ASSAM

A STATE OF AWESOMENESS
 INTRODUCTION

• Assam is termed as the land of “Blue Hills and Red River” Assam is the

gateway to the north eastern states and has been aptly described as the

sentinel of Northeast India. Seven Indian States and two countries

Bhutan and Bangladesh, surround Assam which is also close to India’s

international borders with China and Myanmar.

• Assam is surrounded by hills, major rivers such as Brahmaputra &

Barak and its tributaries, thick forest, tea gardens which enhances the

scenic beauty of Assam. In fact the mighty Brahmaputra river of Assam

is the only male river in the country.

• The state is dotted with monuments of 600 years old Ahom dynasty the longest ruling single dynasty in

Indian history. It was one among the very few dynasties that could not be conquered by the Mughals

• Assam is known for Assam tea and Assam silk. The state was the first site for oil drilling in Asia. Assam

is home to the one-horned Indian rhinoceros, along with the wild water buffalo, pygmy hog, tiger and

various species of Asiatic birds, and provides one of the last wild habitats for the Asian elephant.
 CULTURE

• Assam is the meeting ground of diverse cultures. The people of the enchanting

states of Assam are the intermixture of various racial stocks such as

mongoloid, indo- Burmese,indo- Iranian and Aryan.

• The Assamese culture is rich and exotic tapestry of all these races evolved

through a long assimilative process.

 LANGUAGE
• The natives of the state of Assam are known as ‘ Asomiya’( Assamese), which is also the state
language of Assam. The state has a large number of tribes, each unique in its tradition, culture,
dress and exotic way of life.Diverse tribes like Bodo, Kachari, Karbi, Miri, Mishima, Rabha, etc.

RELIGION
• The majority of the Assamese are Vaishnavas(a section of Hinduism). The Vaishnavas do not
believe in idol worshipping and perform “ Naamkirtana", where the glory of lord Vishnu is recited.
• The 2 important cultural and religious institutions that influence the cultural Fabric of Assam:
1.The Satras, the site of religious and cultural practice which have in existence for over 400 years.
2. The Naamghar, the house of prayers.
FESTIVALS
 CUISINE

MACHOR TENGA

PATOT DIYA MAS

ASSAMEASE TEA

ASSAMEASE THALLI
 ART

• The tradition of paintings in Assam can be traced back to several centuries in the past.
Ahom palaces and satras and naam-ghar etc still abound in brightly-colored paintings
depicting various stories and events from history and mythology.
• In fact, the motifs and designs contained in Chitra-Bhagavata have come to become a
traditional style for Assamese painters of the later period, and are still in practice today.
 PAINTINGS

• The traditional paintings of Assam serve as a source of

inspiration to thousands of art lovers across the globe. Known for
their unmatched quality and outstanding strokes of mastery, they
have become an integral part of the rich Assamese culture and
heritage.
• Tracing their origin to 7th century AD, Assamese paintings and
manuscripts are said to have been derived from the mythological
tales, the most prominent among which are Chitra Bhagavata
and Hastividyaranya.
 SCULPTURE
• The Temple sculpture of Assam essentially follows the Nagara Style of architecture. Ornamental
foliage and features of Gupta sculpture are also apparent in the temple sculpture of Assam.
• The earliest known stone sculpture of Assam belongs to the Gupta period. Culture and history
of Assam has been engraved on the temple walls.
• Ancient Assam was rule by several kingdoms that included the Varmanas, Salstambhas and
Kamarupa-Palas. The Ahom and Koch dynasties followed later. Each of these kingdoms has left
behind their artistic wizardry that have been immortalized in the form temple sculpture in Assam.
 Sculpture of elephants at
Ganga and Yamuna images
Hayagriva Mahadeva Temple
on the temple door-frame at
at Hajo
Da-Parbatia, Tezpur
Relief sculpture at the Vishnu Dol
Temple
 DANCE

• Folk dances of Assam include the Bihu and the Bagurumba (both danced during festivals held in the

spring), the Bhortal, the Satriya and the Ojapali dance.

• The tea tribes of Assam also have a dance form which is called Jhumur. The dance is performed by

young girls and boys together and can be witnessed in districts like Udalguri, Sonitpur, Golaghat,

Jorhat, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia.

• Bhortal on the other hand is sort of a classical dance form of the state and is performed in a group.
 BHIU DANCE

BAGURUMBA DANCE

BHORTAL DANCE

JHURMUR DANCE
 DRAMA

• Assamese theatre has a glorious history from past

days. There are also some other traditional
performatory modes such as Bhaoriya, Dhuliya, and
Oja-Pali.
• Srimanta Sankardeva is the father of Assamese
theatre, who wrote plays and dramas five centuries ago
to establish Vaishnavism in Assam. He introduced
Ankia Nat, Bhoana, Cihnayatra to Assamese audience
before Shakespeare even born. He wrote six plays and
a drama Cihnayatra. Cihnayatra was a theatrical
presentation in signs or paintings which is represented
with song, music and dance. After him, his successor
Madhavdeva successfully continued this journey with a
contribution of five short plays called jhumura.
 HERITAGE

• Assam is a land filled with various culture and heritage. Their cultural roots go back

to 13th century during the Ahom dynasty.

• Since then the Assamese people have preserved their heritage and is being passed
onto generations to generations.
• The Assamese take huge pride in their religion, traditions, their arts and so on.

• Further are some of the traditions items that holds deep cultural roots in Assam:-
 GAMUCHA

A Gamucha is a honorary piece of The Jaapi is a traditional conical hat in Assam which is
clothing, and is an important part of made from tightly woven bamboo and cane and
assamease culture. Tokoupaat (a type of large palm leaf).
 TAMUL PAAN

Tamul Paan(the areca nut and betel leaves) Xorai" a traditional symbol of Assam, is a
or Guapan are considered as the offers of manufactured bell-metal product and is
devotion, respect and friendship. considered as an article of great respect by the
people of Assam.
 SOME IMPORTANT HERITAGE SITES OF ASSAM

Rang Ghar Sukapha Samannay Kshetra

Satras
Talatal Ghar

Surya Pahar

Khaspur

Charaideo
 COSTUME

• The costume of Assam reflects its rich culture and tradition. In the ancient times, lower

garments were widely used by the common people, and these garments were made from

unstitched cloth. On the other hand, the higher section of the society used to ware upper

garments along lower garments accompanied by a paguri. In the medieval period,

Assamese costumes went through a major change.

• It was greatly influenced my North Indian or Islamic cultures. These were made from cotton,

eri, muga, mulberry, silk, tassar, and wool. The people here have mastered the art of using

eri fabric and producing some fine clothes that everyone finds elegant.
 DHOTI AND GAMOSA MEKHELA CHADOR

• The mekhela chador is a traditional dress

worn by the women of Assam. It is worn by
women of all age except children. This two
piece garments has a long piece of cloth
that is draped from waist downwards and is
then folded into pleats and tucked in. this
piece is called the makhela.

• The dhoti and gamosa are said to be native

dress of men of Assam, the dhoti is used to
cover the lower half of the body and is a
well-known piece of clothing in other Indian
traditions too. The gamosa is a rectangular
piece of cloth that is an important and
significant part of the Assam culture.
 DIMASA TRIBE COSTUMES MISHING TRIBE COSTUMES
• Different types of cloths and garments of
Mishing tribes are made in their handlooms
with simple implements and equipment's.
The varieties are seen in color combination,
designs and motifs woven artistically in the
clothes displaying aesthetic beauty. Most of
the dresses are of multicolor with massive
designs except few are of single color
with simple or without design.

• The Dimasa people are an indigenous

Assamese community of people inhabiting
Assam and Nagaland states in North-
Eastern India. Traditional Dresses of
Dimasa Tribe are very traditional and
cultural. Both men and women wear
costumes designed in household looms
 RABHA TRIBE COSTUMES
BODA TRIBE COSTUMES
• Traditional dresses and ornaments of the
Rabha people is another example of their
separate identity. These people have a
deep reverence for their conventional
wearing from a very early age. There are
too many verities of dresses and
ornaments that Rabha men and women
wear.

• Bodos of Assam live in the lush green area of

the northeast state of India. They are
recognized as a plains tribe in the Sixth
Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The Bodos
use the term Bodosa (which is pronounced as
Borosa meaning son of Bodo) to describe
themselves.
 HANDICRAFTS

• The people of Assam have traditionally been craftsmen from time immemorial.

Traditional arts and crafts are one of the beautiful cultures of Assam.
• Though Assam is mostly known for its exquisite silks and the bamboo and cane

products, several other crafts are also made here. Different regions of Assam are

known for their different forms of art and handicrafts.

 CANE AND BAMBOO

• Cane and bamboo have remained inseparable parts of life in

Assam. Grown in abundance here and hence most of the
household articles in the homes of Assamese are made of
cane and bamboo.
• They happen to be the two most commonly-used items in daily
life, ranging from household implements to construction of
dwelling houses to furniture to weaving accessories to musical JAPPI
instruments.

BAMBOO
FAN
 Metal craft
• Bell-metal and brass have been the most used
metals for the Assamese artisan.
• Traditional utensils and fancy articles designed by
these artisans are found in every Assamese
household.
• The Xorai and bota have in use for centuries, to
offer betel-nut and paan while welcoming
distinguished guests.
XORAI

BOTA
 Wooden craft
• An Assamese can identify the timber by touching it
even in darkness and can produce a series of items
from it.
• In Assam, wood is used to make a wide range of
products. A number of items for daily domestic use
are carved out of wood. This includes stools, chairs,
tables, dolah or palki, walking stick, and kharams
(wooden sandals), which might be engraved with the
images of animals, birds and fishes. Besides this,
exquisite carvings can also be seen in the decorative
panels, doors and walls of the houses.

KHARAMS
(wooden sandals)
 Mask
• With tribal art and folk elements form the base of
Assamese culture, masks have found an important
place in the cultural activities of the people.
• Masks have been widely used in folk theatres and
bhaonas with the materials ranging from terracotta to
pith to metal, bamboo and wood.

LOTOKOI MASK

MAJULI
MASKS
 TERRACOTTA
• Terracotta Work of Assam is famous in India and also
in abroad. It is also one of the most refined versions
of Terracotta Art in India. Assam craftwork represents
the rich cultural heritage of India.
• The terracotta work of Assam has dominated the
handicraft segment for ages. The exotic works of art
of different mythological figures, idols, decorative
showpieces are exquisite example of the thriving
terracotta industry of the state.
 JEWELLARY

• Assamese Ornaments are one of the most important parts of Assamese Culture and

generally made of gold, silver or gold-plated. Assamese Ornaments were originally

used by Ahom Kings and Queens of Assam and from that period these Ornaments

have occupied an honorable position in Assamese Society.

• Assamese Traditional Ornaments are typically hand-made, and the design mostly

depicts the floral and faunal treasures of the region.

 DHOLBIRI LOKAPARO
• Lokaparo, which is an ornament with two
sets of twin pigeons placed back to back in
gold, mina or ruby was originally worn by
high profile male dignitaries of the royal
Ahom Dynasty. Made for
Wedding/Festivals/Traditional Events
where Women can Dress up and look their
Best.

• The design 'dholbiri' means the musical

instrument played during assamese festival
i.e. Bihu its similar to drums . The design is
made in pure silver which can be worn both
traditional and contempory attires.
 THURIYA Gam-kharu
• This is a chunky bracelet/bangle made of
silver or gold. Adorned by Assamese
women, Gam-Kharu is one of the most
beautiful jewels of Assam. It can be
opened with a golden knot attached to it
and therefore, it can fit anyone.

• These are the traditional Assamese earrings

that are adorned by aged women of Assam.
The traditional Thuriya has a very unique
shape. It consists of a front side that looks
like a flower, a thin middle portion, and a
wider bottom portion. Its design helps the
earrings to stay intact in the ears.
 JONBIRI Gal-pata

• Gal means neck and pata is the flat design

of Gal-pata. Adorned by the beautiful
women of Assam, Gal-pata is a traditional
choker necklace made of Gold. It is
embellished with intricate floral designs.

• In Assamese, Jon means the Moon and Biri

is the surrounding designs of Jonbiri. This is
an eye-catching accessory that is adorned
by the beautiful women of Assam.Its design
is inspired by musical instruments, nature,
and household goods of Assam.
 THANK YOU

Presented by-
Mariyamma reji (Leader)
Riddhi sandbhor
Aarya supekar
Amruta sankpal
Pratiksha shettiya
Shruti saraf