Married at 17, how this tribal woman fought poverty to set up a profitable Sabai grass home business

About ten years back, when Dipali Mura had her second child, her family was going through immense financial difficulties. They lived in the Mrigichami village in West Bengal’s Purulia district where her husband was a farmer. The income from agriculture was not enough for the family.

Dipali, belonging to the Munda tribal community, got married in 2009 after completing her 10th class at the Banspahari KPSC High School in the Jhargram district. She did not have any skills to earn additional income. “Despite my assistance in farming, our family of four struggled to make ends meet,” says Dipali.

Dipali and her husband cultivated Sabai grass on their one-bigha agricultural land. She used it to make ropes for a livelihood, but could not earn even Rs50 per day. 

To support her family, Dipali joined a ten-day workshop hosted by UNESCO as part of Rural Craft and Cultural Hubs (RCCH) in 2013.

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The workshop, in partnership with the Kolkata-based NGO Banglanatak dot com, trained women to use Sabai grass to create home décor items. Sabai is a perennial grass that yields a natural fibre used in many crafts, including weaving, making containers, ropes, trays and other items.

The workshop changed her life as Dipali quickly learned to make attractive and eco-friendly domestic and other utility items using Sabai. 

“I then invested Rs 5,000 to procure dyes, grass and other items and began working independently,” Dipali tells 30Stades. 

Today, she generates over Rs10 lakh in revenues annually and helps 50 rural women artisans earn a livelihood in the tribal-dominated areas of West Bengal.

Honing her skills 

Dipali handcrafts jewellery boxes, multi-utility baskets, hanging planters, wall-mounted salvers, flower vases, bowls and trays using Sabai grass. With a natural texture and earthy hues, the items exude a rustic charm. Her artwork sells throughout India and also in Denmark.

Dipali blends traditional art with contemporary designs to create Sabai grass handicrafts. 

She purchases grass from her employees and it costs between Rs35 and Rs40 per kg.

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The price of a product is determined by the intricacy of the design and the time required to make it. “The designs can be customised. Our native designs feature flowers, birds, and animals. In addition, we create a variety of geometric designs. A product's pricing depends on its design,” says 33-year-old Dipali.

She uses a needle, scissors, date palm leaves and Sabai grass to make the items. The size of a wall-hanging salver ranges from 4 to 24 inches. A 14-inch wall hanging plate requires 30 hours while it takes 40 hours to make a basket.

The amount of grass also varies from item to item. It takes at least 100 gm to weave an 8-inch wall plate; 150 gm for a 10-inch; 200 gm for a 12-inch; 300-350 gm for a 14-inch; and 250-300 gm to make a basket and 100-150 gm for trays. A planter requires 500 gm of Sabai. 

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The handcrafted products have beautiful shades, including beige, brown-orange, yellow, red, black and indigo. A simple planter costs Rs 550; a hanging planter costs Rs 300-400; a huge basket costs Rs 1200; and trays come in small, medium and large sizes, starting with 8-15 inches, costing Rs 200 to Rs1000. The smallest 4-inch salver costs Rs300, while the 16-inch costs Rs750 per piece.

She makes around 600 handcrafted pieces every month. Over 7,000 items are sold at various fairs and shows annually.

Her products are offered for sale at Biswa Bangla Pavilion and Manjusha as well. The products are also sent to Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata, among other Indian cities.  

Dipali acknowledged that she is a shy person by nature and couldn't communicate with others. However, the home business allows her to work from home. 

“After I received an invitation from Banglanatak dot com to display my items at several exhibitions, my nervousness gradually disappeared. In March 2023, I even had my product displayed in Copenhagen, Denmark. I sold Sabai grass products worth Rs. 50,000 during my short stay there," Dipali adds.

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The process of making Sabai handicrafts

Sabai grass is known as Babui Ghash in Bengal. It is a perennial wild grass that grows in Odisha and West Bengal. Known for its strength, adaptability and durability, it doesn't require pesticides or fertilisers and flourishes well with water. Once grown, it lasts for 60 to 70 years. 

Sabai grass is biodegradable and has a low carbon footprint.

When the mature stalks reach a height of 5 to 6 feet, they are harvested in August or September. The gathered stalks are cleaned by thrashing on the floor to make them supple for weaving into elaborate designs. 

“The stalks are dried after soaking in water. The dried stalks are coiled by hand or using a cycle wheel to create a bundle of rope. To smooth off any sharp edges, the rope is then rubbed across tree branches. Natural and vegetable colours are used to dye the stalks, if necessary,” says Dipali. 

Sabai products require less maintenance. When necessary, dust, wipe, or clean them with a moist cloth and avoid exposing them to direct sunlight for extended periods of time to maintain their condition, she says.

(Partho Burman is a Kolkata-based award-winning journalist. He writes inspiring human interest and motivational stories.)

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