Description

Sholapith artwork, another long-established handicraft of West Bengal and is intrinsically associated with the Bengali culture, festivals and religious celebrations of the province. Sholapith art consist of crafting spongy, delicate and sophisticated objects of decoration that are made of Shola stem. Sholapith is plant matter which is milky-white in colour and is soft and spongy in nature. It is also called the Indian cork and is considered as the Herbal Ivory due to its white colour. The biological name of Shola is Aeschynomene aspera, a plant that belongs to the bean family that is non-woody in nature. Shola plants thrive in wet and marshy areas. The districts where Sholapith is found in West Bengal are Hoogly, Birbhum, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia and Bardhaman while in Odisha they grow in Puri which is located in the eastern part of the province. The province of Assam and the Deccan also has some areas where this plant grows. In the south, the province of Karnataka and in the west the province of Maharashtra also crafts Sholapith products. Each of the production centres have their speciality and signature designs that they’re known for.
Sholapith resembles the thermocol, however unlike thermocol which is artificially produced from polystyrene, Sholapith is a 100% natural product. In addition, comparing Sholapith with thermocol would be an injustice as the former is plant based and surpassed the latter in terms of texture, lustre, sponginess and pliancy. Sholapith craft being 100% handcrafted, it takes several months for our artisans to finalize a particular creation as it requires a lot of patience and devotion on their part to curve out the details on them. Sholapith works are extremely delicate and the artisan needs to be extra cautious to work with them.
As stated earlier, the stem of the Shola plant is the primary material for making Sholapith handicrafts. The process of obtaining Sholapith is to first collect the stems and then submerge them in the water and then let them dry out completely. Afterwards the bark which is dark brown in colour is peeled off from the stem to take out the core. The core is then cut into strips called Shola Chorki. These strips are soft, supple and as light as papers that are joined together which help artisans to give the required shape and design to their handicrafts. Due to their flexible nature, Sholapith is a favoured material for the artists as it is extremely light in weight and allows them to experiment and devise different designs. Two methods that are popular among the artists for making Sholapith handicrafts are the painting method and the engraving method.Engraving method is very tedious and the artisans have to be very attentive while working on the Sholapith. Through their skill and talent our artisans express their originality and uniqueness of their creations. The aspect that Sholapith handicraft items might experience slight contraction and expansion with humidity and temperature variations needs special mention.
The Sholapith craft is a hereditary art and is passed on from one generation to the next; the bidding artists receive training from the elder artisans; the knowledge is passed on orally, sometimes with the help of songs; this practice makes the entire learning process more mirthful and instils a sense of solidarity among the artists.
In India, Sholapith as a raw material has always enjoyed a position of auspiciousness and reverence due to their extensive usage in making idols and for rituals and religious festivals. The white colour of Sholapith) is associated with purity, prosperity, peace and divineness in the Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and since it’s an entirely plant based product, it’s usage on sacred occasions is allowable. Sholapith is used widely during Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Jagadhatri Puja and many other festivals and its usage in decorating the idols is immeasurable. Moreover the usage is not confined to the idols but also to make embellishments like garlands and other ornaments for the deities. Even during any auspicious celebrations like weddings or annaprasana (an occasion to feed a child with solid food for the first time). Sholapith headgear is worn by the dancers of the Odishi style; in the province of Odisha too Sholapith is immensely popular as it’s widely used for decorating the Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra in Puri and also to make other handicraft articles like boats during the celebrated festival of Ratha Yatra.
Our artists are extremely versatile and craft various items out of Sholapith like dolls, toys, puppets, figures of eminent personalities, figures of Hindu deities, different varieties of flowers, models of Hindu temples and artistic wall-hangings and varied items of home décor like appealing models of boats called Bajra and Mayurpankhi, palanquin models, varieties of crowns, garlands, exquisitely crafted fans and many more.
A totally bio-degradable product, Sholapith is eco-friendly and causes no pollution or harm to the environment or humans in any way.
At the government level various initiatives are being taken by the provincial and the central governments for improving and uplifting the working and financial conditions of the Sholapith artists. The government agencies are doing the necessary in patronizing and encouraging this aesthetically appealing handicraft through trade fairs, exhibitions and organizing training facilities for artists. More stress is being laid on the betterment of the financial and working conditions of the artists so that they feel better equipped to take this exceptional Sholapith art forward.
Give your undivided attention to our Sholapith products that are crafted with commitment and adoration by our accomplished artists and bring them to your home to embrace their uniqueness and sublimity. Gift them to your loved ones and enjoy their sparkle in their eyes.