The advent of spring – a gradual move from chillness to warmer days and brighter sun. The sweetness of the soft kisses of the morning sun fades away as temperature soars with each passing day. Life for most remains mundane, yet the scent of spring brings kapou, tagar and nahor into full bloom, adorning the state of Assam with their soft, delicate colours. The season of spring is celebrated with great fervour across India, albeit under different names and in various unique ways. In Assam, amidst the urban-rural blend, the season is marked with Rongali or Bohag Bihu.
The name Rongali refers to the essence of the festival– joy and happiness. Bohag refers to the season of celebration– spring. Bohag bihu is marked by a seven-day celebration in sequence. Each day is specifically dedicated as– Garu Bihu, Manhu Bihu, Gohain Bihu, Kutum Bihu, Tator Bihu and Nangolor Bihu, Jiyori or Senehi Bihu and Chera Bihu.
There is also a pre-Bohag Bihu celebration known as Rati Bihu, starting on the first night of the month of Chaitra and ending a month later on 14th April. This is now shortened to a few days and is performed at night. Hence the name Rati (meaning night in Assamese) Bihu.
Beyond the traditional rituals, worship, prayers, and exchange of greetings- not to forget the songs and dances- there lurks a fear about the continuity of these traditions in the decades ahead. Bihu songs ushers in a melody of tunes in the air. The Bihu dance, which is the hallmark of Assam’s tradition and culture fills the region with so much of hope, happiness, and joy, truly befitting the name Rongali.
The Bihu dance is not just about the instruments and the steps. Like any dance form, it also includes the attire and accessories that accompany the dancers and their troupe. One of these is jewellery. Very recently ‘Axomiya Gahona’ or the traditional Assamese jewellery, secured the GI tag, recognising it as part of Assam’s rich legacy of craftmanship for many centuries.
The announcement was made by the Geographical Indications Registry under the Intellectual Property Office. GI stands for Geographical Indications of Goods – products whose aspect of industrial property belongs to a specific place, which is the place of origin of the product or goods. According to the GI website, such name typically conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to its origin in a defined geographical locality, region or country.
Under Articles 1(2) and 10 of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, geographical indications are protected as an element of Intellectual Property Rights. These are also covered under Articles 22 to 24 of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement, which was part of the agreement concluding the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations.
India, being a member of World Trade Organisation (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which came into force with effect from 15th September 2003. I
t is indeed a proud moment for the people of Assam to see that among the items that received GI tags from Assam, some are part of the festival of Bihu. These are – muga silk (along with its logo), the gamosa, jaapi, Bihu dhol, and the most recently, ‘Axomiya Gahona.’ What better Bihu gift for the people of Assam than this?
Axomiya Gahona has been an integral part of Assam’s rich cultural heritage for centuries and is marked by the distinctiveness of its intricate patterns and designs, and the Axomiya xun (gold). Jewellery is a part of every culture around the world. While the broad categories of jewellery – necklaces, earrings, finger rings, bangles etc remain similar, what makes them unique are the specific patterns that evolve in a region and remain unparalleled and unfound in any other region or place in the same period of time. Its continuity as part of the region’s culture and legacy bears tremendous value.
The most popular traditional Axomiya Gahona are Lokaparo, Keru, Thuriya, Jangphai, Long Keru, Makori; alongside neck pieces like Golpata, Satsori, Joon biri, Bena, Gejera, Dhol biri, Doog doogi, Biri Moni, Mukuta Moni, Poalmoni, Silikha Moni and Magardana. The range of rings is equally diverse, including designs like Senpata, Horinsakua, Jethinejia, Bakharpata among others.
Traditional gahona is handmade and mostly depicts the flora and fauna of the region in the patterns and designs. Among colours, black, red and green are the most popular and look exquisite.
The GI tag certification is vital to preserving the interests of the artisans who create these jewellery pieces. The Bihu market, especially in Guwahati- as I have been observing is flooded with Assamese traditional items like gamosa, mekhela, gahona, pitha and so on. But what I fail to notice is the presence of the real Assamiya makes.
When we speak of original, authentic pieces of such traditional jewellery, we must realise that they are expensive due to the quality of materials and craftmanship. Not everyone can effort them, and yet many may need to wear them for various reasons. So the non-Assamese makes, the non-Axomiya Xun, and the newer colour combinations are deviations that have essential in a market-driven economy. After all, it’s about accommodation and assimilation for cultural growth. What we can emphasise is the opportunity to start making affordable substitutes in our own land to help boost the economy while preserving and protecting the traditional patterns from fading away.
A similar situation exists with handloom and fabric. The Muga mekhela chador is not just a piece of cloth but it is the most revered silk of the land, the golden thread. The never failing lustre and exquisiteness added with the local motifs, cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. So deep is its cultural significance and so unwavering its continuity of tradition.
The GI tag does not signify that we have achieved a final goal of recognition and sealed the product or goods as ours for eternity. It is a responsibility to preserve and protect what has always belonged to us. In spite of fulfilling the demands of the current market from time to time we must also strive to keep the products alive. To accept, adjust, and accommodate newer ideas and concepts does not mean the end of the old. It should be a journey of cultural advancement, with better techniques and advanced use of technology. A preservation with passion while enriching the traditional while acceptance of the new. After all– its Bihu in Bohag.
(All views and opinions expressed are author’s own)
