Gamosas – A Gift Of Respect And Love

A woven piece of cloth that can be worn on a daily basis or used to cover sacred texts, or sometimes gifted as a sign of respect, the gamosa has evolved over the years to become a very important part of Assamese culture. Brinda Gill explores...

- Brinda Gill

A gamosa is a length of woven cloth, synonymous with the Assamese culture and its identity. It is one of those things that make for a wonderful memento of the state. The skill and creativity of weavers, the simple beauty, and the pride of Assam, gamosas have evolved over the years its awareness has spread.

Since ancient times, Assam has been witness to the arrival of people from different parts of the subcontinent and other nations thus making it a multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious society. The state also has a range of woven wonders stemming from centuries-old tradition of production of silk from indigenous silkworms and of hand weaving.

One of most famous silks produced by the Assamese is Muga silk. Endowed with a lovely gold hue, IT has long been produced in Assam by the spinning of muga cocoons obtained from the silkworm Antheraea assama. Another Assamese delight, the Eri silk has been produced from open-ended cocoons obtained from the silkworm Samia ricini. In this case as the moth has already emerged from the cocoon when it is gathered for processing it does not involve the killing of silkworms. Mulberry silk, locally called pat silk, obtained from the cultivated mulberry-fed silkworm Bombyx mori is also sourced for weaving.