Kauna Grass Plantations and The Communities Around It

A hill top view of the historic town of Imphal in Manipur. Its most famous features are the Kangla Fort, the Loktak lake and where, it is said, the game of polo originated and was introduced to the British.

Manipur consists of hill areas and an oval valley shaped by the flow of the rivers Imphal, Iril, Thoubal, Khuga and Sekmai.

The state is occupied by many communities, the majority being the Hindu Meiteis in the valley and the Naga, Kuki and Zo tribes in the hill regions.

The vast wetlands of the valley of Imphal is where kauna grass is widely found.

Kangla Fort is the most historic heritage site in Imphal, with a glorious past as the seat of power of the kings who ruled Manipur since 33 AD.

It fell to the British empire in 1891 and remained occupied by the British Army and later by the Assam Rifles.

It was formally presented to the people of Manipur in 2004 and remains a sacred spot in their minds.

Manipuri prayer flags called chhatras are made of decoratively cut paper, plastic or cloth. They are erected on poles near temples or in the prayer area of a home.

These are at the temple at the Women’s Income Generation Centre, Khangabok in Thoubal district.

A Manipuri villager dons a kauna grass hat to protect himself from the sun.

As is typical in many community based societies, men have their own areas of work, and are happy to relax, watching a woman go about her work.

The environment of Manipur exudes peace and harmony with nature and natural materials as a part of daily life.

For a woman, it is easy to multi-task. Here a rural lady is spinning yarn and selling pineapples by the roadside. Bamboo containers for the pineapples are woven locally.

Kauna grass, Cyperaceae, is a weed or rush cultivated in Imphal’s wetlands, often alongside rice. The water level enables fish farming as well.

Ever since kauna grass baskets became a popular urban product, going far beyond local use, it is also cultivated commercially. It is often mistakenly promoted as being a water hyacinth.

Irungbam Becha Chanu, the basket weaver who runs a training workshop for women students in Imphal visits her farmer partner Chandro at his fields.

He dedicates four fields to grow kauna grass exclusively for Becha, and cultivates rice on others.

The regions were kauna grows are clearly indicated by the way every available space is occupied with them spread out to dry.

Men and women from rural families in Manipur engage in fishing, growing rice and vegetables and rearing chicken or ducks.

They are therefore almost completely self-sufficient in food and will use their earnings from basket weaving for supplementary needs like dal and salt.

Wayside spaces like school compounds are used to spread kauna grass to dry.

A woman gathers bunches of kauna grass which were drying on a quiet back lane, saving them from impending rain.

A basket weaver heads towards her neighbour’s home to weave.

The basket maker's elder daughter returns from school on her bicycle after which she will join her father in making baskets. Mats and baskets are left around casually in the open courtyard.

A kauna basket weaver’s home often buzzes with multi-dimensional activities. This family is occupied in bee-keeping, fruit, vegetables and rice growing and fishing, apart from making baskets for the market.

Almost everything in a home that can be handmade of natural materials, is so. Two kinds of fly swats fashioned out of leather and wood hang on the wall of a rural family making baskets and engaging in many other activities.

Craftspeople often dedicate their work to divine energy and seek divine blessings. The tulsi plant, ocimum sanctum, is a constant presence in the homes and work places of those who follow Hindu practices.

The plant has medicinal properties and is said to invite prosperity.

Many villagers prefer to work collectively. It provides time for both leisure and conversation while doing something useful and productive.

Very often broken shards of waste dried kauna grass are mixed with mud to clad bamboo strips. Together they become a temporary wall of storage shed.

A typical multi-tasker, this kauna basket maker ties her infant in a sling on her back as she makes tea for her visiting customers. If the baby is sleeping, she would go back to basket making without moving him.

A casual piece of creativity rests in a corner at Becha’s workshop in Imphal.

A toddler lives in the world of kauna grass and basket making from an early age.

Two kauna baskets left over from a larger order, are left casually in a small window sill, announcing the place as a basket weaver’s home.

Little children and grass baskets take a ride together at a basket making centre in Thoubal district.

Ms Memi, of Akhom Handicrafts is an energetic entrepreneur who conducts training programs in basket weaving for local women.

She has a shop smartly positioned next to a cafe in Kongda, Imphal, waiting for tourists.

Women committed to earning their living by making baskets also use home-made lampshades along their balcony as part of their own décor.

Women’s independent workspaces across the country make room for animals, toddlers and periodic refreshments that do not interfere with their rhythm or focus.

Read more about Kauna grass craft here:
-Process
-People & Products