Gamosa and Rongali Bihu

Context: The COVID-19 pandemic has made the ubiquitous gamosa, a decorative cotton towel, evolve from memento to mask. These are being repurposed as protective gear to fight the coronavirus.

About Gamosa

• The Gamosa/Gamusa 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 occasion ones made from Pat silk.
• The multipurpose Assamese gamosa is valued as a gift for visitors, used as a scarf, anti-dust mask, wrapped around the head as a turban.
• Assam has traditionally had two types of gamosas — the ukaor plain kind used to wipe sweat or dry the body after a bath, and the phulam, which is decorated with floral motifs to be gifted as a memento or during festivals such as Bihu.
• The gamosa’s graph as a symbol of protest rose during the anti-foreigners Assam Agitation from 1979 to 1985. The extremist United Liberation Front of Asom too used the towel with “revolutionary” motifs.

About Rongali Bihu
Context: For the first time, Assam is celebrating Bohag or Rongali Bihu without rong (meaning merriment), because of the Covid-19 lockdown. 
About this festival

• Bihu is the main festival of Assam.

It is celebrated three times a year.

• Rongali or Bohag Bihu is observed in April.
• Kongali or Kati Bihu observed in October and Bhogali or Magh Bihu observed in January.
• Rongali or Bohag Bihu is the Assamese new year and spring festival. The Rongali Bihu coincides with Sikh New Year- Baisakhi.

The Bohag Bihu dates are April 13 to April 21. It is a harvest or sowing festival. 

• It marks the first day of the Hindu solar calendar and is also observed in Bengal, Manipur, Mithila, Nepal, Orissa, Punjab, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Festive food - pitha (rice cake) and larus (traditional food made of rice, coconut) are prepared.
• Men and women in traditional Muga silk (golden silk) attires dance to the rhythm of Bihu tunes and beatings of the bihu dhol (traditional drum) across the State.
• Bihu dance is Assam’s most popular folk dance.
• The traditional gamocha woven on handlooms is offered as bihuwan to one's near and dear and also to guests.