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Design Resource
Banana Fiber Mat
The Craft of Making Mats
by
J. Antony William, Tushar Barman and Srikanth Bellomkonda
Introduction
Banana plant provides textile fiber - The Banana Fiber. These fibers are obtained after the fruit is harvested by experienced women artisans. These fibers possess many characteristics which make their use advantageous, they are - abundance in nature, low cost, low density, biological degradability, renewability, good mechanical properties and non-toxic. Banana fiber is a great substitute for synthetic fibers, plastic and paper.
Place and People:
Lakkavanahalli is located in Hiriyur taluk of Karnataka state. Around 25 to 30 families engaged in banana fiber mat making. Around twenty amilies work regularly while some families work seasonally. Some women work on the handloom and others make hand woven products. All the artisans in the village have formed a Self Help Group (SHG) to help each other and work in a systematic fashion. Artisans of Lakkavanahalli even use Kora grass; Lavancha Hibiscus, Bamboo and wool along with banana fiber to create innovative contemporary products which are useful in daily life. IDF – Initiative for Development Foundation gives training to the weavers in order to bring out their innovative ideas to create new designs.
