Shamtho odehe Rimin
The name of the first tool is ‘Shamtho’ which is basically a large sized wooden mortar purely hand crafted by Dimasa menfolk. It will weigh around 5 to 6 kg and has the maximum height of around 60.5 cm. The upper body of Shamtho comprised of a sturdy bowl and the whole body is decorated with hand painted flowers and leaves.
The name of the second tool is ‘Rimin’ which is a long heavy wooden tool with a round end usually used as a pestle while grinding and crushing food items into powder in a Shamtho. The total height of Rimin is usually 10 to 11 feet and weighs more then shamtho.
Shamtho and Rimin are the two wooden made traditional tools of Dimasa people mainly used in preparing various food items. Traditionally Dimasa people prefer wood of mango tree, jackfruit tree and Gambari tree for making Shamtho and Rimin. The uses of Shamtho and Rimin can be seen in the daily activities and different rituals of Dimasa people, one of the common uses of it can be seen in preparing rice flour, as rice flour is very commonly used in preparing different Dimasa food items and also in their marriage and death rituals. In a Dimasa marriage a ritual called 'Mai - Shuba' is performed by a group of Dimasa married women where a two Dimasa women pound a rice in Shamtho with the help of Rimin.
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