Kendrapada: Once among the most widely practised crafts of coastal Kendrapada, the century-old tradition of weaving grass mat, locally known as ‘masina’, has declined by nearly 50% in just three decades, according to the artisans, who attribute low returns and “cheap” plastic mats as reasons for their decline.Around 600 artisans across Mahakalapada, Rajnagar, Rajkanika, Aul and Garadapur blocks once wove ‘masina’ after collecting ‘benua’ grass from riverside farmland once paddy harvest was over. Today, barely 300 continue the work, struggling to sustain their livelihood.
With no institutional support, artisans fear the tradition may disappear. “Without govt aid or patronage, this age-old craft will fade into oblivion,” warns Raghunath Jena, 54, of Taradipal.Basudev Rout, 62, of Ghadiamala village — busy giving finishing touches to a ‘masina’ — recalls a time when 12 people in his panchayat made the grass mats; “now only five weave”. He admits he does not want his two sons to take up the craft; both have taken up plumbing instead.A ‘masina’ sells for Rs 400-Rs 600, and takes two to three days to weave. “A mat-maker now earns only Rs 5,000- Rs 8,000 a month. Earlier, villagers used these mats as winter blankets. Farmers still use them to dry paddy. But cheap plastic mats have taken over, forcing many to abandon the craft,” says Narendra Mallick, 64, of Iswarapur.In Garadapur, Prafulla Behera, 56, explains the painstaking process: benua grass — found in shallow water along rivers and marshes — is sun-dried for a week, then woven on a simple frame using cotton warp threads. A flat wooden piece is used to pack the strands tightly.According to Kendrapada CDAO Suresh Chandra Mallick, ‘benua’ sedges are long-stemmed, flexible wetland plants ideal for durable, moisture-absorbing mats.“Young people avoid the craft because it demands hard labour with very low returns. Only elders are keeping it alive, and even that may not last. Only the most desperate youngsters take it up — and that only temporarily,” says Haripada Behera, 60, of Srirampur.
