Weaving in indigenous Dimasa community of Assam
19 December 2019, by Avantika Haflongbar
The rikhu or designs of the Dimasas look like 3D art, always colourful. Usage of the same colour in the rikhu is not followed. It includes geometrical designs, designs of plants, animals and nature. Each of the Rikhu has its own unique name and identity. One main characteristic of the rikhu is that the male rikhu/ design is completely different from the female rikhu/ design, and females are not allowed to wear anything with the male rikhu/ designs. There are recorded 159 designs/ rikhus with their distinctive names in the Dimasa textiles symbolising layers of soil, small water carrying jar, small oyster, small brinjal flower, tortoise, small crab and so on.
Name of pattern: Bathormai (Parrot’s beak with one-line motif) © ROOHI
Name of Rikhu: Upper Part is Misha Kroshi meaning one headed small animal, Middle part is Ruina Rengin meaning geometric design with two lines up and down motifs and Lower part is Dilam balai taijai representing eight fruits flowing in a river. © ROOHI
Name of pattern: Baitha meaning paddle/boat oar. © ROOHI
Name of pattern: Sampherma yasong meaning trunk of sampher tree. © ROOHI
Name of pattern: Nagurlai represents the design of fish scale. © ROOHI
Name of pattern: Gadha ni turisamin bathai meaning old fruit pattern from a bamboo shuttle. © ROOHI
Rihgu: It is a wrapper, lower garment worn from the waist till the ankle. This is usually plain but can be woven in motifs. It can be of any colour. It may be smaller of bigger according to the age and size of the wearer. Normally, the size of the rihgu is ‘muh bri’ (four times the distance between the elbow and tip of the fingers of the hand).
Rih jhamphain: It is a chest wrapper, outer garment worn from chest to knees along with rihgu.
Rihgu rikhaosa (rigu set): It is modern wear introduced in the recent past resembling a mekhala chador, a two-piece set adorned and popularised by the Assamese women. It is a semi traditional Dimasa wear consisting of two pieces.
