‘Shoot’ing To Great Heights - The State of Bamboo Craft In India

Handicraft industry in India is vast and provides income to lakhs of individuals and communities across the country. The Bamboo Craft industry especially, is widespread since India is the second largest producer of bamboo in the world, after China. So much is its popularity, that it is considered as the Cultural Heritage of India.

Bamboo craft has been existing in India since centuries. It is believed that the north-eastern people of India started with this art, which was their major source of income. The level of their skill is often compared to that of the Japanese and Chinese artisans. Even though Bamboo is grown all over India, 50% of the plantation alone lies in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, West Bengal, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Meghalaya. This is followed by Western ghats. There are 138 species of Bamboo plants found in India. Out of these, 12-13 of them are considered economical.

PROCEDURE:

The process of turning raw bamboo into utility products involves roughly 7 to 8 stages.

First, raw materials are procured from local traders. These are easily available and do not cost much. This is followed by drying.

Drying:

Here, raw bamboo is dried under sunlight to get rid of the moisture. Perfectly dried bamboo also ensures the better post processes such as bending the bamboo with desired shape. Proper drying also ensures minimum wastage during further process.

Treatment:

There are 2 kinds of bamboo treatment.

• Traditional treatment
  It includes Smoking (it reduces splitting), Lime-Washing (prevents water absorption and makes the surface alkaline thereby preventing fungal and insect attack) and Soaking in Water (to leach out starch)
• Chemical treatment
  Open tank, Boucherie and Butt treatment methods are used with chemicals such as Borax. Treating bamboo with Borax and Boric acid is the most popular bamboo preservation method, because it is very effective and environment friendly. Bamboo is again dried in sunlight after the treatment.

Shaping the Bamboo pieces:

The desired pieces of bamboo need to be shaped or bended depending upon the product. This is done by an expert.

Sharpening and Smoothing:

This procedure consists the sharpening of the edges of the bamboo pieces. Modern tools as well as traditional tool kits are used in the process. Sand paper is rubbed to smoothen the surface of the product.

Weaving:

Weaving creates a new effect. For this, extremely thin bamboo strips are cut. These are less than half a millimetre in thickness. This thickness also depends on the size, design of the weaving pattern and bamboo species that is used for making the strips.

Assembling:

The pieces of bamboo are assembled according to the design of the product by screws, pins and in some cases by knotting with canes for decoration.

BAMBOO PRODUCTS

Bamboo articles are broadly divided into 2 categories. The first one is items of regular use and the second one is items that are made to cater to the needs of the sophisticated market.

Bamboo baskets of different kinds are very popular in the country. They are lightweight and are used to keep clothes and valuable items. Decorative travel baskets are also in great demand. Small bamboo baskets are used in gift packaging. The best known baskets and weaving traditions are found in Assam and West Bengal. Bamboo fans are also common. Fans of various sizes, shapes with decorative cloth are produced. Other utility items include boxes, chairs, teapots, baskets, mats, handbags etc. Decorative items include toys, ship and boat models, wall hangings. These items are made by skilled artisans.

It is said that Bamboo crafts from Tripura are amongst the best in India owing to their intricate and exquisite designs. Furniture panels, table mats and floorings, lampshades are made here. Bamboo ornaments are also made here, unique to the land and not found anywhere else in the country. Flute, a popular musical instrument in India, is made from bamboo.

Assam is greatly known for beer mugs, floor and table mats, musical instruments and fishing devices. In Mizoram, Mizo Baskets are made that are used to store rice. The people who work at tea gardens in the north-east wear a headgear made from bamboo. It has delicate floral carvings on it. Bamboo grown in Himachal Pradesh is used for construction purposes.

 

    

In Goa, the credit for origin of Bamboo craft goes to the Mahar community. Bamboo craft is widely used for decorative purposes like flower pots. Utility items like pen stands, baskets, lightweight furniture and letter holders are also found here. Bamboo baskets are widely used by fishermen in Goa.

Interestingly, there are some indigenous uses of Bamboo crafts here:

• While presenting a traditional song Mando, bamboo fans are used by females as a prop. 
• A kind of bamboo fan (Ainno) is mandatorily in use at Goan weddings by the bridesmaid to fan the bride. 
• Bamboo baskets (Ervanno) are also exchanged at Goan weddings as part of a ritual by both, the bride’s and groom’s families. 
• A miniature version of the bamboo winnower (Supli) is given to a newly wed bride during Ganesh Chaturthi.

POSITION OF THE ART

Bamboo craft is one of the oldest art forms of India and has captured the national as well as international market. It is highly in demand due to variation in its products and eco-friendly factor. It has the characteristic of catering to the needs of the modern society and hence is a flourishing art especially in north-east India. The government supports Bamboo craft and strives to preserve this indigenous art of the cottage industry.