Jaapi: The Headgear That Represents Assam

In the countryside of ancient Assam, when rain and the sun became constant hurdles in farming, crafty farmers devised a new invention for protection - the Jaapi. Little did they that their innovation would become one of the most important and eternal symbols of Assamese culture.

Jaapi is an important cultural symbol of Assam I Source: Wikimedia Commons

When the Assamese farmers crafted the first Jaapi, there were no umbrellas, and farming was entirely manual. The motive behind the origin of the Jaapi can be attributed to Assam's climatic factors. The hot, humid, sub-tropical climate and the severe rainfall between June and September can be quite challenging, especially the agricultural communities.

Since the economy depended on agriculture, the Assamese farming community did not have the luxury of taking a break from work even during the harshest weather conditions. In the absence of any other means to protect themselves from the natural elements, the haluwas (farmers) and gorokhiyas (cowherds) came up with the idea of a headgear made of locally available raw materials as a form of protection. The result was a conical hat with a broad circumference, akin to a hands-free umbrella that would remain fixed on the head and allow the farmers to engage freely in their chores.

The Jaapi is made of bah, which is bamboo, and tokou paat, a palm tree found abundantly in the forests of Assam. Bamboo is cut into finely polished strips and woven into the desired frame. A layer of palm leaves is added to the bamboo to act as a roof over the head and produce a natural cooling effect.

This protective headgear has been around since ancient times. When Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese traveller, visited Assam in the 7th century, he was welcomed by a Jaapi. By then, it had become a sign of royalty, but in its original form, the Jaapi was nothing extraordinary to look at. It served its core function, and that was about it.

The art of Jaapi-making is practised in the villages of Assam I Source: Northeast Now

With trends of modernisation and urbanisation, the importance of the Jaapi changed from practical to cultural and aesthetic. Modern-day farmers need not spend such extensive hours in the fields. They can minimise manual work by using machines like tractors. So their dependency on the makeshift conical hat decreased. But the art and craft of Jaapi invented by the farmers was carried on by those who refused to let the Jaapi die. They began to make it more decorative, adding floral motifs and colours. Some people eventually turned it into a small-scale business, selling these bright, colourful, and flowery Jaapis. These are bought and kept as adornments in houses, representing Assamese culture and paying tribute to farmers' hard work. These modern phulam Jaapis (flowery Jaapis) are produced in many villages of Assam, including Murikona, Arikuchi, Sutarkuchi, Mughkuchi, and so on.

Currently, the craft of Jaapi-making is on the brink of extinction because artisans struggle to find a proper market for them. But culturally, the Jaapi continues to hold immense importance for people. It is used as a decorative piece in individual homes and many public spaces, displayed during important events and festivals like Bihu. It is often used to honour or felicitate important personalities visiting Assam. In this way, the Jaapi, a modest creation of the farmer, has become an indelible mark of Assamese culture and identity.