Garuda is a bird creature from Hindu mythology that has a mix of eagle and human features. He is considered to be the ‘mythical mount’ of Lord Vishnu, the ‘Preserver’. Garuda is presented in the Mahabharata mythology as one who eats snake meat, such as the story about him planning to kill and eat Sumukha snake, where Indra intervenes. Garuda in anger, vaunt about his feats and compares himself to Indra's equal. Vishnu teaches lesson to Garuda and cured his pride on might. Garudas are also a race of birds who devour snakes in the epic.This mask shows the head of ‘Garuda'. On his forehead ‘Garuda’ bears the white V-sign of Lord Vishnu. Placed upon it is a colourful, painted ‘crown’. The big beak of the bird-god is red.

Masks are an integral part of the mukh-bhaona performances of Majuli Island in Assam. Masks are a medium of creative expression used in different performances held during festivals, and in the Vaishnavite narrative theatre called the Bhaona. Deeply embedded in the bhakti movement, the origin of the Bhaona form of theatre is ascribed to the great Vaishnava saint, preacher and reformer Srimanta Sankaradeva. The mask or mukha forms an important component of the Bhaona performance, which helps in making the play attractive, expressive and in grihast or a family run sattra, a very well renowned sattradhikar famous putting the message across.

Samaguri sattra is a sattra, rather a for his exquisite work of mask making. Located 15kms from Kamalabari is Majuli where the artists make various puranic or mythological characters. Interesting how they built up a mask from natural things bamboo, clay, cow dung and cloth. The masks of Majuli have uniqueness.

These are quite light in weight. Masks are made on all the characters of the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Puranas.

Mask Artist: The mask is made by Khagen Goswami, the Bhaona Play mask artist from Majuli, Assam.