Gamosas with vulture motifs gain global recognition

Amingaon, April 6: When a majority of the State weavers are busy in their works as Rongali Bihu is round the corner, a woman from No. 30 Bikrampur village in Kamrup district is silently working round the clock to prepare traditional Assamese handloom products, but with a special mission to create awareness among the masses across the globe for the preservation of vultures.

Mallika Das weaves vulture motif in handloom products, especially gamosas and various agencies, including Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre (VCBC), Rani use these in their various programmes, especially to felicitate foreign dignitaries. In this manner, the traditional Assamese handloom products, prepared by her and her companions, reach the United States of America (USA) and some European countries, including England, Germany, and Sweden.

Even a personality like Nick Low, then British deputy high commissioner, Kolkata has appreciated her products.

Since 2012, Mallika Das is pursuing her passion by embroidering vulture motif in traditional Assamese handloom products, including the gamosa. It takes four to five days to complete one such gamosa.

Apart from other foreign customers, authorities in VCBC, Rani have bought such products in bulk over the years.

"Initially, I tried to embroidery designs of peacock and other birds on the handloom items. Having seen the final products, I was asked to draw the motif of a vulture by the VCBC, Rani" said Mallika Das.

Sachin Ranade, assistant director, BNHS-cum-senior centre manager of VCBC, Rani, told this correspondent, "Mallika merits profuse praise because her woven products have come in handy in generating awareness for vulture conservation for over a decade now. We have used them for felicitation purposes. Besides, it will let the world know not only about the grandeur of Assamese culture, but also helps in creating awareness about the vulture."

Citing the felicitation of foreign dignitaries, including top scientists by gamosas to disseminate the message of conservation of the scavenging bird, Ranade said, "Nick Low, the then British Deputy High Commissioner, Kolkata highly appreciated the products after receiving felicitation at our centre. Prof Dr Rhys, Green University of Cambridge and Jake Zarins, Head of Royal Society for the Protection of Birds are also reported to have lauded the art, culture and the materials associated with the manually woven products."

Following Mallika's success, some other women in the area have also formed groups to weave such products.

Karabi Doloi Rabha, a local woman, told this correspondent that some buyers have shown interest in purchasing their handwoven products in the past few months.

However, shocked by the rising cases of vulture poisoning in Assam, Ranade says, about 250 vultures have died of poisoning in Assam over the past five years. "This has emerged as a huge challenge," he said.

Subodh Talukdar, divisional forest officer of Kamrup West Territorial Forest Division, says, "We have launched awareness drives in areas under our jurisdiction after two cases of deaths by poisoning of 25 vultures of the Himalayan griffon species emerged at Dahatia and Jaji in March."