NCERT Textbook: Natural Fibers (Living Craft Traditions of India) | Old & New NCERTs for IAS Preparation (Must Read) - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


Fibre made from the edible banana plant is used in weaving
the traditional Japanese fibre cloth called bashofu. The
cloth is smooth, stiff and is used in making the kimono,
the traditional Japanese dress.
The craft of extracting fibre from the banana plant,
spinning the yarn, weaving it into cloth and patterning the
cloth was a highly valued craft of the Okinawa Islands.
Japan has an ancient tradition of crafts that were
renowned throughout the world for their elegant
sophistication. World War II, rapid industrialisation and
urbanisation in Japan, in the last century, threatened this
artistic heritage. The younger generations were hesitant
to continue the family traditions in the twenty-first century,
the age of computers and television.
It was then that the government started a new scheme
and great artists, who excel in the area of crafts and
creativity, are honoured with the title of ëLiving National
Treasureí in Japan. Scholars, visitors and students are
encouraged to explore, research and study with these
masters. This is a wonderful example of how today the
Japanese value their craft traditions and honour the great
practitioners of crafts.
How This Craft Started
Communities living in diverse climates and harsh terrains
have creatively responded to the challenges of their
environment by transforming locally available natural
fibres to create a large variety of objects necessary for
their survival.
The ingenuity of community artists created a great variety
of natural fibre products. The products range in both scale
and form ó from large architectural creations of homes
and shelters, suspension bridges and fences to smaller
objects: baskets, mats and hand fans.
The bamboo and cane crafts of the North Eastern region
of India represent a large storehouse of forms and traditional
6 NATURAL FIBRES
A traditional Japanese
kimono
Page 2


Fibre made from the edible banana plant is used in weaving
the traditional Japanese fibre cloth called bashofu. The
cloth is smooth, stiff and is used in making the kimono,
the traditional Japanese dress.
The craft of extracting fibre from the banana plant,
spinning the yarn, weaving it into cloth and patterning the
cloth was a highly valued craft of the Okinawa Islands.
Japan has an ancient tradition of crafts that were
renowned throughout the world for their elegant
sophistication. World War II, rapid industrialisation and
urbanisation in Japan, in the last century, threatened this
artistic heritage. The younger generations were hesitant
to continue the family traditions in the twenty-first century,
the age of computers and television.
It was then that the government started a new scheme
and great artists, who excel in the area of crafts and
creativity, are honoured with the title of ëLiving National
Treasureí in Japan. Scholars, visitors and students are
encouraged to explore, research and study with these
masters. This is a wonderful example of how today the
Japanese value their craft traditions and honour the great
practitioners of crafts.
How This Craft Started
Communities living in diverse climates and harsh terrains
have creatively responded to the challenges of their
environment by transforming locally available natural
fibres to create a large variety of objects necessary for
their survival.
The ingenuity of community artists created a great variety
of natural fibre products. The products range in both scale
and form ó from large architectural creations of homes
and shelters, suspension bridges and fences to smaller
objects: baskets, mats and hand fans.
The bamboo and cane crafts of the North Eastern region
of India represent a large storehouse of forms and traditional
6 NATURAL FIBRES
A traditional Japanese
kimono
62 LIVING CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA
wisdom. The forms of several baskets have evolved as a
response to function, as seen in examples such as the open-
weave baskets of Mizoram which are flexible and allow the
person to carry firewood, while the close-weave baskets of
Garo hills in Meghalaya are used to transport and store
rice grains. Other forms of baskets have been determined
by culture or in responses of different communities.
What Is a Natural Fibre?
Natural fibres made of cellulose or plant matter can be
obtained from almost every part of the plant such as the
root, stem or shoot, leaf, fruit and bark from many tree
species (see following table).
Fibre can be extracted from a leaf which is fibrous,
pliable, strong and green. If the leaf can be wound around
a finger without breaking, then it indicates a potential
source for making fibre.
Fibre: filament or thread
of a natural or synthetic
material that can be
spun into yarn
Banana fibre
Khus fibre
Sisal fibre
Bamboo
Kora grass
Jute
Hemp
Water hyacinth
Banana
Kauna reed
Cane palm
Moonj grass
Sarkanda
Wagoo reed
Sikki grass
Cannabis/pulla
Wicker
Bhindi
Nettle
Flax
Arhar/Pigeon pea
Palmyra
Palm date
Palm coconut
Arecanut palm
Sisal
Banana
Pineapple
Screw pine
Root Stem Branch Leaf Fruit/Seed
Willow Cotton
Coir
Arecanut
Khus
Beauty of Natural Fibres
Natural fibre products have certain distinctive qualities:
they share a common language of colour, texture and of
belonging to the earth. The appearance, feel, and texture of
a bamboo basket is clearly different from that of a plastic
bag. No two bamboo baskets are of the same colour while
they could have the same form. A woven surface, like a
reed mat, could have many shades of white or brown.
Leading fashion houses today search for such beauty as
lies in asymmetry, irregularity and natural warmth.
Page 3


Fibre made from the edible banana plant is used in weaving
the traditional Japanese fibre cloth called bashofu. The
cloth is smooth, stiff and is used in making the kimono,
the traditional Japanese dress.
The craft of extracting fibre from the banana plant,
spinning the yarn, weaving it into cloth and patterning the
cloth was a highly valued craft of the Okinawa Islands.
Japan has an ancient tradition of crafts that were
renowned throughout the world for their elegant
sophistication. World War II, rapid industrialisation and
urbanisation in Japan, in the last century, threatened this
artistic heritage. The younger generations were hesitant
to continue the family traditions in the twenty-first century,
the age of computers and television.
It was then that the government started a new scheme
and great artists, who excel in the area of crafts and
creativity, are honoured with the title of ëLiving National
Treasureí in Japan. Scholars, visitors and students are
encouraged to explore, research and study with these
masters. This is a wonderful example of how today the
Japanese value their craft traditions and honour the great
practitioners of crafts.
How This Craft Started
Communities living in diverse climates and harsh terrains
have creatively responded to the challenges of their
environment by transforming locally available natural
fibres to create a large variety of objects necessary for
their survival.
The ingenuity of community artists created a great variety
of natural fibre products. The products range in both scale
and form ó from large architectural creations of homes
and shelters, suspension bridges and fences to smaller
objects: baskets, mats and hand fans.
The bamboo and cane crafts of the North Eastern region
of India represent a large storehouse of forms and traditional
6 NATURAL FIBRES
A traditional Japanese
kimono
62 LIVING CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA
wisdom. The forms of several baskets have evolved as a
response to function, as seen in examples such as the open-
weave baskets of Mizoram which are flexible and allow the
person to carry firewood, while the close-weave baskets of
Garo hills in Meghalaya are used to transport and store
rice grains. Other forms of baskets have been determined
by culture or in responses of different communities.
What Is a Natural Fibre?
Natural fibres made of cellulose or plant matter can be
obtained from almost every part of the plant such as the
root, stem or shoot, leaf, fruit and bark from many tree
species (see following table).
Fibre can be extracted from a leaf which is fibrous,
pliable, strong and green. If the leaf can be wound around
a finger without breaking, then it indicates a potential
source for making fibre.
Fibre: filament or thread
of a natural or synthetic
material that can be
spun into yarn
Banana fibre
Khus fibre
Sisal fibre
Bamboo
Kora grass
Jute
Hemp
Water hyacinth
Banana
Kauna reed
Cane palm
Moonj grass
Sarkanda
Wagoo reed
Sikki grass
Cannabis/pulla
Wicker
Bhindi
Nettle
Flax
Arhar/Pigeon pea
Palmyra
Palm date
Palm coconut
Arecanut palm
Sisal
Banana
Pineapple
Screw pine
Root Stem Branch Leaf Fruit/Seed
Willow Cotton
Coir
Arecanut
Khus
Beauty of Natural Fibres
Natural fibre products have certain distinctive qualities:
they share a common language of colour, texture and of
belonging to the earth. The appearance, feel, and texture of
a bamboo basket is clearly different from that of a plastic
bag. No two bamboo baskets are of the same colour while
they could have the same form. A woven surface, like a
reed mat, could have many shades of white or brown.
Leading fashion houses today search for such beauty as
lies in asymmetry, irregularity and natural warmth.
63 NATURAL FIBRES
Qualities of Natural Fibres
Different fibres have varying physical properties of strength,
appearance, pliability, colour, texture and fragrance.
Traditional skills and knowledge of working with these
materials is an economic activity, often undertaken as an
additional activity, to earn a little extra income when there
is a break in the agricultural cycle of work.
Roots
Khus or ramacham in Malayalam (Vetiveria zizaniodes) is
the aromatic root of a densely tufted grass. The grass has
a thick root system which helps in checking soil erosion. It
is thus an excellent stabilising hedge for stream banks,
terraces and rice paddies. Khus grass grows wild in many
states but is cultivated in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab,
Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Khus is known for its fragrance and cooling properties.
The roots are used for making mats, beds, and pads for
desert coolers. The dried stems are used for making brooms,
fans, hats and footwear, and for thatching.
Stems
A great variety of baskets, mats and floor coverings are
made from grass and reed fibres which are referred to in
local languages as moonj, sarkanda, kora, sikki, chipkiang,
madur kathi, rice straw, kauna reed. Reeds grow naturally
in marshy land and in ponds.
Kauna is the local name for a reed or rush belonging to
the family Cyperaceae which is cultivated in the wetlands
of the Imphal valley. It has a cylindrical, soft and spongy
stem which is woven into mats, square and rectangular
cushions and mattresses by the women of the Meitei
community of Manipur. The raw material for the craft is
obtained by simple processing wherein the reed is cut near
the base of the plant and dried in the sun. It is also smoked
if it is to be preserved and stored for a longer time. The
mats are woven by interlacing the stalks with jute threads
using basic and simple tools. The mats and cushions have
a unique edge finishing which is done by hand.
Fibres are obtained by shredding or peeling parts of plants, or pounding
them to make threads or by cutting them to make strips.
Fibres from plants pre-date cloth woven from yarn spun from cotton.
Ancient communities must have used natural fibres to build shelters
and thatched roofs.
Unfinished reed mat,
Manipur
Page 4


Fibre made from the edible banana plant is used in weaving
the traditional Japanese fibre cloth called bashofu. The
cloth is smooth, stiff and is used in making the kimono,
the traditional Japanese dress.
The craft of extracting fibre from the banana plant,
spinning the yarn, weaving it into cloth and patterning the
cloth was a highly valued craft of the Okinawa Islands.
Japan has an ancient tradition of crafts that were
renowned throughout the world for their elegant
sophistication. World War II, rapid industrialisation and
urbanisation in Japan, in the last century, threatened this
artistic heritage. The younger generations were hesitant
to continue the family traditions in the twenty-first century,
the age of computers and television.
It was then that the government started a new scheme
and great artists, who excel in the area of crafts and
creativity, are honoured with the title of ëLiving National
Treasureí in Japan. Scholars, visitors and students are
encouraged to explore, research and study with these
masters. This is a wonderful example of how today the
Japanese value their craft traditions and honour the great
practitioners of crafts.
How This Craft Started
Communities living in diverse climates and harsh terrains
have creatively responded to the challenges of their
environment by transforming locally available natural
fibres to create a large variety of objects necessary for
their survival.
The ingenuity of community artists created a great variety
of natural fibre products. The products range in both scale
and form ó from large architectural creations of homes
and shelters, suspension bridges and fences to smaller
objects: baskets, mats and hand fans.
The bamboo and cane crafts of the North Eastern region
of India represent a large storehouse of forms and traditional
6 NATURAL FIBRES
A traditional Japanese
kimono
62 LIVING CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA
wisdom. The forms of several baskets have evolved as a
response to function, as seen in examples such as the open-
weave baskets of Mizoram which are flexible and allow the
person to carry firewood, while the close-weave baskets of
Garo hills in Meghalaya are used to transport and store
rice grains. Other forms of baskets have been determined
by culture or in responses of different communities.
What Is a Natural Fibre?
Natural fibres made of cellulose or plant matter can be
obtained from almost every part of the plant such as the
root, stem or shoot, leaf, fruit and bark from many tree
species (see following table).
Fibre can be extracted from a leaf which is fibrous,
pliable, strong and green. If the leaf can be wound around
a finger without breaking, then it indicates a potential
source for making fibre.
Fibre: filament or thread
of a natural or synthetic
material that can be
spun into yarn
Banana fibre
Khus fibre
Sisal fibre
Bamboo
Kora grass
Jute
Hemp
Water hyacinth
Banana
Kauna reed
Cane palm
Moonj grass
Sarkanda
Wagoo reed
Sikki grass
Cannabis/pulla
Wicker
Bhindi
Nettle
Flax
Arhar/Pigeon pea
Palmyra
Palm date
Palm coconut
Arecanut palm
Sisal
Banana
Pineapple
Screw pine
Root Stem Branch Leaf Fruit/Seed
Willow Cotton
Coir
Arecanut
Khus
Beauty of Natural Fibres
Natural fibre products have certain distinctive qualities:
they share a common language of colour, texture and of
belonging to the earth. The appearance, feel, and texture of
a bamboo basket is clearly different from that of a plastic
bag. No two bamboo baskets are of the same colour while
they could have the same form. A woven surface, like a
reed mat, could have many shades of white or brown.
Leading fashion houses today search for such beauty as
lies in asymmetry, irregularity and natural warmth.
63 NATURAL FIBRES
Qualities of Natural Fibres
Different fibres have varying physical properties of strength,
appearance, pliability, colour, texture and fragrance.
Traditional skills and knowledge of working with these
materials is an economic activity, often undertaken as an
additional activity, to earn a little extra income when there
is a break in the agricultural cycle of work.
Roots
Khus or ramacham in Malayalam (Vetiveria zizaniodes) is
the aromatic root of a densely tufted grass. The grass has
a thick root system which helps in checking soil erosion. It
is thus an excellent stabilising hedge for stream banks,
terraces and rice paddies. Khus grass grows wild in many
states but is cultivated in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab,
Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Khus is known for its fragrance and cooling properties.
The roots are used for making mats, beds, and pads for
desert coolers. The dried stems are used for making brooms,
fans, hats and footwear, and for thatching.
Stems
A great variety of baskets, mats and floor coverings are
made from grass and reed fibres which are referred to in
local languages as moonj, sarkanda, kora, sikki, chipkiang,
madur kathi, rice straw, kauna reed. Reeds grow naturally
in marshy land and in ponds.
Kauna is the local name for a reed or rush belonging to
the family Cyperaceae which is cultivated in the wetlands
of the Imphal valley. It has a cylindrical, soft and spongy
stem which is woven into mats, square and rectangular
cushions and mattresses by the women of the Meitei
community of Manipur. The raw material for the craft is
obtained by simple processing wherein the reed is cut near
the base of the plant and dried in the sun. It is also smoked
if it is to be preserved and stored for a longer time. The
mats are woven by interlacing the stalks with jute threads
using basic and simple tools. The mats and cushions have
a unique edge finishing which is done by hand.
Fibres are obtained by shredding or peeling parts of plants, or pounding
them to make threads or by cutting them to make strips.
Fibres from plants pre-date cloth woven from yarn spun from cotton.
Ancient communities must have used natural fibres to build shelters
and thatched roofs.
Unfinished reed mat,
Manipur
64 LIVING CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA
Korai (Tamil Nadu) or kora (Kerala) also of the Cyperaceae
family is a sedge or wetland plant which is cultivated in the
southern districts of Tamil Nadu. The stems are cut near
the base of the plant, spliced vertically and dried in the
sun. On drying the spliced stems curl into a smooth and
tubular form. A large variety of matsówith stripes,
geometrical motifs, natural and dyed coloursóare woven in
several districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The mats are
woven on horizontal floor looms. The ribbed natural coloured
mats are popularly used as floor coverings.
In Midnapur District of West Bengal, another type of reed
similar to kora called madur kathi (Cyperus corymbosus) is
cultivated, harvested and processed. Finely spliced madur
is woven into mats that have a central field enclosed by
patterned borders. The weavers ingeniously use two subtly
differentiated natural colour splits or selectively dyed parts
of the splits to differentiate the borders with dyed colour.
Both the loom and the weaving technique used are very
basic but require the use of manual skills and craftsmanship
rather than sophisticated equipment and technology.
Unlike the woven mats, shital pati or ëcool matsí made
by the plaiting technique are made in Assam and Tripura.
The mat has a smooth and lustrous surface. The murta
plant or (Maranta dichotoma) is harvested when green,
washed in soda water and dried. It is then boiled and sliced
into strips for plaiting the mat.
In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar women make baskets using
the technique of coiling. These compact containers are made
for local use with spliced moonj or sikki grass stalks. The
trays and shallow containers are used to store foodgrains
and flour. Moonj baskets with multi-coloured fibres and
bold patterns are made for a daughterís trousseau.
In the Madhubani District of Bihar, women make
figurines of deities, animals and birds  for ritual and
everyday use with sikki or golden grass used in combination
with multi-coloured dyed stalks. The imagery of these forms
echoes the folk art of Mithila, the cultural region on the
northern banks of the Ganges.
Strips obtained from the palm leaf are also used to make
coiled baskets and containers in Haryana. A bunch of moonj
grass fibres forms the core material of the coil and a palm
leaf strip is wound over the coil and binds consecutive
rows of coils in place.
Furniture items such as the mooda or stools are examples
of elegant products made entirely from natural fibres such
as sarkanda and moonj. Sarkanda is a wild grass found in
Haryana and its long stems are used in making the
indigenous mooda.
A kora mat weaver on the
traditional loom, Tamil Nadu
Shital pati, Assam
Mat weaver separating the stem
of the sedge or kathi from the
leaf stalk,West Bengal
Page 5


Fibre made from the edible banana plant is used in weaving
the traditional Japanese fibre cloth called bashofu. The
cloth is smooth, stiff and is used in making the kimono,
the traditional Japanese dress.
The craft of extracting fibre from the banana plant,
spinning the yarn, weaving it into cloth and patterning the
cloth was a highly valued craft of the Okinawa Islands.
Japan has an ancient tradition of crafts that were
renowned throughout the world for their elegant
sophistication. World War II, rapid industrialisation and
urbanisation in Japan, in the last century, threatened this
artistic heritage. The younger generations were hesitant
to continue the family traditions in the twenty-first century,
the age of computers and television.
It was then that the government started a new scheme
and great artists, who excel in the area of crafts and
creativity, are honoured with the title of ëLiving National
Treasureí in Japan. Scholars, visitors and students are
encouraged to explore, research and study with these
masters. This is a wonderful example of how today the
Japanese value their craft traditions and honour the great
practitioners of crafts.
How This Craft Started
Communities living in diverse climates and harsh terrains
have creatively responded to the challenges of their
environment by transforming locally available natural
fibres to create a large variety of objects necessary for
their survival.
The ingenuity of community artists created a great variety
of natural fibre products. The products range in both scale
and form ó from large architectural creations of homes
and shelters, suspension bridges and fences to smaller
objects: baskets, mats and hand fans.
The bamboo and cane crafts of the North Eastern region
of India represent a large storehouse of forms and traditional
6 NATURAL FIBRES
A traditional Japanese
kimono
62 LIVING CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA
wisdom. The forms of several baskets have evolved as a
response to function, as seen in examples such as the open-
weave baskets of Mizoram which are flexible and allow the
person to carry firewood, while the close-weave baskets of
Garo hills in Meghalaya are used to transport and store
rice grains. Other forms of baskets have been determined
by culture or in responses of different communities.
What Is a Natural Fibre?
Natural fibres made of cellulose or plant matter can be
obtained from almost every part of the plant such as the
root, stem or shoot, leaf, fruit and bark from many tree
species (see following table).
Fibre can be extracted from a leaf which is fibrous,
pliable, strong and green. If the leaf can be wound around
a finger without breaking, then it indicates a potential
source for making fibre.
Fibre: filament or thread
of a natural or synthetic
material that can be
spun into yarn
Banana fibre
Khus fibre
Sisal fibre
Bamboo
Kora grass
Jute
Hemp
Water hyacinth
Banana
Kauna reed
Cane palm
Moonj grass
Sarkanda
Wagoo reed
Sikki grass
Cannabis/pulla
Wicker
Bhindi
Nettle
Flax
Arhar/Pigeon pea
Palmyra
Palm date
Palm coconut
Arecanut palm
Sisal
Banana
Pineapple
Screw pine
Root Stem Branch Leaf Fruit/Seed
Willow Cotton
Coir
Arecanut
Khus
Beauty of Natural Fibres
Natural fibre products have certain distinctive qualities:
they share a common language of colour, texture and of
belonging to the earth. The appearance, feel, and texture of
a bamboo basket is clearly different from that of a plastic
bag. No two bamboo baskets are of the same colour while
they could have the same form. A woven surface, like a
reed mat, could have many shades of white or brown.
Leading fashion houses today search for such beauty as
lies in asymmetry, irregularity and natural warmth.
63 NATURAL FIBRES
Qualities of Natural Fibres
Different fibres have varying physical properties of strength,
appearance, pliability, colour, texture and fragrance.
Traditional skills and knowledge of working with these
materials is an economic activity, often undertaken as an
additional activity, to earn a little extra income when there
is a break in the agricultural cycle of work.
Roots
Khus or ramacham in Malayalam (Vetiveria zizaniodes) is
the aromatic root of a densely tufted grass. The grass has
a thick root system which helps in checking soil erosion. It
is thus an excellent stabilising hedge for stream banks,
terraces and rice paddies. Khus grass grows wild in many
states but is cultivated in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab,
Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Khus is known for its fragrance and cooling properties.
The roots are used for making mats, beds, and pads for
desert coolers. The dried stems are used for making brooms,
fans, hats and footwear, and for thatching.
Stems
A great variety of baskets, mats and floor coverings are
made from grass and reed fibres which are referred to in
local languages as moonj, sarkanda, kora, sikki, chipkiang,
madur kathi, rice straw, kauna reed. Reeds grow naturally
in marshy land and in ponds.
Kauna is the local name for a reed or rush belonging to
the family Cyperaceae which is cultivated in the wetlands
of the Imphal valley. It has a cylindrical, soft and spongy
stem which is woven into mats, square and rectangular
cushions and mattresses by the women of the Meitei
community of Manipur. The raw material for the craft is
obtained by simple processing wherein the reed is cut near
the base of the plant and dried in the sun. It is also smoked
if it is to be preserved and stored for a longer time. The
mats are woven by interlacing the stalks with jute threads
using basic and simple tools. The mats and cushions have
a unique edge finishing which is done by hand.
Fibres are obtained by shredding or peeling parts of plants, or pounding
them to make threads or by cutting them to make strips.
Fibres from plants pre-date cloth woven from yarn spun from cotton.
Ancient communities must have used natural fibres to build shelters
and thatched roofs.
Unfinished reed mat,
Manipur
64 LIVING CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA
Korai (Tamil Nadu) or kora (Kerala) also of the Cyperaceae
family is a sedge or wetland plant which is cultivated in the
southern districts of Tamil Nadu. The stems are cut near
the base of the plant, spliced vertically and dried in the
sun. On drying the spliced stems curl into a smooth and
tubular form. A large variety of matsówith stripes,
geometrical motifs, natural and dyed coloursóare woven in
several districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The mats are
woven on horizontal floor looms. The ribbed natural coloured
mats are popularly used as floor coverings.
In Midnapur District of West Bengal, another type of reed
similar to kora called madur kathi (Cyperus corymbosus) is
cultivated, harvested and processed. Finely spliced madur
is woven into mats that have a central field enclosed by
patterned borders. The weavers ingeniously use two subtly
differentiated natural colour splits or selectively dyed parts
of the splits to differentiate the borders with dyed colour.
Both the loom and the weaving technique used are very
basic but require the use of manual skills and craftsmanship
rather than sophisticated equipment and technology.
Unlike the woven mats, shital pati or ëcool matsí made
by the plaiting technique are made in Assam and Tripura.
The mat has a smooth and lustrous surface. The murta
plant or (Maranta dichotoma) is harvested when green,
washed in soda water and dried. It is then boiled and sliced
into strips for plaiting the mat.
In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar women make baskets using
the technique of coiling. These compact containers are made
for local use with spliced moonj or sikki grass stalks. The
trays and shallow containers are used to store foodgrains
and flour. Moonj baskets with multi-coloured fibres and
bold patterns are made for a daughterís trousseau.
In the Madhubani District of Bihar, women make
figurines of deities, animals and birds  for ritual and
everyday use with sikki or golden grass used in combination
with multi-coloured dyed stalks. The imagery of these forms
echoes the folk art of Mithila, the cultural region on the
northern banks of the Ganges.
Strips obtained from the palm leaf are also used to make
coiled baskets and containers in Haryana. A bunch of moonj
grass fibres forms the core material of the coil and a palm
leaf strip is wound over the coil and binds consecutive
rows of coils in place.
Furniture items such as the mooda or stools are examples
of elegant products made entirely from natural fibres such
as sarkanda and moonj. Sarkanda is a wild grass found in
Haryana and its long stems are used in making the
indigenous mooda.
A kora mat weaver on the
traditional loom, Tamil Nadu
Shital pati, Assam
Mat weaver separating the stem
of the sedge or kathi from the
leaf stalk,West Bengal
65 NATURAL FIBRES
Bamboo is a giant tree-like grass
which mostly grows wild in the tropical
and sub-tropical regions of the world.
Bamboo is significant as a renewable
resource that is found abundantly in
India. These tall grasses have straight,
woody and cylindrical stems, which
have nodes. Some stems are hollow and
some are solid. These cylindrical stems
or culms taper at the top. The nodes at
the top have branches with leaves and
flowers. Bamboos grow closely in
clumps. There are 136 species of
bamboo in India. The botanical name is
bambusae. Bamboos grow quicklyó
60mm to 200mm in a day and some
species grow up to 900mm in a day. It
is a widely used material that is hardy,
durable, economical and biodegradable.
Bamboo is used whole as well as split
in different widths to make a large range
of products. Simple tools like a dao or
bill-hook knife or wide-bladed knife are
widely used for making splits. Bamboo
has long fibres running along its length
and the bond between the fibres is
relatively weak while the fibres
themselves are extremely strong. This
structural characteristic affords easy
splitting along the length.
Local communities use this
characteristic in an appropriate manner
while devising different products.
Jute, a stem or bast fibre, is
cultivated in West Bengal. Jute cloth is
brittle and deteriorates with exposure
to sun and rain. It has been popular as
inexpensive packaging material. In the
craft sector, today, there is a renewed
interest in finding innovative
applications of jute such as fashion
accessories, bags and wall panelling
using macramÈ, crochet, braiding and
other non-woven techniques.
Detail of a contemporary wall
panel made with jute yarn using
macramÈ or knotting technique
Bast fibres are generally
long fibres. Consequently
they are used in making
yarn  and weaving cloth