INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, ARTS AND SCIENCE Shri Param ...

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INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL OF
COMMERCE, ARTS AND SCIENCE

ISSN 2319 – 9202

An Internationally Indexed Peer Reviewed & Refereed Journal
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CASIRJ Volume 9 Issue 1 [Year - 2018] ISSN 2319 – 9202

Mask making tradition of India (Assam)
Mohinder Kumar Mastana
Assistant Professor, Apeejay College of Art Jullundur Research Scholar Desh
Bhagat University Mandigobindgarh ,Punjab

Abstract
Art in any form has always been an imperative and integral reflection of each and every
community and its identity, since the time began. The early marks made by the human in dark
caves as a delight or dejection, as a fear, as an excitement, as a scream, as a silence and certainly
as devotion. Art is not merely a thought and expression, language and communication, idea and
vision; nonetheless it’s a record of history, perpetuation of culture, and an autobiography which
reflects cultural values, beliefs, and identity. The creation of art is a collective activity such as
dance, theatre, and choir all required a group of artist and most importantly the spectators. It
always endows with an opportunity to come together and sharing experiences, therefore it is
coherently attached with the cultural and social life of any society, and society cannot be
detached from the religion directly or indirectly which is more factual in case of social life of
India and its vivid cultural, geographical, social and religious diversity.
Introduction
Origin of the word mask can be traced in foreign societies as in French it can be refer to the term
‘masque’, in Italian ‘maschera’ and in the Spanish ‘māiscara’ The word is also considered to
originate from Latin words ‘mascus’ and ‘masca’ which means ghost.

Moreover the Arabic term ‘maskharah’ which means jester or masquerade can be associated as
the originator of the term mask. The roots of mask culture can be found in the pre-historic rock
arts from the different sites of the world including cave engraving of Caverne du Volp, France,
Altamira caves of Spain, Kundusi of Tanzania, Algeria, Libya, Kazakhstan, New Mexico,
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Sweden, Siberia, Canada, Peru, and Bhimbetka in India and others. Accordingly the masks has
been celebrated every part of the world. According to the characteristics masks has been
designed in numerous varieties from mundane to ferocious images which covers the head and
faces or tied over the head and front of the face to worn over the complete body with inventive
movable limbs and to make these masks the mask makers in different society have utilized
varied resources of the material as per their imagination, creativity and

availability of substances like wood, metal, stone, feathers, leather, shells, fibres, ivory, clay,
horn, furs, paper, cloth, corn husks and many others with the various surface manifestations
ranged from roughed minimalism to convoluted details of carving including glazed woods,
metals and mosaics to colourful embellishments Masks are generally worn with combination of
specific attires, consequently as a whole it seems to be covering the complete body of the wearer
and put forth the distinct identity of the character. As the costume essentially helps to imaging
the identity of the character generally the tradition prescribes its manifestation as well as the
mask also According to the masks costumes are also made of variety of materials which have
visual and symbolic connection with it and the depicted character. Similar to the other art forms
the visual and symbolic characteristics of masks has been mainly influenced by the natural
forms, which has been divided into two categories the masks which possess the human features
are classified as anthropomorphic and those with the animal features are theriomorphic. In some
of the instances masks depicts the forms of reality or natural feature whereas some of the mask
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features abstract forms. As the mask utilized to impersonate another being those exists beyond
reality so generally it portrays the supernatural or superhuman beings, fore fathers.
Tradition of Masks in India
Mask has been an important attribute of the folk rituals, festivals, ceremonies, traditional and
commercial theatre; it is having a cherished existence in the socio-cultural matrix of different
societies in India. A good number of Communities have the tradition of mask making which has
been used for various purposes. Among these, some of used it in funerary rituals, therapeutic
rites, fertility rites and even in magical traits also subsequently the socio-religious uses of masks
in India are overwhelming which opens the doors of a creative arena of performing and plastic
arts. In many of the societies masks are the integral part of the religious dances, theatrical
performances, dramas, and other similar acts which carrying the ethical and aesthetical values.
Such as in Vellaloore Ezhai Kaathamman

Madhukkudamedutha festival of Madura. Kulasekaran pattinam Dussera festival of Mysore,
Kaliamman Pongal festival and many others festival of the south India where the masks are
utilized as a part of the festival ritual , the devotees or the main performers worn the masks and
practice rituals and offering in front of the temple deity, verity of masks such as deity’s and
demon masks, animal and anthropomorphic masks, human and super human masks are worn in
those occasions by the performers to supplicate prayer and gratitude to their deities and ancestors
for agriculture, health and prosperity in life. Masks has been made in India in several states as an
form of art and aesthetic creation and it is deeply related to the tribal communities and thought
provoking history of socio-religious and cultural evolution since the pre-historic period to till
date. In India there are generally two specific features of masks and the morphological
characteristics of masks are mainly influenced by natural forms and mythological interpretations.
Masks that possess the human feature are the anthropomorphic and those animal features are
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theriomorphic which represents the image of demons, deities, ancestors, animals, and imaginary
figures, both has been used through ages in socio-religious festivals, theatrical performance,
commemorative and therapeutic occasion as the vital part of the religious as well as the visual
culture. There are various kinds of masks like Bhuta masks of South India . painted masks of
Bastar of Madhya Pradesh Hanuman masks of Orissa. tiger masks of Himachal Pradesh made of
Papier Mache, wooden masks of Sikkim and Tibet.

Karnataka has been the centre of significant masks and puppets particularly the headgears called
‘Kirtams’ which used in the performance of Kathakali a classical dance. There are various
headgears used by the performers to depict the vivid kind of characters and emotions, are mainly
based upon the religious figures prevailing annoying, generous, devoted, pleasure, ferocious, and
destructive features. These masks are mainly made of wood and decorated with closely knit
silver beads on a scarlet red base, for further decorations mask is bejewelled by fixing glass
pieces on aluminium foils with the large central motif of glass flower petals and small silver
beads including various gaudy materials. In Uttar Pradesh masks of the different Character both
anthropomorphic and theriomorphic like Brahmma, Vishnu, Siva (deities), Ravana and Asuras
(demons), Hanuman, Jambuvana (animal masks) has been
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utilized in the theatrical performance of Ramlila, which is firmly portrays the chronicles of the
classical epic Ramayana and heroic tales of lord Rama. Theatrical performance of Ramlila starts
nine days before and goes part by part every day in the evening hours up to the festival of
Dusshera where at the end Lord Rama kills the Demon Ravana. Here the (Mukhota) face masks,
(Mukuts) headgears and crowns are made of wood and paper with strong decorations of
glittering material like metal foils, shining threads, mirror pieces etc. Similarly the costumes are
also equally decorated by gaudy embroidery and jeweled with ornaments. The wooden masks of
West Bengal plays an important role in the socio religious and cultural milieu. Here the
traditional artists mainly from the Purulia district make wooden masks for ‘chhau’ performers.
Chhau masks are considered as they are the manifestations of the deities and various
mythological characters of classical epics of India). Similarly in Darjeeling and Tibet wooden
masks painted with vivid colours are used in the performance of devil dances and the other
religious festivals. Masks are closely linked with the rituals, festivals and the life of Buddhist
Monasteries from Nepal to other Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan including Tibet, Ladakh, and
Sikkim. The ‘cham’ dance of Tibetan monks is significant due to interesting amalgamation of
Indian and Tibetan forms where the procession of ferocious wild Parthenon (giant colourful
mask considered as the protector to the harmful spirits) incorporated with the comic character
represents the lucid combination of both the cultures The performance of Cham mask dance
mainly includes two sections the first one honours and pays reverence to the eight aspects of
Padmabhava (Buddhist Mentor forms) and second depicts the Maha Dongcren (great
destruction) by a horned masked figure, killing and finishing the demonic force.
Mask making in North East
Similarly in North-east of India the mask tradition is celebrated among the tribal communities in
a mythological manner and all the related myths with these performances are basically persuade
the secular mask customs in the region.
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The remarkable ‘Ajilimu’ dance performance of Sherdukpen tribes. The masks depicts the two
terrible demons ‘Nyapa and Nyaro’ with ferocious expressions and gestures with flowing erratic
hairs here and there to keep away the negative spirits In another performance the clownish mask
appears like a giant dummy of yak made in bamboo frame covered with black cloth are
manipulated by two persons depicts the comic sense. All the above traditions of mask
performances represent the strong existence of masks in the field of socio-religious and cultural
matrix of India with numerous variety and practices since the pre-historic period to the modern
ages. Apart from this a phenomenal traditions, masks has been emerged in Assam with the
beginning of the medieval ages, under the cultural and socio-religious reformations where a
multifaceted figurine and reformer, Saint Sankardeva introduced the Neo-Vaisnavism in whole
region and in order to propagate his ideology of devotion and social harmony he incorporated
various art forms like painting, dance, music and theatrical performance embedded with a small
galaxy of vivid characters of masks which represents the wide range of images and emotions.
Mask making in Assam
The Art and culture has always been derived and driven by the religion and in Assam also the
Neo-Vaisnavism, progression of Bhakti Movement of India, persuaded the artistic and creative
pursuit of the island of Majuli, which became a nerve-centre of Vaisnavism of Assam after the
revered arrival and preaches of Saint Srimanta Sankerdeva, personification of Saint Sankardeva
and Phenomenon of NeoVaisnavism in Assam imbued the whole historical and cultural
background of the medieval epoch of Assam.
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]Subsequently the Assamese chronicles and biographies (Buranjis & Caritas) are the important
and relevant sources of Assam’s history, in which, we can generally find that the terms Āsām,
Ācām, are used to perpetually denote to the ‘Tāi’-Ahom invaders. In the Satsari Assam Buranjì
(a chronicle ‘satsari’ by name), it is said that the local Brahmins and the Morāns (community)
called them Āhom (Aśam), which means unequal to others. In Darrang rajvamsavali, a chronicle
of the Koch kings by ‘Suryyakhari Daivajna’, composed in sixteenth centaury A.D, the word
‘Asam’ has been all throughout used to mean the Shan invaders were designated by various
terms, such as Āsam, Aśam, Asam: In the ‘Kamrupar Buranji’, a chronicle of much later date,
the term Acam was used to refer to the Shan Invaders. Considerably it can be mentioned that, the
name Āhom (Assam) became prevalent by the entry of the Shan invaders or Ahoms to this land
and gradually it came to be used as the designation of the whole land ruled by these people. In
Modern times the term Āsam (English Assam) used to designate the land and the people living
within the land are called Asamìā (Assamese in English). Assamese culture is a synthesis of the
social and political movements that have been occurred from time to time, the conquests and
defeats, the invasions and migrations, the records of sculptures and architectures, the evolution of
the tradition, arts and Religions of the people, and so on. The social system of the Assamese
community reveals influences of the Indian Varnashrama (Caste model), the political ideals of
Assam kings seems parallel to the pan Indian polity, the cultivation of the vivid art forms largely
reveals the influence of Indian aesthetic standards, the language itself is a ‘Sanskritik’ (Sanskrit
based) language and the old inscriptions proves, the acceptance of Sanskrit as the court language;
even the land system bears traces of Indian land system. Simultaneously culture of Assam has its
own distinct features. For instance, in spite of the apparent adherence to the Varnashrama or
Caste systems, Assamese society does not admit much of caste rigidity and there have been
evidence of priests even from the non Brahmin castes. It is mainly due to, that Assam has always
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been the confluence of races, and the fusion of cultures, which has been sanctioned not only by
miscegenation but by the political necessity.
Assam is a very much integral part of India and clutched with cultural indigenous diversity. Its
culture similarly constitutes an essential ingredient of the composite pan Indian culture. But
precisely due to its location, the region has served as a corridor for the migration of human
groups as well as cultural cascade both from the Indian mainland to the west and the neighboring
lands in the north and east. Thus the corresponding elements can be easily trace out from the
cultural heritage of this region, with China, Tibet, Myanmar, and even lands still further away in
the south-east Asian countries; and such elements have been smoothly and naturally integrated
into the local cultural comprise. This 5 agreeable combination of the indigenous and the exotic
external trends has helped the place to making its significant cultural treasure. Since the very
early ages North-east has been the home of the kirātas or indo-Mongoloids. In fact, the Indo-
Mongoloids strain is predominant even today also, in the racial and cultural composite of the
region. At the same time, scholars have distinguished many features that are of Austral and
Dravidian Affiliation simultaneously with the Aryan ethnicities, which have been constantly
penetrated, particularly in the plains of Assam It has been the dominant presence of Aryan
Hindu modes and ethnicity since early times, within Hinduism, again Saivism, Saktism, and
Vaishnavism have been influential in different times, and to different degrees. However, later in
the fifteenth century, Neo-Vaisnavism has been laid down in deep crux of the Assamese society
by a pioneering Saint Sankardeva and cultivated the highly refined and sophisticated lifestyles
and artistic forms. The Satras of Assam have been the active hub of the unique cultural model
with multiple ramifications of religious, ethical, social, and artistic venture since more than five
centuries. There is the living presence of Buddhism among the number of Tribal communities of
the region. For example, the Monpas, Sherdukpens, and some other groups are followers of
‘Mahayana’ Buddhism of the lamaistic order and number of small groups of Tai affiliation who
profess the ‘Hinayana’ Buddhism of Theravada order. There is also a small Assamese Sikh
community who are Sikh by faith but very much Assamese by culture and the Muslims started
making their appearance in the medieval times, while their constituent have gradually multiplied,
large segment of them have merged into the local socio-cultural milieu (B.Dutta:2012).
Christianity, which came to these parts in the first half of the nineteenth century or in colonial
period, spread quickly, particularly among the tribes of hill area of Assam.
Majuli a pilgrimage island of Assam
Majuli a pilgrimage island of Assam is distinguished for its geography, culture and primarily a
place where Vaisnavism has prospered since fifteenth century The island is a paradise of
biodiversity of flora and fauna, which is nurtured by vast Brahmaputra River. Majuli is
celebrated as the world’s biggest river island nestles in the lap of the mighty Brahmaputra and
also the place of numerous Satra Institutions (Vaisnavite monasteries), in which some of the
Satra celebrated as the most legendary Satras of the Assam, caring the heritage of socio-religious
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culture, and rich traditions of various art and literature, signifies it from the other places of
Assam Majuli has its own inherent features, due to its topographical conditions the island has not
been much coupled with the mainland and creates isolated water bounded populated zone. The
inhabitants of the island had no often interaction with the main stream society during the Middle
Ages. Presently Majuli is a subdivision of the Jorhat Dristirct of Assam, the old stream of
Brahmaputra namely the Luit or Luhit Suti with a thin stream of water flows north of the island,
its eastern stream is called Kherkatiya Suti and the western stream is known as Suvansiri
(Subansiri), and in the south of the island main Brahmaputra flows which was earlier the course
of the Dihing and Dikhow combinedTherefore the east and the west ends of the island are
pointed as the junction and amalgamation respectively of the two channels of the same great
river. The Island has been formed with change of course of the river Brahmaputra as well as its
tributaries by time to time. Some more references on the Majuli Island are found in the text of
the “Third Division of Assam, Majuli or the Great Island” and in the book “An account of
Assam” by Dr. John Peter Wade (1972-93). Majuli then was constituted with thirteen Chaporis
(tributaries) or small islands were interconnected by channels of communication by boat between
the 59 Dihing and Lohit, which in reality shaped it into a cluster of islands and in addition to
these, numerous smaller island ranged the whole length formed by various branches of the
principal streams. Some of these were always overflowed in the season of flood, others
occasionally and all possess a section of rich soil above a deeper layer of sand or soft clay As per
the Dr. J.P Wade, who was an military surgeon and came along with Captain Welsh,

the island was around 160 miles in length and 60 miles in breadth but as per the Assam
governments revenue records the area was around 1246 square kilometers in 1950, was reduced
to 924 square kilometers in 1971 and according to the records of the 2001, unfortunately due to
continuous soil erosion it has been reduced to 480 square kilometers Majuli got its name in 16th
century A.D as mentioned in the (Buranji) chronicles of Assam, for an instance one of the oldest
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