Assam: Majuli’s mask making & manuscript painting secure GI tags

GUWAHATI: Mask making and manuscript painting from Majuli, a river island-district of Assam, have been granted Geographical Indication (GI) tags.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for safeguarding the skills of the region's artists through this recognition.

NABARD's Assam regional office, which has been instrumental in facilitating the GI registration of distinctive products, highlighted the significance of these tags in preserving the Assam’s rich cultural heritage.

According to Nabin Kumar Roy, general manager and officer-in-charge of NABARD-Assam regional office, this step will promote Majuli’s mask and manuscript painting both nationally and globally.

The statement further revealed that NABARD supported the registration of eight unique products from the state last year and aims to support at least 10 more in the current year.

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Mask making, known as “Mukha Shilpa”, has been a revered art form on Majuli since the 16^th century.

It is deeply intertwined with the ‘Sattriya’ culture of Assam and has been predominantly practiced in the Satras (Vaishnavite monasteries) and by individual craftsmen residing in Majuli’s villages.

Manuscript painting, on the other hand, involves painting on the barks of Aquilaria malaccensis, locally known as ‘Sashi’ (agarwood tree).

This art form, patronized by Ahom kings, depicts stories from Hindu epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Bhagavata Purana, using indigenous impermeable ink and natural colours extracted from local ingredients.

Both these art forms flourished in medieval Assam under the guidance of Neo-Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardev.