MAJULI: CULTURAL ISLAND
The river island of Majuli is a centre of culture, crafts and handlooms. Angana Bordoloi is Founder, Kiron Foundation, an NGO that is actively participating in ground-level work from farming to the final products of hand-woven silk. The products are marketed by the brand name Studio Indigenous. Kiron Foundation is located in Majuli, the largest river island in the world. Angana shares her thoughts on Majuli and the foundation’s work.
Please tell us about Majuli
Angana Bordoloi: Majuli is a lush island located in the heart of the mighty Brahmaputra River in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam. It is the world’s largest river island. Presently, it spans 352 sq kms though was much larger in centuries past.
Majuli is regarded as the cultural capital of Assam as it is a centre of neo- Vaishnavism culture that is the worship of Lord Vishnu as established by social and religious reformer Mahapurush Srimanta Shankardeva (1449-1568). It is also home to the culture of indigenous communities as Majuli has a multi-ethnic population. These cultural aspects are manifest in a living heritage of religious songs and dance-dramas, crafts of mask-making and boat-making, and handloom weaving. The Mishing community weaves and wears colourful attire. Agriculture, sericulture, fishery, dairy, handloom weaving, pottery, mask and boat making are the primary occupations here. About a hundred varieties of rice grow in Majuli.
Image: Eri silkworms eating castor leaves.
Majuli once had 665 satras that are institutions or centres of learning and culture; the beginnings of the founding of satras go back to the time of Mahapurush Shankardeva. Now their numbers are far fewer, of which six are regarded as the main satras. These are Dakhinpat that is known for dance drama, devotional songs and folk dance; Garamur where the Raas Leela dance drama is held in end-autumn; Auniati famous for its museum that has old crafts, jewellery, textiles, utensils, paal naam (Vaishnavi group prayers); Kamalabari where boats are crafted; Bengenati that has Ahom king Gadadhar Singha’s (late 17th century) attire and gold umbrella; and Samuguri known for devotional songs, dance drama, the dance presentation of the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu, and mask making. Salmora, a village of potters, is about 25kms from Garamur.
How did you decide to establish your foundation and studio in Majuli
Angana Bordoloi: I hail from Assam where the handloom culture has been popular for centuries. I founded Kiron Foundation in 2016 in the memory of my grandparents who had established a home-based organization called “Jayanti Bayan Karyalaya” in 1958 in the Jorhat district of Upper Assam. The organization encouraged women and specially widows to undertake sericulture activities and weaving. After obtaining my education in Fashion Design at INIFD, Kolkata, and gaining some professional experience in the handloom craft, I decided to go back to my homeland to give a life to my grandparents’ dreams.
Image: Be Happy Mask on entry pillar to Padmashri Dr. Hemchandra Dev Goswami Art Display Studio.
I first visited Majuli in 2013 and was drawn to the serenity of the island. Besides, the concept of ‘peace silk’ attracted me as a nature lover. I found Majuli as a prime production centre of eri silk over my multiple visits to the island, which made me realise the potential of this craft. On the other hand, I found that the sales and the promotion of the craft are not even remotely encouraging due to the lack of adequate exposure, and the artisans are gradually losing their interest in this craft.
I decided to establish Kiron Foundation to promote and sustain sericulture and handloom weaving, and make it a source of income for the farmers and artisans of Majuli. I believe, my endeavour toward the upliftment of the artisans and farmers in Majuli is a reincarnation of my grandparents’ dream.
Image: A display of different stages of mask.
What is focus of Kiron Foundation?
Angana Bordoloi: The main objective of Kiron Foundation is to generate employment and promote development of skills of the farmers and artisans of Majuli, and help in empowerment of women. Sericulture creates sustainable textiles. It is also a complete cycle of sustainable livelihood opportunity. The entire process- starting in the farm, leading to the fibre and the final product- entails no damage to the flora and fauna. It creates breathable and biodegradable products that are gentle on the skin. It also creates an eco-responsible process that helps us in replacing the synthetic textile industry with a green textile industry. This is an indispensable requirement at a global scale in recent times. We are creating an opportunity that encourages our next generation to learn and adopt such a green lifestyle. Our aim is to give work to artisans with fair wages, to introduce the handloom weaves of Majuli to the world.
Has there been a tradition of sericulture, hand-spinning and hand-weaving at Majuli?
Angana Bordoloi: Sericulture and handloom activities are common and popular activities in Assam among the distaff population. Assam is known for its hand-woven eri, muga and mulberry silks. Wearing traditional folk art textile is still a regular practice especially during traditional and cultural occasions.
Sericulture and eri-silk weaving have long been practised on Majuli. Some locals eat the pupa in the silkworm cocoons that is regarded as a delicacy and a source of protein. The cocoons are processed to obtain filament that is hand-spun to obtain silk yarn which is woven.
Image: Returning home from farm-field work taking along his farm’s sugar cane for his family.
Could you tell us about the chain of activities of Kiron Foundation
Angana Bordoloi: Work starts with sericulture farmers then the silk rearers, spinners and weavers to encourage production of silk cocoons, processing of cocoons, spinning silk yarns and weaving. Eri silkworms are reared. These worms grow into moths and break out of the cocoon on maturity. Thus, there is the option of processing cocoons when the pupa is within the cocoon or when the moth has broken through the cocoon and left. The second option leads to the production of `peace silk’ as the pupa is not killed when the cocoons are boiled for obtaining the silk filament.
The cocoon filaments are processed and then hand-spun into yarns that are either used in their natural form or dyed with natural dyes. The yarns are hand-dyed with natural dyes from plants that grow on the island. The natural dyes used are turmeric, manjistha, indigo and annatto. Traditional motifs/patterns are woven in traditional colour combinations. The product range includes home linen, scarves, yardage and stitched garments that are marketed with the brand name Studio Indigenous. We retail through our social media pages and at a few stores.
Image: Pre-Loom Process.
Please give us an idea of the physical set-up of Kiron Foundation
Angana Bordoloi: Kiron Foundation presently works with over 250 silk worm rearers and over 80 weavers. The number of hand-spinners varies between 80-100 as it depends on the quantity of cocoons produced every season. The silkworm rearers provide the cocoons which are given to the hand-spinners for processing and spinning. If a client has requested for eri silk, then the spinners wait for the moth to leave the cocoon and then process and spin the filament. Hand-spinners work from home. We typically involve older women in hand-spinning as they are very skilled in spinning and spin fine yarns. Weaving is carried out at the Kiron Foundation workshop as well as homes. We have a lovely complex built of bamboo, surrounded by paddy fields, in Garamur. We have space for training weavers and natural dyeing. There are six looms for weaving. Our complex is close to where the Raas-Leela performance is held.
What has been the response to the products of Studio Indigenous
Angana Bordoloi: The response to our products has been most encouraging. So far, our products are reaching different parts of India, Singapore and USA. In 2019, I was invited to participate and to represent Northeast India in the world’s largest ‘International Folk Art Market’ (IFAM) at New Mexico, USA. We are receiving remarkable response because of the traditional methods we are following and the uniqueness of traditional designs. They are one of a kind and the techniques of extra weft cannot be copied by power loom, nor are the patterns available in the market. The textiles have patterns inspired by nature such as flowers; triangles representing hills; lines representing the rivers and paths; and stars. They colours are also symbolic – blue represents the sky, green represents the land, and red represents power.
Image: Hand Weaving Process.
Are there any other activities undertaken by Kiron Foundation
Angana Bordoloi: Kiron Foundation has an initiative of planting trees. This is because in the past couple of centuries the land area of Majuli has decreased significantly due to erosion by the river. We hope planting trees will help in preserving Majuli. In addition, we undertake programs to create awareness of government schemes for women, and facilitate women and child health check-ups.
Image: Working on Paddy.
Can textile enthusiasts visit Majuli and your studio?
Angana Bordoloi: We would be very happy to have textile lovers visit Majuli and our unit to see the process and products. A visit to Majuli offers a rare experience of centuries-old local culture from dance dramas to singing, and crafts. One can experience local festivals. There are options for staying in traditional home stays that will provide a glimpse of local culture and food. Arrangements can be made for visiting a traditional satra for an understanding of its culture, see boat and mask making. In January 2023, Hem Chandra Goswami, a master mask artisan, received the Padma Shri that is India’s fourth-highest civilian award for promoting and preserving this centuries-old art form. Visitors can also visit Mulai Kathoni Bari, a manmade forest planted by Jadav Payeng, “the forest man of India”. Ornithologists can enjoy bird-watching in the winter months as Majuli is the wintering ground of several species of migratory birds. Majuli is truly a unique experience. Visits by craft, culture and textile enthusiasts will be a bridge between Majuli and the world.
Images courtesy of Team Studio Indigenous
Text by Brinda Gill
Find out more
Kiron Foundation (@kironfoundation)
Angana Bordoloi (@angana.bordoloi)
Please tell us about Majuli
Angana Bordoloi: Majuli is a lush island located in the heart of the mighty Brahmaputra River in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam. It is the world’s largest river island. Presently, it spans 352 sq kms though was much larger in centuries past.
Majuli is regarded as the cultural capital of Assam as it is a centre of neo- Vaishnavism culture that is the worship of Lord Vishnu as established by social and religious reformer Mahapurush Srimanta Shankardeva (1449-1568). It is also home to the culture of indigenous communities as Majuli has a multi-ethnic population. These cultural aspects are manifest in a living heritage of religious songs and dance-dramas, crafts of mask-making and boat-making, and handloom weaving. The Mishing community weaves and wears colourful attire. Agriculture, sericulture, fishery, dairy, handloom weaving, pottery, mask and boat making are the primary occupations here. About a hundred varieties of rice grow in Majuli.
Image: Eri silkworms eating castor leaves.
Majuli once had 665 satras that are institutions or centres of learning and culture; the beginnings of the founding of satras go back to the time of Mahapurush Shankardeva. Now their numbers are far fewer, of which six are regarded as the main satras. These are Dakhinpat that is known for dance drama, devotional songs and folk dance; Garamur where the Raas Leela dance drama is held in end-autumn; Auniati famous for its museum that has old crafts, jewellery, textiles, utensils, paal naam (Vaishnavi group prayers); Kamalabari where boats are crafted; Bengenati that has Ahom king Gadadhar Singha’s (late 17th century) attire and gold umbrella; and Samuguri known for devotional songs, dance drama, the dance presentation of the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu, and mask making. Salmora, a village of potters, is about 25kms from Garamur.
How did you decide to establish your foundation and studio in Majuli
Angana Bordoloi: I hail from Assam where the handloom culture has been popular for centuries. I founded Kiron Foundation in 2016 in the memory of my grandparents who had established a home-based organization called “Jayanti Bayan Karyalaya” in 1958 in the Jorhat district of Upper Assam. The organization encouraged women and specially widows to undertake sericulture activities and weaving. After obtaining my education in Fashion Design at INIFD, Kolkata, and gaining some professional experience in the handloom craft, I decided to go back to my homeland to give a life to my grandparents’ dreams.
Image: Be Happy Mask on entry pillar to Padmashri Dr. Hemchandra Dev Goswami Art Display Studio.
I first visited Majuli in 2013 and was drawn to the serenity of the island. Besides, the concept of ‘peace silk’ attracted me as a nature lover. I found Majuli as a prime production centre of eri silk over my multiple visits to the island, which made me realise the potential of this craft. On the other hand, I found that the sales and the promotion of the craft are not even remotely encouraging due to the lack of adequate exposure, and the artisans are gradually losing their interest in this craft.
I decided to establish Kiron Foundation to promote and sustain sericulture and handloom weaving, and make it a source of income for the farmers and artisans of Majuli. I believe, my endeavour toward the upliftment of the artisans and farmers in Majuli is a reincarnation of my grandparents’ dream.
Image: A display of different stages of mask.
What is focus of Kiron Foundation?
Angana Bordoloi: The main objective of Kiron Foundation is to generate employment and promote development of skills of the farmers and artisans of Majuli, and help in empowerment of women. Sericulture creates sustainable textiles. It is also a complete cycle of sustainable livelihood opportunity. The entire process- starting in the farm, leading to the fibre and the final product- entails no damage to the flora and fauna. It creates breathable and biodegradable products that are gentle on the skin. It also creates an eco-responsible process that helps us in replacing the synthetic textile industry with a green textile industry. This is an indispensable requirement at a global scale in recent times. We are creating an opportunity that encourages our next generation to learn and adopt such a green lifestyle. Our aim is to give work to artisans with fair wages, to introduce the handloom weaves of Majuli to the world.
Has there been a tradition of sericulture, hand-spinning and hand-weaving at Majuli?
Angana Bordoloi: Sericulture and handloom activities are common and popular activities in Assam among the distaff population. Assam is known for its hand-woven eri, muga and mulberry silks. Wearing traditional folk art textile is still a regular practice especially during traditional and cultural occasions.
Sericulture and eri-silk weaving have long been practised on Majuli. Some locals eat the pupa in the silkworm cocoons that is regarded as a delicacy and a source of protein. The cocoons are processed to obtain filament that is hand-spun to obtain silk yarn which is woven.
Image: Returning home from farm-field work taking along his farm’s sugar cane for his family.
Could you tell us about the chain of activities of Kiron Foundation
Angana Bordoloi: Work starts with sericulture farmers then the silk rearers, spinners and weavers to encourage production of silk cocoons, processing of cocoons, spinning silk yarns and weaving. Eri silkworms are reared. These worms grow into moths and break out of the cocoon on maturity. Thus, there is the option of processing cocoons when the pupa is within the cocoon or when the moth has broken through the cocoon and left. The second option leads to the production of `peace silk’ as the pupa is not killed when the cocoons are boiled for obtaining the silk filament.
The cocoon filaments are processed and then hand-spun into yarns that are either used in their natural form or dyed with natural dyes. The yarns are hand-dyed with natural dyes from plants that grow on the island. The natural dyes used are turmeric, manjistha, indigo and annatto. Traditional motifs/patterns are woven in traditional colour combinations. The product range includes home linen, scarves, yardage and stitched garments that are marketed with the brand name Studio Indigenous. We retail through our social media pages and at a few stores.
Image: Pre-Loom Process.
Please give us an idea of the physical set-up of Kiron Foundation
Angana Bordoloi: Kiron Foundation presently works with over 250 silk worm rearers and over 80 weavers. The number of hand-spinners varies between 80-100 as it depends on the quantity of cocoons produced every season. The silkworm rearers provide the cocoons which are given to the hand-spinners for processing and spinning. If a client has requested for eri silk, then the spinners wait for the moth to leave the cocoon and then process and spin the filament. Hand-spinners work from home. We typically involve older women in hand-spinning as they are very skilled in spinning and spin fine yarns. Weaving is carried out at the Kiron Foundation workshop as well as homes. We have a lovely complex built of bamboo, surrounded by paddy fields, in Garamur. We have space for training weavers and natural dyeing. There are six looms for weaving. Our complex is close to where the Raas-Leela performance is held.
What has been the response to the products of Studio Indigenous
Angana Bordoloi: The response to our products has been most encouraging. So far, our products are reaching different parts of India, Singapore and USA. In 2019, I was invited to participate and to represent Northeast India in the world’s largest ‘International Folk Art Market’ (IFAM) at New Mexico, USA. We are receiving remarkable response because of the traditional methods we are following and the uniqueness of traditional designs. They are one of a kind and the techniques of extra weft cannot be copied by power loom, nor are the patterns available in the market. The textiles have patterns inspired by nature such as flowers; triangles representing hills; lines representing the rivers and paths; and stars. They colours are also symbolic – blue represents the sky, green represents the land, and red represents power.
Image: Hand Weaving Process.
Are there any other activities undertaken by Kiron Foundation
Angana Bordoloi: Kiron Foundation has an initiative of planting trees. This is because in the past couple of centuries the land area of Majuli has decreased significantly due to erosion by the river. We hope planting trees will help in preserving Majuli. In addition, we undertake programs to create awareness of government schemes for women, and facilitate women and child health check-ups.
Image: Working on Paddy.
Can textile enthusiasts visit Majuli and your studio?
Angana Bordoloi: We would be very happy to have textile lovers visit Majuli and our unit to see the process and products. A visit to Majuli offers a rare experience of centuries-old local culture from dance dramas to singing, and crafts. One can experience local festivals. There are options for staying in traditional home stays that will provide a glimpse of local culture and food. Arrangements can be made for visiting a traditional satra for an understanding of its culture, see boat and mask making. In January 2023, Hem Chandra Goswami, a master mask artisan, received the Padma Shri that is India’s fourth-highest civilian award for promoting and preserving this centuries-old art form. Visitors can also visit Mulai Kathoni Bari, a manmade forest planted by Jadav Payeng, “the forest man of India”. Ornithologists can enjoy bird-watching in the winter months as Majuli is the wintering ground of several species of migratory birds. Majuli is truly a unique experience. Visits by craft, culture and textile enthusiasts will be a bridge between Majuli and the world.
Images courtesy of Team Studio Indigenous
Text by Brinda Gill
Find out more
Kiron Foundation (@kironfoundation)
Angana Bordoloi (@angana.bordoloi)