Why in news?
- Recently, there were protests in Assam this week after a newly formed literary body called the Bangla Sahitya Sabha, Assam (BSSA) used a ceremonial scarf to felicitate guests.
- This scarf was created by sewing together half an Assamese gamosa and half a Bengali gamcha.
What’s in today’s article?
What is Gamosa?
- The traditional Assamese Gamosa/Gamusa or Gamucha is one of the most recognisable cultural symbols of Assam.
- It is a white rectangular piece of cloth with embroidered red borders.
- The red border is called the "anchu" and is believed to be the sign of Ahom strength.
- There are a total of nine types of Gamosas used for different occassions.
- These are - Uka Gamosa, Phulam Gamosa, Bihuwan Gamosa, Tiyoni Gamosa, Pani Gamosa, Anakota Gamosa, Telosh Gamusa, Jor Gamosa and Xadharon Gamosa.
- While most Gamosas are made of cotton, few utilized in special occasions are made from Silk too.
- While it has a lot of uses, it is mostly used as an article presented to guests, elders, family or friends on special occasions as a sign of respect.
Why the gamosa wraps the Assamese society together?
- Symbol of Assamese cultural identity
- The gamosa is considered a symbol of Assamese cultural identity and is revered for multiple reasons.
- It has a deep symbolic value in Assam, be it religiously, socially or culturally.
- Socially, it is gifted as a symbol of mutual respect and solidarity.
- Special relationship with the Vaishnavite culture
- It also has a special relationship with the Vaishnavite culture in Assam.
- The axon, the main place of worship, is considered incomplete without one. So, there’s a lot of emotion attached to it.
- Gamosa became a symbol of Assamese sub-nationalism
- During moments when Assamese sub-nationalism took centre stage, the gamosa was prominently used by protesters as a marker of Assamese identity.
- E.g., During the Assam Agitation of the early 1980s and more recently, the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in the state.
- The rise and rise of the gamosa
- The gamosa has traversed beyond Assam:
- to Delhi (on account of being Prime Minister Modi’s favourite accessory)
- to the tracks of Finland (when athlete Hima Das won her historic gold in July 2018) and
- even to outer space (when NASA astronaut Mike Fincke — married to an Assamese — performed Bihu aboard the International Space Station in 2004).
Gamosa gets GI tag
- In December 2022, gamosa has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the central government.
- A GI is tagged to primarily agricultural, natural or manufactured products, handicrafts and industrial goods originating from a definite geographical territory.
