Context: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has of late made it his style statement to sport the Risa, a customary handwoven cloth used by Tripura’s indigenous tribal communities.

• The trend has picked up on social media with people posting their photos with the Risa.

What is a Risa, and why is it important?

• Risa is one of the three parts of a customary Tripuri female attire, the other two being the Rignai and Rikutu.
• The Risa, which is essentially a customary handwoven cloth, is used as a head gear, stole, female upper cloth or presented to honour a distinguished recipient.
• The Rignai is primarily used to cover lower part of the body and literally translates into ‘to wear’.
• The Rituku covers the upper half of the body, wrapping it all around.
• However, it is also used like a ‘chunri’ or a ‘pallu’ of the Indian saree.
• It is also used to cover the head of newly married Tripuri women.

Importance:

• Apart from its beautiful designs, the Risa plays a host of crucial social utilities.
• Adolescent Tripuri girls are first given risa to wear when she reaches 12-14 years in an event called Risa Sormani.
• The event involves prayers to a Lampra god, where her elder women pray for her wellbeing throughout her life.
• Risa is primarily used as a breastcloth and is wove in different colourful designs.
• However, it is also used in religious festivals like the Garia Puja, a customary festival of the tribal communities, or as a head turban by male folks during weddings and festivals, as a cummerbund over dhoti, head scarf by young girls and boys, muffler during winters.
• The cloth is even used as a makeshift baby carrier on the mother’s back.

History

• The complete Tripuri attire is claimed to have originated even before the Manikya kings’ rule.
• In the ancient days, they used to judge a woman’s intelligence in these communities by her woven Rignai and Risa designs.
• Though the history is contested, Maharaj Trilochana, aka Subhrai Raja — one of the early Manikya kings — is said to have invented nearly 250 designs of Rignai during his time for his 250 wives.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/tripura-culture-risa-trend-explained-7155359/

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