The COVID-19 pandemic has made the Assamese gamosa, a decorative cotton towel, evolve from memento to mask.

Gamosa

• The Gamosa is an article of 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.

Types

• Assam has traditionally had two types of gamosas the uka and the phulam.
• The uka or plain kind is used to wipe sweat or dry the body after a bath.
• The phulam is decorated with floral motifs to be gifted as a memento or during festivals such as Bihu.

Significance

• Cultural historians say the gamosa came to symbolise Assamese nationalism in 1916 when the Asom Chatra Sanmilan, a students’ organisation was formed, followed by the Assam Sahitya Sabha, a literary body.
• Wearing the phulam gamosa around the neck became a standard for cultural identity.
• Thegamosa’s graph as a symbol of protest rose during the anti-foreigners Assam Agitation from 1979 to 1985.
• The gamosa staged a comeback as a political statement with the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act from mid-December 2019.

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