Jaapi, Gamosa and Xorai

Why in news?

• As the polling date draws closer, decorative jaapis (field hats), hand-woven gamosas and bell-metal xorais are making frequent appearances in Assam.

Jaapi

• The jaapi is a conical hat made of bamboo and covered with dried tokou (a palm tree found in rainforests of Upper Assam) leaves.
• While it is most often used in official functions to felicitate guests, in  rural Assam farmers wear them to protect themselves from the harsh weather, both sun and rain, while working in the fields.
• The first possible recorded use of jaapi dates back to the Ahom-era buranjis, or chronicles.
• Today, the bulk of Assam’s jaapis are made by artisans based in a cluster of villages in Nalbari district.

Gamosa

• The Gamosa, which literally translates to a cloth to wipe one’s body, is used as a towel or in public functions to felicitate dignitaries or celebrities.
• The gamosa is often called a “symbol of the Assamese nation”

Xorai

• Made of bell-metal, the xorai — essentially a tray with a stand at the bottom, with or without a cover — can be found in every Assamese household.
• It is primarily used as an offering tray during prayers, or to serve tamale-paan (betel-nut) to guests.
• A xorai is also presented along with the jaapi and gamosa while felicitating someone.
• The bulk of xorais in Assam are made in the state’s bell metal hub Sarthebari in Bajali district.

Prelims Question

Jaapi, Gamosa and Xorai are handicrafts from:
(a)Assam
(b)Telangana
(c)Gujarat
(d)Uttarakhand

Answer to the Prelims Question