The Amazing Gamcha

In February 2013, I went on a birding trip to Tanguar Haor. It was a long day's boat journey starting from Sunamganj town. As we travelled down the Surma, the cool morning gradually warmed up and the sun's rays bore down from a cloudless sky. Although I am accustomed to spending time outdoors and came prepared with sunblock, I had left my hat behind thinking it unnecessary. My hours exposed on the boat's deck – mostly looking for birds to photograph - made me increasingly uncomfortable. Noticing this, Enam Ul Haque and Majeda Haq, my hosts on the boat, loaned me a gamcha. Once I had it wrapped around my head, it shielded my face and head from the hot sun and provided soothing comfort.

The gamcha – a long, thin piece of cotton clothing with a plaid pattern – is used in many ways in our country. I grew up seeing it on the head of many who carried goods on their head: the luggage-carriers at railway stations, tea garden workers and farmers. A rolled up gamcha stabilizes the load and cushions the head. In addition to protecting the head and face from the sun, its use as a headband prevents sweat from stinging the eyes. It can be used to tie around items in order to carry them – a jackfruit or a couple of bels, for example. During monsoon, I have seen village children use it as an improvised fishing net. It has various first aid uses, such as a bandage or a tourniquet

Our gamchas come in bright colours, particularly yellow, red and white. The hand-woven cloth is thin and coarse. They dry quickly, allow good ventilation and absorb liquids well.

The use of the gamcha is widespread in the subcontinent, where, in many parts, it is also known as gamocha (ga - body + mocha – wipe) reflecting its use as a towel and wipe. For example, it is an important part of Assamese culture. This year, a team in Assam constructed a 1000 metre long gamcha winning a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

I had used a gamcha in a different form years ago when I was living in the USA. A similar piece of clothing, called a bandanna, is used there in outdoor activities such as camping and backpacking. A bandanna is a square piece of light cotton, usually with a paisley pattern. Tied around the neck, it becomes part of an outdoorsman's outfit.

Recently, I noticed the gamcha at the Bangla new year's festivities beings used as a fashion item. Young men wore it wrapped around their forehead for a genuine native look. Movie actors in Bangladesh and India have worn it over the years for style. Such Bollywood stars as Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan have appeared in movies wearing a gamcha.

In Arab countries a similar cloth, called a kaffiyeh, is used for protection from sunburn, heat and dust in the desert.

So the next time you are on an outdoor adventure, consider taking a gamcha along as an antidote to the heat and humidity, and, of course, for style!

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