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A century ago, there was a huge demand for shitol pati (cool mats) made of murta plants because they were one of the most effective ways to beat the heat during summers. Considering it a profitable venture, my grandfather, Rai Mohan Dey, learnt this weaving art form and began production in the 1920s,” says Nirmal Dey.
“However, with the advent of cooling appliances, such as ceiling fans and air conditioners, shitol pati slowly started losing popularity, bringing uncertainty into the lives of patikars (mat weavers) for whom the traditional craft is not just a source of livelihood but a cultural identity,” says the Assam Gaurav awardee, living in Cachar district’s Kuarpar village. The village is one of the many in the Barak Valley where the handicraft is practised.
For generations, artisans like Dey, who is in his sixties, have weaved mats from strands of murta (Schumannianthus dichotomus). The cane-like shrub grows well near wet areas and riverbanks. Since the plant fibre is breathable, it traps minimal body heat. The woven strands also allow air to pass through. Though shitol patis are mostly used on the floor as sitting mats, they are also spread on top of bedsheet. Traditionally associated with Bangladesh, the handicraft flourished in the Barak Valley due to its geographical proximity with the neighbouring country.
Dey still spends his whole day sitting in his veranda, peeling the green stems of murta into thin flexible strands. But all is not well. “Teen purush er shitol patir bebosha akhon r bhala chole na go didi (Our three-generation business is not doing well),” he says. “A shitol pati that sold for around Rs 5,000 about five years ago now barely fetches Rs 3,000,” says Dey. “With most young people not finding the job viable due to low remuneration, only senior citizens and a few women in the village continue with this profession,” he adds.
Take the case of Gopal Dey, 58, and his wife Lokkhi Rani Dey, 53. The couple weaves around 10 shitol patis a month and earns Rs 2,500-Rs 3,000. However, their sons— Nandalal Dey, 33, and Nalin Chandra Dey, 30, have left the village to work in Dimapur…
This article was originally published in the August 16-31, 2026 print edition of Down To Earth
