Muga silk is Assam's prized possession, known for its golden color and strength. Sericulture is an important industry in Assam, with muga and eri silks produced traditionally. Women's handloom weaving is a cultural tradition, producing items like the mekhala skirt and patani lower garment. Motifs in weaving depict nature and everyday life. Traditional costumes vary among the Bodo, Dimasa, Mech, and Aitunia tribes of Assam, incorporating locally produced silk and cotton with distinctive styles of dress for men and women. Jewelry like the kopo phul earrings and gaam kharu bangles are notable parts of Assamese adornment.

2. INTRODUCTION…..
Assam is a beautiful state known for its natural
beauty cultural richness and diversity. Assam is a
home for many kinds of silk but its greatest gift is
muga silk also called as golden silk is not only
sensuous and beautiful but also strong and
durable.

3. HISTORY…
The first king of Assam shukh-pha is known to
introduce silk in Assam. Silk rearing began in
upper Assam and was chiefly intended to be
used by royal family…

4. THE GOLDEN CULTURE…
SERICULTURE: Assam’s handloom industry is
basically silk oriented. The salubrious climate of
Assam is suitable for varieties of silk worms and their
host-plants, mulberry, Eri, Muga and Oak Tassar are
popular and important for economic and commercial
purposes

5. Sericulture is an
important cottage
industry of Assam. Eri
and Muga have been
producing silk
traditionally since long
back. Muga is the
pride of the Assamese
ladies.

6. HANDLOOMS
Handloom weaving forms a cultural constituent of
the woman of Assam. Home made cloths are
Mekhla and Patani (lower garment of the
women), chaddar (upper garment of the women),
gamocha (towel), dhuti, bed sheet, etc.

7. WEAVING….
Weaving in Assam is so replete
with artistic sensibility of
women and so intimately linked
to folk life. Different
attachments are used for
designs involving extra threads.
For extra warp designs, dobby
or jacquard machines are used.
The use of extra warp provides
the opportunity to weave
elaborate designs conveniently.

8. Yarns of different types and colors can be incorporated
lengthwise in the extra warp. However, the extra
warp makes beaming difficult since it requires two or
more warp beams, and the drafting of extra ends is
usually complicated. Extra weft is used for designing
across borders and spot figures, and for spacing
designs. In extra weft designs, different types of
colored yarns can be managed for different portions
using just one additional pick.

9. Since the extra weft designing still uses the traditional
process, a large number of long floats are obtained
at the back, which makes muga difficult to handle.

10. MOTIFS….
The designs and motifs of
Assamese fabrics are inspired
from nature, and from familiar
objects that surround them.
Though the traditional motifs
from the past are strictly
geometrical, over time some
lyrical and flowing designs
have also developed.

11. Juhi is a prominent floral
motif depicted with six or
seven small petals. An
interesting tree motif is
widely used as a side
motif. Animal and bird
motifs include figures of
peacocks, parrots,
pigeons, lions, horses
and elephants.

12. COLORS…
Traditional mekhela
is cream in color
with silk thread
work. Use of
golden , red, blue
and green colors
can be seen.

13. COSTUMES AND DRAPERY…

14. WOMEN’S COSTUMES…..
The mekhla is a women's skirt, usually
plain but sometimes strewn with
small motifs called buta. Chadar and
riha are apparel for covering the
upper part of a womans body, and is
usually decorated with sprays of
flowers and elephant motifs
interspersed with leaves and sprigs,
and numerous combinations of
geometrical patterns. The chadar is
draped over the shoulder, providing
the pallu, and the riha is wrapped
below the chadar, around the waist.

15. MEN’S COSTUMES…..
The men wear dhotis, usually
of silk. The chalang is a scarf
that had wide usage among
officers and other respected
professionals in ancient
Assam. Sula, a kind of shirt
similar to the angarakha, is
a traditional upper garment
worn by Assamese men.

16. VISUALS OF COSTUMES OF ASSAM…
GAMOCHA MEKHELA

17. CHADOR DHOTI

18. BRIDAL MEKHELA…with golden work.

19. THE UNUSUAL JAPI HEAD
DRESS…..
JAPI a cane hat used both as
a hat and an umbrella.
Made of takoupat leaves
obtained from a wild plant
called tekou, the quality of
a japi depends on its
workmanship.

20. TRIBES AND TEXTILES OF ASSAM……
Bodo TRIBES…..bodo tribe of Assam
resides amidst the lush greenery
of Assam. The Bodo tribal
womenfolk acknowledge Mekhla
as their prevalent costume. Along
with the Chaddar, an upper-wrap
called Riha.The men of the Bodo
tribe, dresses themselves in Dhoti
(an Indian loin cloth) and Chaddar,
made from Endi (a material made
from conglomeration of silk and
cotton).

21. Dimasa Kachchari
A Dimasa man wears a Risha similar to Dhoti but
deep green in color. He uses a chaddar called Rimsao
beautifully designed to cover upper half of his body.
Cotton or endi turban is the common headdress. A
dimasa woman puts on a skirt known as Rigu similar
to Assamese Mekhela. Either it is made of cotton or
silk, may be white or coloured to cover her body
below the waist. For covering the upper part of her
body, she uses a chaddar very artistically designed
known as Rijamphai. Another chaddar also very
beautifully designed know as Rikhaosa used during
dances or ceremonial occasions.

22. DIMASA TRIBES

23. Mech Kachchari
Mech people are simple. Their dresses are simple
as well. They use hand spun and hand woven
simple dress. Men wear dhoti, turban and endi
shawl or chaddar. Women use a dress similar to
Assamese Mekhela Chaddar but simpler than
their Assamese counter parts. They also use
simple ornaments. Their dresses even during
dances are also simple.
Mech Kacharias are famous for rearing silk worm
particularly endi or eri.

24. Aitunia
It is believed weaving was absent in original
Aitunia tradition. They only weave traditional
dresses for special or festive occasions.

25. Thai Phakes
The dress of the people of this tribe
includes articles of personal clothing used
mainly for the purpose of covering. The
Phakes wear two kinds of dress namely
general dress for every day use and
special dress for particular occasions.
They were costumes similar to the
traditional assamese costumes.

26. JEWELLERY….
Jewellery is a fundamental costume of any place. . The
remarkable feature of Assamese jewellery is Khopo
Phool, an earring which appears like an orchid. The
outlook is like two small shoes paired together and
crowned by a floral construct, which is again connected to
a chain.
Gaam Kharu is a large-sized silver bangle with
shimmering gold polish. Another fashionable earring is
Lokaporo, wherein two gold or ruby or mina or enamel-
plated, bird figures are conjoined together, back to back.
Assamese costume has cast an enchanting spell on not
only India, but on foreign nations also, because of their
mind-blowing perfection

27. Jewellery of assam
Kopo phul gaam kharu

28. LOKAPORO

29. THANK YOU