Charpai from Haryana

Traditional Punhana charpais are made in locally grown moonj grass.

Fiber is extracted from the plant, dried under the sun and then twisted by hand to form a baan or rope.

Master craftsman, Shamsher Khan (45), collecting the locally grown moonj grass, a raw material for traditional charpais.

He has been making the charpais for 22 years and has been working on creating new designs using colourful resham baan or rope for the last 14 years.

Charpai, the environment friendly seating or sleeping beds have long been a part Indian culture.

Master craftsmen of Punhana have given a new definition to Punhana charpais. They have been weaving colourful charpais in different designs, using natural resham baan or rope which is procured from Gujarat.

First, Purai or vertical weaving is done and then Lehar or horizontal filling is done to create a charpai design.

To get the desired results, craftsmen create a rough sketch of the design which they intend to make on a charpai before they begin the work.

A rough sketch of the charpai is laid down by a craftsman before he begins making the actual frame.

Depending upon the demand and the season, he is able to make 16- 18 legs or payas in a day.

Master craftsman, Mahmood Khan (41), working with Wasim, a young craftsman, in his workshop.

He imparts his skills and guides Wasim on making the legs or payas of a charpai using a lathe machine.

The Charpai frame is made of hard Sal tree wood and legs or payas are made in soft babool or sheesham wood.

Soft babool or sheesham wood is used because it can be easily carved in intricate designs, using a hammer and a chisel, known as hathora and cheni.

The soft Babool and Shesham wood makes it easy for the craftsman to carve detailed designs on the leg or the payas of a charpai using simple tools like a hammer and a chisel, known as hathora and cheni.

A Dome is considered auspicious as it represents perfection and eternity.

The craftsmen take inspiration from the domes of mosques to make the top structure of the leg or paya of a charpai.

Handcrafted, payas or charpai's legs are kept ready in the workshop.

They will be further finished and coated in varnish to secure the wood. Based on demand, they can be coated in colour to suite specific customer requirements.

Converting a block of wood into a masterpiece takes a lot of skill and labour.

Handcrafted legs or payas are kept ready in the workshop waiting to take the form a charpai.

Everything about Punhana charpais is handcrafted. The wooden tools, Panji and Killi, which help in weaving the charpai, are also made by the craftsmen.

Panji is used for aligning the baan and Killi is used to hold the colourful resham baan to create a design on a charpai.

The craftsmen fix the colourful baan over white baan using Killi, a wooden handmade tool which helps in weaving a pattern on the charpai.

First, Purai or vertical weaving is done and then Lehar or horizontal filling is done to form a design.

The craftsman first undertake Purai or vertical weaving and then Lehar or horizontal filling of the resham baan to create unique designs on the charpai.

They use killi, a wooden tool to fix the baan on both sides.

Anguri (51), the only women weaver of Punhana charpais, immersed in giving shape to her creative designs using resham baan.

She learnt weaving traditional moonj charpais from her father during her childhood.

While other women of the village make home decoration items, Anguri has a passion for weaving.

People at Punhana believe in recycling and keeping the environment clean.

A traditional modha or a seating stool is made using in moonj grass and recycled tyres

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