Extremely delicate, the mats made with kora / sedge grass are highly prized and valued; Kora grass grows abundantly along the banks of the rivers and in marshy areas and the mats are woven both in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The process of creating the mat is complex and painstaking. In its original form the grass […]
The traditional footwear of the Paharis of Himachal is the pula chappal made of the sacred grass of shale -cannabis/ bhang. Considered appropriate footwear even for religious occasions these pula chappals are worn within temple precincts. While extremely light-weight they are also strong and warm enough to be used while walking on snow. The technique […]
Lavancha Grass/ Vetiveria Products Lavancha grass, grown abundantly in Karnataka, possesses medicinal properties as mentioned in Ayurveda texts. In Kannada it is popularly called as ‘Madilya’. Khas or Khus is its popular Hindi name. In Sanskrit it is known as ‘Usheera’. Lavancha is abundantly grown in U.P., West Bengal and Rajasthan. Due to its cooling […]
Besides the better known coir mats woven in Bangladesh a variety of natural materials are used to weave and craft baskets and mats. A large range of baskets for holding grain, dehydrated foods, spices and vegetables are made out of palm (taal) and date (khejur) tree leaves. The unique aspect of these baskets and containers […]
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Madur is the most popular of the mats made in West Bengal. It is woven mainly by the weavers of the mahishya caste in the southern parts of the district of Midnapore which covers the whole coastal area of West Bengal west of the river Ganga. The madur mat is woven on a simple bamboo […]
Craftsmanship in Tripura is a unique blend of styles practised by different tribes and communities belonging to diverse religions. In its weaving, too, the region shows a similar fusion of styles, where the traditional patterns have meshed with Manipuri and Bengali styles brought in by craftspeople from these regions who have settled in Tripura. There […]
Sikki, the golden grass of Bihar, grows in the wet and marshy areas of Madhubani district. Meera Thakur, a skilled sikki artisan, and one who practises the craft as a profession, says that the grass is collected by harijans in savan (or the rainy season), and is dried by them before being sold. The grass […]