New Delhi, Sept. 4 -- Aditya Saikia, an award-winning mukha shilpakar, or mask maker, laments how unpredictable the weather is. "Kabhi bhi tez dhoop ho jaati hai, aur kabhi bhi tez baarish. (It gets very hot at times followed by torrential rain)", says the 21-year-old from Majuli, Assam. On the world's largest inhabited riverine island, the creation of a mukha-used primarily in Vaishnavite performances of bhaonas or folk theatre-doesn't rely solely on the skill of the artist. Nature plays just as significant a role in this craft tradition, which dates back 500 years.

Artists such as Saikia, under the mentorship of master mask maker and guru Hem Chandra Goswami, are keeping this legacy alive in Samaguri Satra-one of the many monastic cent...