BHUBANESWAR: For a true artisan, the significance of art transcends technical virtuosity. It involves a profound understanding of tools used for their work. Odisha, a place which is known for producing excellent artworks, also creates a unique variety of art called Kaincha work. Kaincha (Vetiver zizanoides), commonly known as golden grass, is native to the Indian subcontinent.
Kaincha is grown in places like Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Jajpur. It also springs up near marshy areas following the onset of monsoon. Orissa Post interacted with some reputed Kaincha artist to delve deeper into its popularity and global appeal.
Alka Bal, winner of 2005 Kamala Devi award for excellence in Golden grass craft, was conferred with the award by Delhi Craft Council. Rita Parida, an artist working in collaboration with NGO Unayan, said that Bal is an inspitation for artists like her. “The first stage of this craft is collection of the aforementioned grass. This is followed by splitting of the collected grass into two even strands. These strands are then left in the open to dry. Women use their teeth to split each stem along its length. Once split, the grass is dried for at least five days in the sun. It is then packed inside polypacks, which saves the grass from decay.
Sarojini Das, a Kaincha artiste said, “We collect the grass in June, July, August and September. It’s a naturally occurring substance. After the process of drying, it changes its colour from pale green to a mild yellow and finally dons a tinge of golden yellow. Its name is derived from the final colour that it appears in.”
Rashmi Mohanty, secretary of Unayan NGO and a pioneer in changing the lives of women artsians, said, “Weaving of golden grass retains its roots as a home based industry. Initially, very few women were indulged in this. However, the super cyclone of 1999 changed everything. We had to do something to improve the financial condition of these women. Our NGO helped them learn this skill. Today there are around 1000 skilled workers practising Kaincha work”.
Pratima Mohanty, another Kaincha artiste, said, “The production process of this unique craft requires simple, low-cost tools. Even the most intricate weaves require little more than a needle with a wooden handle and a blade.”
A Kaincha artist Menaka Barik said, “The Development Commisioner handicraft and Unayana has trained us for 5 years. After the skill training program, the artistes have started selling of these products in bigger metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, and Hyderabad. The sales have also been successful in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Puri and Paradip. Golden grass is the stem of a read that groves in swamps and marshes and then seasoned under the sun. The stems are woven into beautiful box boxes, baskets and mats among others.
Often coming in combinations of other material & vegetable dyes, Kaincha products can be used in a number of endeavours. Jajang and Barua of Kendrapara, Gadamadhupur of Jajpur, Japanga of Sundergarh and Gop in Puri district are famous for golden grass craft. Artisans earn in the range of Rs 500 to 2000 in this business. This art has become so popular that it is being exported to countries like America, Japan and Germany.
Chaitali Shome,OP