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INTR "Things came before people. People came before words. Tall, green and nameless, Bamboo walked down centuries And crossed continents In time to stand there waiting Naked of language, When the first people came To make the first village"
The bamboo craft in Tripura (originally called Tui-para), can broadly be classified into constructed,
loom-based, interlaced, and fine handicraft products. The loom-based products are a combination of textiles and bamboo. The study and documentation of the looms, materials and processes undertaken by the National Institute of Design is part of a larger project, in keeping with the greater view of developing handicrafts in a sustainable manner.
Farrelly, David; The Book of Bamboo.
"The music of people is made on flutes and drums. The music of earth sings through a thousand holes ... " Bamboo has been said to be indirectly responsible for man's own evolution. From centuries it has been one of the materials to stand by the natives all their lives. It is the most commonly used element without which life cannot be imagined. It's property of being able to use every part of the plant; its ability to grow fastest is one of the reasons why it is so invincible to humankind in certain parts of the world . The North Eastern part of India is one such region where bamboo is a part of everyday life. In Tripura, a day starts and ends with bamboo. Besides the original tribal inhabitants of t he state, the bamboo craft is also practised by the migrant!!. In fact it is seen that it has been popularised by t he migrants outside the state to take a stand in the intern ational market.
The purpose of this study is to document the existing looms related to bamboo mat weaving, raw materials and processes in Agartala, Tripura. So much a part of life, bamboo has created industries in every household where everyone from a child to an old grandparent is adept in this art. This craft has been in existence for ages but now these Government and Internationally funded projects are an effort to rekindle the spark of innovation and deep understanding of form and structure exhibited in the traditional bamboo and cane crafts of the North East India.
There have been many projects undertaken by the Central and State Government to encourage craftsmen finan cia lly and morally and to promote this age-old craft . Th e office of the Development Comm issioner (Handicrafts) has been undertaking a Bamboo and Cane Development Project for North East India .
Nati ona l Institute of Design,
~lmQdabad,
2001 _ _ _ _~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _
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