What is a Japi?
Answer
Japi or Jaapi is a traditional headgear or hat, prepared and used by Assamese people. A common Japi is made from leaves of a palm tree (tokou pat) and bamboo. It is usually used by farmers while they work in the fields. There’s an another type of Japi called “Fulam Japi or Horudoiya Japi”, which is used for decorating, gifting and felicitation purposes. Fulam Japi is made from palm leaves, bamboo, cotton cloth, coloured wool, mica, yarn etc. Typically it has a red colour border. Japi is a symbol of Assamese tradition, culture and craftsmanship.
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P.Madan Mohan Reddy’s comment on Jaapi is totaly based on his deep baseless thinking that tries to linked Jaapi with religion. Jaapi is used as headgear by the cultivators to protect from rain and sun. The coloured Jaapi was considered as the prestigious and status symbol of the officials and nobles in the Ahom kingdoms. There are different sizes of colored Jaapi namely Sarudoia jaapi, Bordoia jaapi etc that officials and their noble ladies could wear as per their status. The Jaapi worn by the royal families could not be worn by others. Precious materials like gold, silver, muga cloth, paat cloth were used to decorate the jaapi meant for the royal families. Jaapi came to Ahom society before the introduction of Hinduism to them.
People of Assam consider the colourful Jaapi as symbol of honour. The Jaapi came to Bihu ( the national festival of Assamese people) as a symbol of prestige .
The dress code narrated by Mr Mohan as Assamese dress or chewing of pan to to keep their tongue and lips red is not true.
If my comments are hurting any gentleman then I am apolising
As all of we are truly know that Assamese people are the great devotee of SHREE KRISHN, so they took Jaapi as symbol of Lord’s Sudershan Chakra. So many similarities have with them as for example, we see that Lord’s lips are rosy colour, so these people chew paan to keep theirs tounge and lips red, theirs religious time attire is dhoti and white saari, on their waist gamocha having Murali, theirs shirt colour golden symbolises the dhoti of Lord, on every time they used to say Lord’s name Krishn Prabhu.
@Monika dubey,
Japi is not a straw hat. In fact, not a single piece of straw is used in making of a jaapi.
Is japi is straw hut???