Assam, a state located in Northeast India, has a rich and varied culture and has many communities and traditions, each of which varies in dress. Most of the traditional dresses of each community reflect – and embody – the art, culture, ways of life, and livelihood of the communities. In this article we will discuss about communities of Assam and their dresses.
- Assamese (Ahom) Community
- Traditional Dress (Women):
o Mekhela Chador: Two cloth pieces, the mekhela is like the lower piece of a skirt, and the chador is wie as the pallu of a saree. Usually made with muga silk or pat silk. - Traditional Dress (Men):
o Dhoti and Kurta: Either white or cream colored, it is worn with a gamosa, a handwoven towel (or scarf type object) that is draped over shoulder (or opposite shoulder).
- Bodo Community
- Traditional Dress (Women):
o Dokhona: A long piece of cloth, which is wrapped around a woman’s body and tucked in, over which women will wear a blouse (and sometimes a shawl). - Traditional Dress (Men):
o Gamsa: A cloth, which is for the lower part of the body, is wrapped, and men wear this with a shirt or a vest. This can be worn with a traditional jengphai (shawl, although this is very rare).
- Mishing (Miri) Community
- Traditional Dress (Women):
o Chin: A wrap skirt made by hand, women will wear a blouse and a gaseng (shawl or wrap). - Traditional Dress (Men):
o Simple dhoti and shirt with a well known and distinctive Mishing gamosa over the shoulder.
- Karbi Community
- Traditional Dress (Women):
o A Pini (a wrap-around skirt) and Vamkok (a blouse), and there are many accessories with it such as ornaments of local materials, and shawl type items. - Traditional Dress (Men):
o A Rikong (lower garment), and Jiso (shirt) and accessories – traditional bag on the hip and/or traditional headgear or cap.
- Dimasa Community
- Traditional Dress (Women):
o Rigu is a long wrap skirt, which is worn with a blouse, and sometimes a scarf or shawl. - Traditional Dress (Men):
o It is quite similar to many other tribal groups – a dhoti-like wraparound indigineous to the tribal area, shirt, with a scarf.
- Tea Tribes (Adivasi communities in Assam)
- Traditional Dress (Women):
o Tea Tribes women wear colorful sarees, most often with tribal prints and bold borders. - Traditional Dress (Men):
o Tea Tribes men wear lungis or dhotis with a shirt or vest, which can be worn with turban or head-wrap during festivals or special occasions.
- Rabha Community
- Traditional Dress (Women):
o Rabha women wear a kambang (wrap skirt), a blouse, and shawl. Rabha women often used lots of colors and prints but took inspiration from earthy colors. - Traditional Dress (Men):
o Rabha men donned a short Dhoti, shirt and a head cloth. Many Rabha men also carry a Bag in the traditional way.
