Sarkanda Craft of Haryana

Sarkanda Craft of Haryana
The green state of Haryana is known for its Sarkanda craft. It is famous for its mooda. In the winters, when the main stalk of the sarkanda plant dries up and the grass is harvested and ingeniously transformed into a variety of products. The thicker parts are used to make stools known as mooda while the outer skin is used as thatch. The tuli, top half, is made into baskets and the leafy covering, moonj, is beaten into fiber and twisted into jeverdi, rope, which is used to web local furniture such as charpoy (cot), peeda and mooda (stools). The mooda is a low circular stool made by aligning sarkanda in a criss-cross construction that is tied along the spine. The edges are secured with pula bound by jeverdi and the seat is woven from jeverdi made either from moonj or pula. Mooda varies in size and has innovatively been given a backrest so that they may be used
as chairs and sofas. The local women make further use of this material by coiling baskets and making traditional products like the shallow basket called the changeri, and the large boiya, bread basket that may or may not have a lid but nonetheless keep hot rotis dry and fresh due to its moisture absorbing walls. These baskets are often bound with gota, colored threads, date palm and patera leaves. A variation of the changeri is the sundhada; it is bound with naulai or wheat stalk. The indhi, used as a supportive base for carrying water pots on the head are also made; these form part of the bride`s dowry and are accordingly decorated with colorful fabric, woolen yarn and synthetic rope and stung with bead and shell tassels. Courtesy: Handmade in India, M P Ranjan and Aditi Ranjan, 2007, COHANDS