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| {{short description|Thin, coarse cotton towel common in South and Southeast Asia}}
| | #REDIRECT [[Gamcha]] |
| {{distinguish|Gamosa}}
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| {{More citations needed|date=June 2012}}
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| [[File:Two gamchhas.jpg|thumb|170px|A pair of gamchhas with typical check patterns]] | |
| A '''gamucha''' ({{Etymology|bn|গা (ga) and মুছা (muchha)|Body wipes or Towel}}) is a traditional thin, coarse [[cotton]] [[towel]], often with a [[Checked shirt|checked]] design, found in the [[Indian subcontinent]], mainly [[India]], [[Pakistan]], [[Bangladesh]], as well as various parts of South and Southeast Asia. It is used for drying the body after bathing or wiping sweat. It is often worn on one side of the shoulder. Its appearance varies from region to region, and it has been traditionally worn as a [[scarf]] by the men of [[Odisha]]<ref name="Folk-lore">{{cite book|title=Folk-lore|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=18jjAAAAMAAJ|access-date=5 June 2012|year=1983|publisher=Indian Publications}}</ref> which was mentioned in [[Odia language|Odia]] [[Mahabharata]] by [[Sarala Dasa]]. Male villagers wear it as a dhoti.<ref name="Bailey1957">{{cite book|author=Frederick George Bailey|title=Caste and the Economic Frontier: A Village in Highland Orissa|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2TG8AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA250|access-date=5 June 2012|year=1957|publisher=Manchester University Press|pages=250–|id=GGKEY:CS1R2QFP07X}}</ref><ref name="Panda1991">{{cite book|author=Shishir Kumar Panda|title=Medieval Orissa: A Socio-Economic Study|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C_LT5Q-f3YEC&pg=PA96|access-date=5 June 2012|year=1991|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-81-7099-261-5|pages=96–}}</ref> Children of tribal communities in Odisha wear gamucha until their [[adolescence]] after which they wear [[dhoti]].<ref name="Dept1990">{{cite book|author=Orissa (India). Harijan & Tribal Welfare Dept|title=Tribes of Orissa|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yStuAAAAMAAJ|access-date=5 June 2012|year=1990|publisher=Harijan and Tribal Welfare Department, Government Of Orissa}}</ref> Weavers of traditional ''tantubaya'' or ''jugi'' community migrated from Bangladesh to [[Tripura]] and weavers of [[Odisha]] produce good quality gamucha.<ref name="GhoshGhosh2000">{{cite book|author1=G. K. Ghosh|author2=Shukla Ghosh|title=Ikat Textiles Of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xOrTw0gPSVYC&pg=PA42|access-date=5 June 2012|date=1 January 2000|publisher=APH Publishing|isbn=978-81-7648-167-0|pages=42–}}</ref> This is also used as turban and cotton towel in Punjab. They call it ''parna.''
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| The gamucha is most commonly found with [[Tartan|check]] and striped patterns of red, orange or green. Plain white gamchhas with coloured (embroidered or printed) borders from [[Orissa, India|Odisha]] and [[Assam]] (for traditional [[Assam]]ese Gamucha, see [[Gamosa]]) are local handicrafts, and may be worn around the neck with traditional Indian attire. In western areas, gamucha is primarily made in red colour and are plain like cloth. In southern India, gamucha is more coarse and are available in various dyes. Even homemade lightweight fur towels are also popularly termed as gamchhas. Gamucha are worn by the [[South Asia]]n people, especially in the Indian states of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Bihar]], [[Odisha]], [[West Bengal]], [[Jharkhand]] and the [[Purvanchal]] region, because they are not as thick as Western-style towels and better suited to the country's [[Tropics|tropical, humid]] climate. In Afghanistan they are also used and are commonly referred to as dismaal. They may also be found in Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Turkish [[Turkish bath|hamam]]s as a traditional male loincloth and towel worn during bathing and massage.
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| [[File:Old-Man-carrying-Milk-Jar-on-his-shoulder-IMG 8236.jpg|thumb|Milk salesman wearing Gamchha in Nepal]]
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| ==Other uses==
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| [[File:Gamchha-wearing model.jpg|thumb|150px|A fruit vendor wearing a gamchha tied as a headscarf.]]
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| === Cultural symbol ===
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| {{Main|Gamosa}}
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| [[Gamosa]] or Gamusa in Assam has a place of special use : it is given as a token of honour and respect to esteemed guest. In Bihu Dance male dancers wear it as a headscarf. The traditional Assamese dress is complete only when one wears a gamusa.
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| In Ahom King days, Ahom soldiers wife's used to weave a gamusa within a night and present it to her husband to ensure safety and victory.
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| ==== Loincloth and headscarf ====
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| Gamucha is also worn as knee long [[loin cloth]]s by people of the poorer sections of society, especially menial labourers and farm workers. They are also used as a headscarf, similar to the Middle Eastern [[keffiyeh]] in rural areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orissa.gov.in/people/dress.htm |title=dress |work=orissa.gov.in |year=2003 |quote=tying it around the head as turban when necessary |access-date=5 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121223165117/http://www.orissa.gov.in/people/dress.htm |archive-date=23 December 2012 }}</ref>
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| === Safety ===
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| Gamchas can be turned into an effective weapon against [[Indian wolf|wolve]]s, [[Indian leopard|leopards]], [[dhole|wild dogs]] or [[Pariah dog|feral dog]]s or even [[dacoit]]s, by knotting a large stone pebble into one end and using it like [[bolas]].{{citation needed|date=June 2012}}
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| === Face mask ===
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| Farmers were already using it in rural areas for various purposes, Gamcha became an alternative [[cloth face mask]] in rural India. The [[World Health Organization|WHO]] guidelines <ref>{{Cite web|title=When and how to use masks|url=https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks|access-date=2020-12-10|website=www.who.int|language=en}}</ref> for the necessary use of masks for protection from [[Coronavirus disease 2019|COVID]] increased its importance, and it became a choice of face masks by simply wearing on face. The need for this traditional piece of clothing has risen further since the [[Prime Minister of India]] made a television speech wearing Gamcha(a Manipuri gamcha, also known as Meitei Lengyan). It was trending since then in urban areas too.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-15|title=PM Modi dons ‘gamcha mask’ in new profile picture, others follow suit|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-in-india/pm-narendra-modi-changes-dp-with-gamcha-masks-others-follow-6362353/|access-date=2020-12-10|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=ANI|date=2020-05-30|title=How PM Modi's iconic 'gamchha' face masks boosted employment in a UP town|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/pm-modi-s-gamcha-face-mask-boost-employment-of-up-town-s-weavers-120053000234_1.html|access-date=2020-12-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Desk|first=India com Viral News|date=2020-05-14|title=Gamechanger! Huge Demand For Red & White Gamcha That PM Modi Wore As Mask|url=https://www.india.com/viral/gamechanger-huge-demand-for-red-white-gamcha-that-pm-modi-wore-as-mask-4028554/|access-date=2020-12-10|website=India News, Breaking News, Entertainment News {{!}} India.com|language=en}}</ref>
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| == Commercial aspects ==
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| Gamucha is produced as a primary handloom product by traditional weavers. Presently the production of coarse handmade gamucha is slowing down in [[Orissa, India|Odisha]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Satya Narayan Dash|title=Handloom Industry in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a5xjc73xzqAC&pg=PA195|access-date=5 June 2012|year=1995|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-81-7099-599-9|pages=195–}}</ref> A 1,455.3 metre long Gamucha displayed in Delhi created world record as it became world's longest hand woven piece of cloth.<ref>{{cite news|title=Assamese Gamusa makes it to the Guinness Book of World Records|url=http://thenortheasttoday.com/assamese-gamusa-made-it-to-the-guinness-book-of-world-records/|access-date=31 August 2016|agency=the northeast today}}</ref>
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| ==See also==
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| *[[Agal]], Arabian headdress
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| *[[Gingham]], scarf from Malaysia
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| *[[Keffiyeh]], traditional Middle Eastern headdress
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| *[[Krama]], Cambodian scarf
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| *[[Tagelmust]], scarf from Sahara
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| *[[Turban]], head scarf
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| ==References==
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| {{Reflist}}
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| ==External links==
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| {{commons category|Gamchha}}
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| {{Clothing in South Asia}}
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| {{Clothing}}
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| [[Category:Indian clothing]]
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| [[Category:Bangladeshi clothing]]
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| [[Category:Hindu religious clothing]]
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| [[Category:Turkish clothing]]
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