully woven symbolic clothes with attractive graphic designs being used by different cultural sub-systems and ethno-cultural groups as well.
Xorai:
The Xorai is a traditional symbol of Assam. In simplistic terms it is an offering tray with a stand at the bottom. There are Xorais with or without a cover on the top.
Materials: Traditional xorais are made of bell metal although nowadays they can also be made from brass and/or silver. Hajo and Sarthebari (Xorthebaary) are the most important centres of traditional bell-metal and brass crafts including xorais.
Usage:
As an offering tray for tamul-pan (betel nuts and betel leaves) to guests as a sign of welcome and thanks.
As an offering tray for food and other items placed in front of the altar (naamghar) for blessing by the Lord.
As a decorative symbol in traditional functions such as during Bihu dances (modern usage)
As a gift to a person of honour during felicitations (modern usage).
A Jaapi is a traditional Assamese hat.
Typical regular use Jaapi is made out of tightly woven bamboo and/or cane. Decorative jaapis were worn by people of high station in the past. Today decorative jaapis are made with intricate designs made out of cloth (primarily red, white, green, blue and black) that is integrated with the weaving of the jaapi. There is also a typical red border around the edges. Usage of Jaapi:
Worn over the head as a protection against the elements (sun and rain)
Offered as a sign of respect in felicitation ceremonies
Placed as decorative items in and around the house (especially near the front door as a welcome sign)
A symbol representing Assam
Mekhela chador:
Mekhela chador is the traditional Assamese dress worn by women. There are two main pieces of cloth that are draped around the body. The bottom portion, draped from the waist downwards is called the mekhela. It is in the form of a very wide cylinder that is folded into pleats to fit around the waist and tucked in. The top portion of a long length of cloth that has one end tucked into the upper portion of the Mekhela and the rest draped over and around the rest of the body. Invariably there is a blouse that is worn underneath the top half of the body.
Traditional Mekhela Chadors are made from the following materials:
Some modern low-budget sets are also made with varying blends of cotton and Muga or Pat silk with synthetic materials.
Betel nut:
The Areca nut is the seed of the Areca palm (Areca catechu), which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. It is commonly referred to as "betel nut" as it is often chewed wrapped in betel leaves.
In Assam it is a tradition to offer Pan-tamul (Betel leaves and raw areca nut) to guests after tea or meals in a brass plate with stands called a Bota. Among the Assamese the areca nut also has a variety of uses during religious and marriage ceremonies, where it has the role of a fertility symbol. A tradition from Upper Assam is to invite guests to wedding receptions by offering a few areca nuts with betel leaves. During Bihu, the husori players are offered areca nuts and betel leaves by each household while their blessings are solicited.
Betel nut:
The Areca nut is the seed of the Areca palm (Areca catechu), which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. It is commonly referred to as "betel nut" as it is often chewed wrapped in betel leaves.
Usually for chewing, a few slices of the nut are wrapped in a Betel leaf along with lime and may include clove, cardamom, catechu (kattha), etc. for extra flavouring. Betel leaf has a fresh, peppery taste, but it can be bitter depending on the variety, and this is called "Thamboolam" in Sanskrit, "Tamul" in Assamese, "Paan (पान)" in Bengali and Hindi, Marathi. or 'murukkan' in kerala. Areca nuts are chewed with betel leaf for their effects as a mild stimulant, causing a mild hot sensation in the body and slightly heightened alertness, although the effects vary from person to person. The effect of chewing betel and the nut is relatively mild and could be compared to drinking a cup of coffee.
In Assam it is a tradition to offer Pan-tamul (Betel leaves and raw areca nut) to guests after tea or meals in a brass plate with stands called a Bota. Among the Assamese the areca nut also has a variety of uses during religious and marriage ceremonies, where it has the role of a fertility symbol. A tradition from Upper Assam is to invite guests to wedding receptions by offering a few areca nuts with betel leaves. During Bihu, the husori players are offered areca nuts and betel leaves by each household while their blessings are solicited.
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