Culture of Assam
The roots of culture in Assam goes back almost five thousand years when the first wave of humans, the Austroasiatic people reached the Brahmaputra valley.
[4] According to the epic Mahabharata and on the basis of local folklore, people of Assam (Kiratas) probably lived in a strong kingdom under the Himalayas in the era before Jesus Christ, which led to early assimilation of various Tibeto-Burman and Autro-Asiatic ethnic groups on a greater scale.
Typical naming of the rivers and spatial distribution of related ethno-cultural groups also support this theory.
Thereafter, western migrations of Indo-Aryans such as those of various branches of Irano-Scythians and Nordics along with mixed northern Indians (the ancient cultural mix already present in northern Indian states such as Magadha enriched the aboriginal culture and under certain stronger politico-economic systems, Sanskritisation and Hinduisation intensified and became prominent.
It is believed that Assamese culture developed its roots over 750 years as the country of Kamarupa during the first millennium AD of Bodo-Kachari people assimilation with Aryan which is debatable as the idea of Assam as an entity was not present.
A renewed Hinduisation in local forms took place, which was initially greatly supported by the Koch and later by the Ahom Kingdoms.
The resultant social institutions such as namghar and sattra – the Vaishnav Hermitage have become part of the Assamese way of life.
On many occasions, the Vaishnav Movement attempted to introduce alien cultural attributes and modify the way of life of the common people.
Moreover, new alien rules were also introduced changing people's food habits and other aspects of cultural life.
During periods when strong politico-economic systems that emerged under powerful dynasties, greater cultural assimilation created common attributes of Assamese culture, while under less powerful politico-economic systems or during political disintegration, more localized attributes were created with spatial differentiation.
With a strong base of tradition and history, modern Assamese culture is greatly influenced by various events that took place in under British rule of Assam and in the Post-British Era.
Due to increasing efforts of standardization in the 19th and 20th centuries, the localized forms present in different districts and also among the remaining source-cultures with the less-assimilated ethnocultural groups have seen greater alienation.
Many indigenous tribal communities of the state still oppose the efforts of assimilation into Assamese cultural identity.
Tamul-paan (the areca nut and betel leaves) or guapan (gua from Goi of Bodo-Chutia language) are considered as the offers of devotion, respect, and friendship.
It is used by the farmer as a waistcloth (tongali) or a loincloth (suriya); a Bihu dancer wraps it around the head with a fluffy knot.
It is hung around the neck at the prayer hall and was thrown over the shoulder in the past to signify social status.
At par with Gamosa, there are beautifully woven symbolic clothes with attractive graphic designs being used by different cultural ethno-cultural groups as well.
The indigenous folk music has in turn influenced the growth of a modern idiom, that finds expression in the music of such artists are Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Bishnuprasad Rabha, Parvati Prasad Baruva, Bhupen Hazarika, Nirmalendu Choudhury & Utpalendu Choudhury, Pratima Barua Pandey, Luit Konwar Rudra Baruah, Parvati Prasad Baruva, Jayanta Hazarika, Khagen Mahanta, Beauty Sarma Baruah.
Among the new generation Zubeen Garg, Angaraag Mahanta, Kalpana Patowary, Joi Barua, Jitul Sonowal and Manoj Borah are well known.
Traditional utilities and symbolic articles made from bell metal and brass are found in every Assamese household.
The Xorai and bota have been in use for centuries to offer gifts to respected persons and are two prominent symbolic elements.
Moreover, various ethno-cultural groups in Assam make different types of cotton garments with unique embroidery designs and wonderful color combinations.
Traditional clothes and fabric of the Assamese include Suriya, Pirawn, Gamusa, Jaapi, Mekhela chador, Riha, Tongali.
The most famous of such medieval works are available in the Hastividyarnava (A Treatise on Elephants), the Chitra Bhagawata and in the Gita Govinda.
Traditional Assamese paintings have been influenced by the motifs and designs in the medieval works such as the Chitra Bhagawata.
