SCORR EcoChoiceHub Eco-Friendly Fine Sabai Craft Decorative Bags

Description

SABAI GRASS:
It looks like any other grass, and in many ways it is. Growing wild in forest fringe areas in West Bengal and Odisha, Sabai Grass (Eulaliopsis binata) is light, easy to work with and it can be dyed easily. Once used to make rope, this natural fibre is now stylishly fashioned into products such as baskets, cots, furniture, wall hangings, decorative boxes and coasters. Handmade, natural and eco-friendly, these products have gained popularity worldwide.
Mayurbhanj district in Odisha is a famous centre of Sabai Grass weaving but artisans in other places such as Bankura, Purulia, Baripada and Jhargarm in West Bengal and Odisha too practise this craft. It has become a source of livelihood, of women’s empowerment and even rehabilitation for many people in these parts.
Sabai Grass is known as ‘Babuii’ or ‘Bobai Ghaso’ locally. It is also called ‘Money Plant’ as Sabai Grass has become a source of income for communities in a region that offers little by way of economic opportunities.
While not much is known about the craft’s origin, it is said to go back only as far as the colonial, British era.
– It is believed that the British found the grass strong and durable, and thus perfect to make ropes for military use.
They used it to pull artillery and other equipment. The British used it so extensively that rope-making from Sabai Grass became the occupation for some communities in and around Calcutta.
Sabai Grass is also used in the paper industry, where it binds bundles of paper. In some instances, it is also used to make pulp. Since it is widely used, grass cutting, transporting and sun-drying provide employment to a large number of people in the regions where it grows.