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Mat weaving dying

Many artisans leaving their ancestral profession due to fall in demand, price
HABIBUR RAHMAN
Nobody knows when artisans of the southern part of the country began the craft of making shital pati , a traditional naturally-cool woven mat.
But people involved with the profession say that their ancestors started tinkering with the craft several centuries ago. And the artisans known as Patikar are still doing the job inherited from their forefathers.
The floor mat made with the bark from a variety of trees known as paitra is widely used in bedrooms.
Since long shital pati has been being produced at 12 villages under five upazilas in three districts of the Barishal division.
The five upazilas are Barishal’s Bakerganj, Jhalakathi’s Sadar, Nalcity and Rajapur and Pirojpur’s Kawkhali.
But due to dwindling demand, people from four villages out of 12 have already left their profession and others are trying to survive with their ancestral profession.
Around 250 people from 82 families from Hylakathi village of Mathbari union under Rajapur upazila in Jhalakathi are struggling to survive.
“We have lost our golden days,” said Jhantu Patikar of the village.
He said that now it is difficult to meet the production cost selling shital pati.
Artisans who don’t have paitra garden have to buy them from others. One bundle of paitra sticks consists of 80 pieces of sticks is sold between Tk 150-300 depending on size and quality. But to collect them from the field, Tk 40 has to be paid as a wage to the collectors. Next, the workers who separate the bark from the sticks must be paid Tk 300 each.
Mainly men do the job of separating barks from the sticks and it takes a day to separate a bundle.
“Separating barks for the second time is difficult. Sometimes our fingers are injured while doing the job,” said Phulmala.
“We keep the barks soaked to get colour and boil them to ensure the longevity of the mats,” said Ramani Bala Patikar adding that each mat is sold between TK 1,000-2,000 to the wholesale buyers depending on quality and size.
As the women are married to their community men, they usually stick to the profession after their marriage.
“I have mastered the art of making pati at my father’s house and so I don’t have to face any trouble to make it at my husband’s house,” said Tulshi Rani Patikar adding other women also master the art at their father’s house.
Though with great care the mats are made, producers cannot make a good profit.
“We cannot even meet our production cost,” said Lipika Rani Patikar.
Normally well-off people are the main buyers of the pati.
“But at present well-off people are accustomed to using air conditioner or air cooler,” said Jhuren Chandro Patikar adding that so the demand of shital pati has dwindled sharply.
If the government does not take any step for creating a market place for their products, within a short time this traditional handicraft will vanish, Jhuren has claimed.
The artisans are still doing the job inherited from their forefathers and the floor mat made with the bark from a variety of trees known as paitra is widely used in bedrooms.