Moonj Basketry - Allahabad
The Moonj basketry-making process is time consuming and basically done by the women at their free time. The traditional coiling technique is used to create the traditional and contemporary products. The process starts by drying the grass. Both the Moonj and Kaasa grass are dried under the sun for 2 days. Dried Moonj grass is made into small knots which are called 'Balla' locally. This Balla is soaked in cold water for some time before coiling to ensure flexibility. The grass Kaasa is used as inside stuffing, wherein Moonj is used to wrap around Kaasa grass to make coil. The formed coil is winded in a series to make the base of basket. Once the base is formed, the walls of the basket are made using the same technique. These coils are stitched together to make the basket strong. The motif patterns are created by using colored grass. The handles of the basket are made and attached by stitching with the grass.
