Crafts are an amazing way to safeguard the rich heritage of any country. Each and every craft symbolizes the cultural identity of a nation. They play a significant role in showcasing the creative ideology of the artisans and ultimately become a predominant part of their livelihood. Whenever there is a discussion about various Indian crafts, Sikki craft often gets precedence amongst others. This special type of grass based craft represents the unique culture of Bihar.
How did the craft begun?
The origin of this craft can be traced back to the vedic era when Sikki craft was used to create idols of Gods and Goddesses. The practice of worshipping those idols enhanced the significance of this craft within the society.
At present, the people from Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi and Samastipur districts of Bihar are involved in Sikki craft. It is majorly practised by women and this skill is passed on across generations by them.
Initially, it was started by women in their respective homes. Afterwards, this craft spread across the commercial sector which led to the manufacturing of the following items-
* Toys
* Jewellery
* Flower Baskets
* Table Mats
* Pen Stands
* Mobile Case
* Bouquets
* Large trays referred to as ‘Dagra‘ are prepared through Sikki craft.
* Other exclusive product categories include headgears and figurines which are revered during festivities.
Sikki Grass Temple Box ( Credits: https://okhai.org )
Transforming a Riverside Grass into a Profitable Enterprise
Despite being a grasslike weed which is found near the riverside, Sikki becomes quite valuable when it is sun dried by the rural women after the collection.
The most favorable season for the growth of Sikki grass is the Monsoon. The process of harvesting Sikki begins in the month of October.
The process of twisting the grass in the form of a rope begins after it is sun dried. It is a very important step as it makes the grass ready for further use.
Most Essential Elements used in Sikki Craft
•A base frame which is referred to as Munj is used in the creation of Sikki craft.
•A six inch long needle called takua is used weave Sikki grass around the frame. Takua has a firm grip and its head is in a round pattern. The major raw material which is utilized for creating takua is either wood or lacqueware.
•The fine strands of Sikki are shaped using a very fine knife or a pair of scissors.
•In the entire process, water is utilized to make the grass more flexible in order to conveniently place it around the frame.
Kaleidoscopic Pattern of Colouring Sikki
Sikki turns into a golden colored grass after undergoing the process of sun drying for 20-25 days.
The color of Sikki is transformed into brighter shades by the craftsmen through dyeing.
During dyeing, the grass is placed into boiling water and natural food color is added into it.
The major colors of the Sikki craft products are as follows-
•Purple
•Magenta
•Green
•Yellow
The process of absorbing the color lasts for about 15-20 minutes. It then becomes ready for immediate usage after washing and drying of the grass is finished.
Multipurpose Tray (Credits: https://www.mithilagram.store)
Cultural Significance of the Craft
Sikki craft is an indispensable element of the traditional culture of Mithila region of Bihar. A lot of precious items like ornaments, dry fruits and other articles which are considered fortunate are stored in the Sikki container boxes are given as dowry during marriage. There is a popular belief that when the prospective bride is gifted craft items made up of Sikki craft during her marriage ceremony, she is bestowed with prosperity along with the richness of art within her matrimonial life.
Ecofriendly Nature of the Craft
The whole process of manufacturing Sikki products does not involve the usage of any kind of chemicals. Even the final products derived through Sikki craft serve as an amazing alternative to plastic products .This enhances its environmental viability and makes it one of the most sought after craft.
Image of a Pauti prepared using Sikki Grass (Credits: https://www.mithilagram.store)
Masters of Sikki Craft
Bindeshwari Devi was a popular artist of Sikki craft. Her work received a lot of recognition when she became the recipient of National award in 1969. She began this practice in her teenage years and her efforts contributed towards further growth of this craft.
In 1986, Dhirendra Kumar popularised this craft in a lot of foreign nations including Thailand, Germany, France, Britain and South Africa. The masterpiece which bestowed him with this prestige was his work on Lord Shiva wherein he consumed poison.
Recently, this craft has grown exponentially with the efforts of Munni Devi who is an expert in this craft. She stays in Jhanjharpur region of Bihar wherein she is involved in training a group of women in Sikki craft. She learnt this beautiful craft from her mother-in-law after marriage. Her livelihood is derived from teaching other women and earning 20% profit out of the net sales of the final products in the market.
Vibrant Display at the G-20 Summit
In September 2023, Sikki craft was showcased at the Craft Mela during the G-20 Summit. The artistic heritage of Bihar was prominently displayed at the Bharat Mandap Convention Centre of Pragati Maidan.
Sikki craft was exhibited along with Madhubani Painting, Manjusha Art, Sujani Kala among other crafts.
At Bihar’s stall, live art demonstrations were conducted by the artists themselves in order to provide the visitors a sneak peak of the innovative process involved in the making of the aesthetic craft products.
The artists attempted to attract the attention of every visitor with the following-
•An Exclusive Selfie- Point with a Cut-Out based on a theme of Bihar.
•Special Bookmarks for the keepsake of the visitors.
•Integration of QR Codes in order to provide valuable information to the customers regarding the rich art and cultural legacy and tourist attractions of Bihar.
Aesthetic Features of the Craft unveiled at a National Stage
Sikki Craft was exhibited at the Republic day parade in 2013. About two dozen artists from Bihar prepared craft products using the indigenous Sikki grass during the tableau display at Rajpath. The whole initiative involved the investment of about Rs. 17 lacs.
Sikki Grass Craft Tableau at the Republic Day Parade ( Credits: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org )
Major obstacles for the Sikki Craft Industry
Some of the major difficulties faced by the craftsmen are as follows-
▪There is a lack of financial support from the institutions which are responsible for the growth of various Indian crafts. This hinders the process of standardization of products.
▪ This industry also has a lack of contemporary style in the products due to the emphasis on the traditional features of the craft.
▪The time consuming nature of this craft makes it quite labor intensive and serves as a major threat in determining the cost of the final products.
▪Another challenge faced by the craftsmen is the absence of technological advancements in the manufacturing process of Sikki craft.
▪The rapid changes in the climatic conditions do not favor the growth of a desirable quality of Sikki grass which has an adverse impact upon the craft.
▪There is inadequate promotion of this craft which prevents the growth of the popularity of these handcrafted products.
Moving forward on the Path of Innovation
Sikki craft has also been utilized for creating eco friendly garments. This seemed to be an imaginary thing until the students of MS University’s Institute of Fashion Technology turned it into a reality. They referred to this collection as ‘Mi-Orah – Reflection of Beauty‘.
One up and One down technique was applied by them for weaving the fabric for the garment. They sourced the fabric for the entire collection from the pre consumer waste section of various garment units. Basically, they transformed this fabric into strips which were then used in the form of warp and weft.
Unification of Sikki with the Canvas
Mr. Dhirendra Kumar from Madhubani initiated a new trend within this craft. He combined Sikki with the Canvas. Although, it was not an easy task for him initially, he went ahead with this creative move with a consistent approach.
The first stage of this process begins by giving a desired shape to the Sikki grass by peeling it and transforming it into a thin layer using a surgical blade.
In the final stage, favibonds are utilized to paste the strands of Sikki grass over the sketches of the pictorial representations of the hardboard dieties and legendary personalities.
Image of a Group of women carrying wood ( Credits: https:// www.gitagged.com )
Notable Artefacts within Sikki Craft
Initially, women used to prepare the following using Sikki craft-
•Dolls and Toys
•Containers
•Storage Boxes
•Bangles
There are a diverse range of products created through Sikki craft.
Following are the different types of items that are made out of Sikki grass-
•Jhappa– They are large containers with a firm cover which have enough storage capacity for food.
•Mauni– The trays in which fresh fruits, betel leaf, nuts and flowers are served during traditional ceremonies are referred to as Mauni.
•Gumla– Gumlas have a bowl like shape and they have a multi purpose use.
•Pauti– These are aesthetically decorated smaller sized boxes with prominent covers. They are majorly used to store jewellery, dry fruits along with some other expensive items.
In addition to this, penstands, paperweights, table mats, bouquets and mobile cases are some of the newer product categories developed using Sikki craft in recent times.
The environmental friendly nature of Sikki crafts contributes towards its popularity.
Bangles made using Sikki ( Credits- https://www.indiainch.org)
Increasing Admiration for Sikki Craft across the country
This craft was granted the Geographical Indication Tag in 2007 and it became the 46th product from India to receive the honor.
India post issued a special postal stamp dedicated to Sikki grass products in 2018.
In August 2021, two special postal covers were released in order to emphasize upon the design and aesthetic aspects of Sikki craft. Both of them were released through the Darbhanga postal division in the honor of the craft.
Hope this discussion has apprised all of you with the different facts that make Sikki craft quite noteworthy on the national map. It must have helped you all to identify those key attributes which make it a peculiar craft. So, the next time anyone of you come across any product made out of Sikki, you would definitely recall the sincere efforts of the artisan involved in its creation.
Postage Stamp released in 2018 for commemorating Sikki Craft ( Credits: https://www.philacy.com)
Other Identical Crafts
It is a matter of great joy that our motherland has a lot of craftsmen in different regions of the country who prepare baskets from a variety of wild grass, bamboo and cane. Following are some of the types of wild grass which are used for this purpose-
▪Sarkanda- It is majorly found in Punjab and Haryana. It is mainly used for preparing light weight sturdy furniture. A chair locally called Mudha is created using sarkanda craft.
▪Moonj- A monsoon grass which has been used by Uttar Pradesh for making baskets. These baskets are made through the coiling method. This grass has also been utilized for the preparation of home decor products.
▪Cane and Bamboo – They are famous for making baskets along with the diverse variety of household items and accessories in the north eastern part of India.
Growing Scope of the Craft
Sikki craft is no longer limited to making of traditional storage boxes, the scope of this craft has extended to develop the following products-
▪Clutch Bags
▪Chandeliers
▪Earrings
▪Coasters
▪File Folders
Hope this discussion has apprised all of you with the different facts that make Sikki craft quite noteworthy on the national map. It must have helped you all to identify those key attributes which make it a peculiar craft. So, the next time anyone of you come across any product made out of Sikki, you would definitely recall the sincere efforts of the artisan involved in its creation!!
