sabai grass

Sabai Grass (Eulaliopsis binata) is found in the Chota Nagpur Plateau region of West Bengal and Odisha. It has characteristic long leaves and its importance was first identified by the British who used it for military purposes. Since those areas face scarcity of water, the people, mostly women, took up rope making from Sabai grass as their profession. Then with the training provided by the Self Help Groups, artists switched to different types of craft making like furniture, baskets, coasters, wall hangings, etc using Sabai grass.

Found in the wetlands across the world, water reeds, scientifically known as Phragmites Australis, are broad-leafed grass with a length of about 1.5 to 5 metres. They have smooth stems and clusters of feathery flowers at the top of them. Originally used as thatching materials in the UK, India, and other parts of the world, water reeds are now used to produce several essential items. 

Water reeds are grown along the margins of lakes, streams, and marshy areas from the Arctic to the tropics. In Egypt, these stems are dried to use as fishing poles. Here, fences and cattle pens are also created out from the reeds. In the Philippines, the reeds are used to make household brooms, which they call ‘walis tambo’. In the Netherlands, Ger