A study on the traditional textile motifs of Dimasa Kacharis in the Cachar District of Assam

Abstract

Dimasa Kachari is an ethnic community of the northeast region of India, and spread across the hilly and plain regions of Assam. Handloom weaving is a traditional practice among the women of this community and weaving is associated with the community’s cultural identity. The purpose of the study is to document the traditional textile motifs of the community with the local names, meaning and significance; the individuality of motifs, the male and female motifs, and the techniques for making motifs are also documented. The documentation is based on the available primary materials collected during the study. The study was done by visiting the Dimasa Kachari villages of the Cachar district in Assam and spending significant time with the women weavers of different age groups. The significant findings of this study include the rich resources of traditional textile motifs of the community. During the study, it was observed that the tradition of weaving within the community is reducing slowly, the vocabulary related to the textile is shrinking, the application of traditional motifs has become limited, and are gradually replacing by motifs external to Dimasa culture.