TranslateBamboo and cane weaving is practised across the hill and forest districts of Tamil Nadu, particularly in the Nilgiris, Dharmapuri, Salem and the Western Ghats belt. Baskets, winnowing trays, storage containers, lampshades and furniture are made by hand from split bamboo and rattan cane, mostly by tribal and rural artisan communities.
Origin district
The Nilgiris, Dharmapuri, Salem, Erode and the Ghats districts
Materials
Bamboo culms, rattan cane, natural dyes
Typical uses
Baskets, trays, furniture, lampshades, storage, farm implements
Where to buy
Nilgiris hill markets, tribal cooperatives, Poompuhar emporiums
Bamboo culms are cut, seasoned and split lengthwise into strips of even width, then shaved to the required thickness. The strips are woven in over-and-under or hexagonal patterns, with the rim finished by binding with cane. Furniture uses whole bamboo poles for the frame with cane wrapping at the joints.
Treatment against borer insects, usually by soaking or smoking, is an important step for pieces intended to last.
Several tribal communities of the Nilgiris and the Western Ghats, including groups in the Kotagiri, Gudalur and Sathyamangalam areas, have long traditions of bamboo work using material collected under forest rights. Cooperatives and NGOs now help market the products, and bamboo craft has expanded into contemporary lighting and homeware.
Markets in Ooty, Coonoor, Kotagiri and Gudalur sell bamboo and cane goods, often through tribal cooperative outlets. Poompuhar emporiums stock a curated range, and craft units around Hosur and Dharmapuri produce furniture. Weekly shandy markets in hill towns are a good place to buy directly from makers.
