Majuli: A river island that carries the legacy of an ancient craftmanship – Mukha Xilpo

Majuli holds the narrative as the largest river island in the world. Covering an area of 880 km sq., it is a district situated in the middle of the river Brahmaputra of Assam. But what goes beyond the narrative of Majuli being the largest river island in the world? The narrative is about ancient art, culture, and generational heritage. Majuli is the crux of Assam Civilization for the past 500 years. Starting from the 16th century, it carries the rich heritage of socio-cultural and religious teachings of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev.

Srimanta Sankardev (1449-1569) was the pioneer of Neo-Vaishnavism in India, having Assam as its birthplace. Neo-Vaishnavism is a socio-religious movement pioneered by a multi-faceted leader Srimanta Sankardev. This movement is inspired by the Bhakti Movement of the 15th century which entails similar principles; however, it is different in various aspects. The philosophy of Srimanta Sankardev's movement emerged at a time of socio-political crisis in medieval Assam. His philosophy carries a holistic approach towards social welfare and service with a sense of devotion, duty, and belongingness for humankind. His thought process reflects creative humanism which appeals to work towards humanity in a very profound suggestive way. Neo-Vaishnavism is a religion that believes in the concept of one God for all, and through this philosophy of the Neo-Vaishnavite movement, it was an attempt by Sankardev to bring together people of all ethnicities, religions, and tribes to break the barriers of casteism and discrimination and work together towards a common goal of the greater good for the society. Many innovations and creations were made by the saint to promote humanism and devotion in the form of art, theatre and craftmanship. Assam's culture not only found significance socially and politically but also economically and commercially over periods of time till the 21st Century. Mukha-Xilpo is amongst one his contributions of expressive devotion introduced to be used during Bhaonas (theatres) and Ankiya Naat (plays).

Mukha means Masks and Xilpo means craftmanship. The knowledge of this craftmanship was promoted all around Assam since 16th Century and passed on by the generations thereafter. As time went by, the ancient craftsmanship of Mask Making delipidated with finer things distracting the carriers of the innovation. In the 21st century, the traditional method of making this craftmanship lies only in the land of Majuli. There are 22 Xatras in Majuli today. Xatras are present all-around Assam with many delipidated over time. Xatras were introduced by Srimanta Sankardev. They are institutions that serve as the Holy home for the followers of Neo-Vaishnavism encapsulating the religious, socio-cultural, and economic life of its people. Only in Majuli, in one of the Xatras, Sankardev's Mukha Xilpo is still practised in its traditional method. The 16th-century craftsmanship also acts as a key source of economic sustenance for its practitioners in Majuli today.

Mukha Xilpo has been carried forward by generations initially only with the motive of promoting expressive art, however, over time, mukhas have been made available for economic consumption as well. The beauty and uniqueness of design and purpose make the masks very intriguing in nature. The masks represent characters from Assamese Myths and Folklore and from the Indian epic Ramayana. The minuteness, the vibrancy of colours and the texture make the masks very attractive to look at. The process of mask-making is very sustainable as they are made meticulously from ingredients of nature. They are hand-made from bamboo, wood, soil, cow dung, cotton clothes, and natural dyes by the artisans who are the followers of Srimanta Sankardev's philosophy of Neo-Vaishnavism in Majuli.

This ancient form of craftmanship has been adopted by many artists and artisans all around Assam and some have acquired this art form from outside Assam as well. This art form has received the highest form of appreciation in the nation as well as outside in countries like the United Kingdom where Masks from Majuli have been kept in their museums.

Artists and designers from Assam and outside have made businesses out of this craftmanship and in a way, this is helping to sustain the art form. The original method of creating the Mukhas is bamboo and cane. Over time there has been a modification in the making because of the difficulty and time consumption in the production process. Therefore, many artists make art by using other materials other than bamboo and cane. However, in Majuli, the traditional method of mask-making with bamboo and cane and cow dung is still alive and practised. This is the reason why Majuli, the largest river island in the world, is the flag bearer of ancient 16th-century craftsmanship and its creator Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev.

Art forms and craftsmanship need patience. It takes courage to create something out of ingredients of nature and at the same time, creates demand for its consumption to make creative passion enough for sustenance. Artisans and artists of this ancient craftsmanship not only carry a passion for what they do, but they also wish to create the same amount of appreciation and acceptance as they have for the craft. Craftsmanship without machines is the highest form of sustainability, yet it is the hardest to produce as it takes an enormous amount of dedication and patience to create something beautiful out of mere hands.

In the land of Majuli, there lies the narrative of 16th-century history, art and culture which is carried forward with meaning and purpose inherited by generations over the period. The mask products of Mukha Xilpo highlight cultural significance as well as sustainability and can be kept with us as a reminder of cultural preservation and ancient Assam legacy.

Annanya Bhuyan

(annanya.bhuyan3@gmail.com)