Woven Wisdom: Uncovering The Skill and Beauty of Bengal’s Bamboo Tradition
Basket weaving and mat-making crafts have been thriving and have been known to man since the dawn of history. Considered one of the oldest crafts, these techniques are not only indigenous, but they also mark a sustainable use of products in a modernized society. Nowadays, we also find that how these items are used as decorative tools and adornments in the homes of the elite, but most likely these are the products that are frequently in use in the rural regions of West Bengal.
In Bengal, we’ll find that varieties of bamboo are available, and each of them has its own characteristics. For instance, The Goda, Gonda, and Genthe bamboo are thick, heavy, and knotty, while the Beseni, Talta, and Muli bamboo are light, thin, and hollow. Consequently, depending on the qualities of the bamboo, the products are made. However, it is the hollow and thin bamboos that are used for making fish traps, containers, and baskets which are in a wide infliction required & used in Bengal.
Hence even to this date. in every household of Rural-Bengal, we will see at least one product that is made up of bamboo.
The Aesthetic of Bamboo Basketry
Exquisitely, when it comes to basketry we find that bamboo in relation to that are grown abundantly in West Bengal. In fact, the demands for basketry are so high that the crafts-person sometimes even have their own bamboo groves which are adjoined with their huts.
Although, most works of bamboo are reigned all over Bengal yet we find that how the procedure of bamboo basketry in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar winnows to be very distinctive.
Alipurduar being a district of West Bengal, not only is the region catered to be the gateway to Bhutan and the northeast state, but it is also a significant city for the Dooars region. From a historical perspective, Alipurduar used to be an old trading center and had a trading route that was renowned as the ‘Silk Route’ interconnected with Tibet and Bhutan. Nominally, to this day the remains of this traditional route are still visible in Santarbari. Similarly, Cooch Behar plays a very big importance in the history of North Bengal. This region was once under the rule of the Narayan Dynasty and is still one of the notable centers of cultural & historical importance.
In terms of Bamboo Basketry, we find the production of Duli to be very prominent in these areas.
The Work Process
For the initial stages, the bamboos are first procured from the local forest, and then they are cut; the edged poles, after that, are dried partially. Following this, we find how these poles, as a result, are further split into small strips of different sizes. These are then soaked in the water to gain moisture and to make the material flexible. After the completion of these methods, the weaving of bamboo baskets are finally proceeded with the ordeal of different patterns, and then the products are made as per the local needs.
Divulging on the Procedures
Significantly, when it comes to Basketry, the bamboos used have long fibers and are usually with widely-spaced inter nodes.
The work is done manually by skilled artisans. But before we venture into the work we must understand that the craft differs from region to region in West Bengal. Depending on the material, the tools, and what the product is going to be the craftsman can attain any means they want for achieving the finished items. But in terms of Basketry, the bamboo is divided into strips of different sizes, those that vary in width. During this process, the use of a sharp knife has been documented. Leading with this, the strips are made thinner by peeling the top layer, and hence, the bamboo is, at this point, split into flat, thin strips. Artisans, after these steps, circularly arrange the strips in order to make the base of the basket. Done with absolute intricacy the strips of bamboo are weaved alternatively. And once the base is completed, then, the strips are bent slightly so as to weave the sides. During this ordeal, the bamboo strips are continuously added and weaved until the required size is obtained.
Whereas, if we were to take an example from the craft style of ‘Bamboo Containers’ we will find how initially they are interestingly smoked to a brown shade, leading to the enhancements of decorative patterns with the help of a poker work, and then said designs are burnt in these containers with the assistance of a steel tool, and finally, they are bound by strips of cane or are fitted with cane handles.
After finishing, the bamboo containers are used for storing, carrying, and measuring oil in many parts of North Bengal.
So it is transparent that for different products of bamboo, different means are taken into account.
Crafts and Motifs
Duli, in simple terms, is a very large Bamboo basket used to store paddy in West Bengal. It has been recounted how, for years, craftspeople from Bihar have been migrating to the neighboring states of Bengal to make these bamboo baskets for over a hundred years. Also renowned as the ‘Dhaan Dhorar Duli’ this product measures up to six feet tall and four feet wide so to store paddy. Preparational work includes the placing of longitudinal bamboo slips and horizontal slips altogether, laying them on a circular framework, forming a basket stand out of it and then weaving it to completion, and finally putting in the finishing interlacements. In simple terms, this work is complex and requires articulate craftsmen who are skilled enough to precisely make this product.
Additionally, we explore that most of the duli makers belong to the Bind community.
Interestingly, for this process and for making the said basket, the bamboo best selected are not more than three years old because then it is easier to split the plant, and it also has to be thick; hence, keeping this in mind, the bamboos are selected. In this process, what’s more difficult is laying the circular framework of the basket by using the right calculations; hence, for this reason, sometimes the makers also take the help of the sickles (dao). Critically the size of duli also varies. Depending on the demand of the customers; it can range from ‘five to eight’ feet.
In the end, it all depends on the harvest seasons, and based on it, the demand for making these duli also increases. For this work, the workers get 600 – 800 rupees, and after the season ends they have no other choice but to sell it at cheap prices.
Other than Duli, we also find unique bamboo works from the Mahali community, which resides in Birbhum. Identified as Mouli Para, these Santhals have been excelling in bamboo craft. They indulge themselves in making household items by weaving bamboo, and those include Kulo, Jhapi, etc. Kulo, significantly renowned as a bamboo tray, is periodically used for separating the chaff from the grain, but in a religious sense, it is also considered a very important product for traditional Bengali festivals and occasions, be it weddings or puja.
In wedding ceremonies, we will see how kulo is held both by the bride and groom to separate chaff from the grain as a symbolic means to welcome their new beginning in life.
Conclusion
Bamboo works are very prevalent in West Bengal. Be it for aesthetics or for nominal use, they are to the day are very accepted and indeed considered fashionable. But, unfortunately, makers who are behind these crafts and baskets are not paid enough for this complicated work, and with the advent of plastic bags, the Duli makers have claimed, how difficult has it been for them, since most of the customers now cater to plastics for storing paddy. With time it seems individuals are slowly abandoning their primordial necessities and are taking use of all the modern installments that are not only disadvantageous for the workers but for the society as well. Plastic, which is a non-biodegradable material, is far more harmful than the sustainable use of bamboo, but sadly, individuals have forsaken this thought.
References
- Kabyashree Hazarika, M. Bamboo an Agro Based Industry: History of Bamboo Crafts and Its Importance in Our Day To Day Life
- Gupta, A. D. (2012). Rajbanshi People of Northern West Bengal: Access to Micro-Credit. Darjeeling: Department of Anthropology, University on North Bengal.
- Brahma, N., & Daimary, L. (2017). The traditional agricultural tools and technology used by the Bodos. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 22(5), 65-72
- Ahuja, U., Ahuja, S. C., & Thakrar, R. (2011). Traditional Paddy Storage. Asian Agri-History, 15(3).
- Bargayary, N. (2017). Ethno History of the Bodo (Doctoral dissertation).