Explore some information on usage of these
specially designed handloom being used in
traditional folk dances of Assam
Answers
Explanation:
Assam is one of the Eight Sister states of northeastern India. Known for its rich culture and diverse population, the culture of Assam is a fusion of Indo Burmese, Mongolian and Aryan influences. This beautiful land, known as the 'land of red rivers and blue hills' is a little paradise with untouched natural landscapes worth to be traversed for its pristine beauty. The people of the state are collectively called Axomiyas and the language Axomiya (Assamese) which is also the most widely spoken official state language.
Traditional Dress of Assam
Mekhela Chador, Culture of Assam
Source
The Assamese adorn very simple dresses, and mostly hand-loomed. The women wear motif-rich Mekhela Chador or Riha- Mekhela. The men wear 'suria' or 'dhoti', and over it, they drape a chadar known as 'Seleng'.
Gamosa is an indispensable part of almost all socio-religious ceremonies in Assam. It is derived from the Kamrupi word 'Gaamasa' (gaama+chadar) which was used to cover the Bhagavad Purana at the altar. It is considered as an act of purification and used to clean the body after bath. It looks like a white rectangular piece of cloth along with a red border on three sides and woven motifs on the fourth. Assamese men wear the dhoti-gamosa which is their traditional dress. Bihu dancers wrap it around the head, and it is often used to cover the altar at the prayer hall or the scriptures. The other things like Tamul paan and Xorai also important symbols. The former is considered as offers of devotion whereas the latter is a bell used for container medium.
Folk Music
Source
It is not a surprise that Assam is rich in folk music. From the time of the Kamarupa Kingdom followed by Ahom Dynasty, Assamese culture has been influenced by each of its rulers except the British rule which ended the Ahom Dynasty. The indigenous folk music has influenced the folk music of artists like Bhupen Hazarika, Parvati Prasad Baruva, Jayanta Hazarika, Utpalendu Choudhury, Nirmalendu Choudhury and many others. Classical Assamese music is divided into Borgeet and Ojapali which combines narrative singing with dancing. The music of Oja-pali has a raga system of clear traditional orientation.
Art and Craft
It's been more than two thousand years that various traditional crafts have emerged in Assam. The traditional crafts like pottery and terracotta work, brass craft, jewellery making, musical instruments making, cane and bamboo craft, silk and cotton weaving, and Woodcraft are a major source of employment for the people of Assam.
Weaving is the most ancient of all the practices where even now women take pride in the possession and occupation in the handloom industry. Gandhiji lauded the Assamese weavers as artists who could weave dreams in their looms. Various ethnocultural groups make exclusive types of cotton garments with embroidery designs and colour combinations.