Uttarakhand’s Ringal Craft Bamboo Basketry

Introduction

Uttarakhand’s Ringal Craft Bamboo basketry is one of the oldest crafts practiced all over India according to availability but varies in shapes and forms. The weaving pattern differs from place to place and as per the quality of bamboo and skillfulness of the artisan. Ringal or Dwarf bamboo is very flexible in nature, available in local forests of Uttarakhand. In 2021 Uttarakhand’s Ringal Craft got GI Tag. Bamboo craft is practiced in many places of Uttarakhand due to the abundant availability of rich quality and variety of species of bamboo in the local forest.  Among the species of bamboo Ringal is one of the bamboo species.

Bamboo is a tall perennial grass found in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. The bamboo stems which are called as culms are cylindrical, woody and jointed. Majorities of the species have hollow stems, but a few of them are solid. These are called as male bamboos. Stems may be large and hollow when grown in moist, fertile climates and small and solid in dry, sandy soils. They have the ability to stand dry as well as in cold climates. Some grow even at an altitude as high as 3000 meters.

Local bamboo artisans make varieties of household bamboo products with tender bamboo splits. These products are very strong and suitable for multipurpose uses. Containers, storage, mats, baskets, and winnows (sieve used when the crop is harvested to clear impurities in grains) are made to cater to local needs.

Tender bamboo is cut and the splits are used to weave the baskets of different shapes and sizes. The artisan meticulously creates different patterns and forms of bamboo products by changing the weaving patterns. The style of weaving also helps for durability and gives strength and stiffness to the product.

Uttarakhand has bamboo cottage industries based in Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Almora and Nainital and in other rural pockets where clusters of bamboo grow.

Tools and Raw Material

There are two types of Bamboo in the world with around 1500 species.
Two categories are

1. Sympodial Bamboo
2. Monopodial Bamboo

Patterns of clumps can also vary in the case of sympodial bamboo where bamboo culms within a clump can be closely spaced (Bambusa Bamboo) or loosely spread out (Bambusa Valgaris).

Colder climate countries (China & Japan) host Monopodial bamboo also known as Runner bamboo as it sends long underground Rhizomes, individual shoots come out of these underground Rhizomes. There are two types of Rhizomes i.e., Pachymorph and Leptomorph.

Sympodial bamboo grows faster, produce a higher yield and can become fully rejuvenated within a few years of harvesting. Sympodial bamboo grows in clumps, out layers of the clumps contain yamper bamboo, and inner layers contain mature bamboo.

Monopodial bamboos can be easily segregated by maturity period, Harvesting is much simpler, and vice versa in the case of Sympodial bamboo. In India, Sympodial bamboo constitutes 67% of the total graving stock, and monopodial bamboo constitutes the remaining 33%.
 

Meleona Barcifera, is a non-clump forming Sympodial bamboo, with a long spread out neck leading to spread out culms. Accounts for 20% of bamboo growing stock in the country. 

In Uttarakhand, bamboo mats and baskets are a significant part of the craft tradition of every agrarian culture. Ringal (a dwarf bamboo) and natural fiber, medicinal & aromatic plants are among the potential resources available in different villages and adjoining forests in the state of Uttarakhand. The practice of this craft is more of a tradition as well as a means of earning a livelihood.

List of Tools and Raw Materials:
• Ringal Bamboo: Raw Material used to weave the basket
• Khurpi: Knife to cut into strips and peel the outer layer
• Cutter: Used to cut the bamboo into required sizes

Process of Making Ringal Craft

Ringal Basket Making

Ringal is a small bamboo found in the hills of Uttaranchal. Ringal varies in length according to the altitude at which it grows. 

The farmers fetch the Ringal bamboo from the forest from October to November and weave the baskets in the winter when there is not much work in the fields. The whole bamboo is split into small strips as per the product to be made. The excess fibre of bamboo splits is removed before weaving the basket. The artisan makes sure to split the bamboo in different widths for warp and weft.

The thick wide strips are first placed to make the base. Thin strips are weaved by overlapping the base strips. Once the base is formed, the side walls are increased by adding additional bamboo strips. Once the weave is attained the required height, the rim is sandwiched with two thick bamboo splits to interlock the border. Artisan scholarly weaves the basket to obtain dark and lighter contrast on the outer surface of the product by selecting and inserting darker and lighter shades of bamboo splits.

The finished baskets are mainly used for storing grains and supplements and carrying purposes. Some baskets are ornamented with plain weaves. Ringal Bamboo products are tough and durable. They are made with attractive Lattice designs. Other utilities and decorative items include fruit and vegetable baskets, pens, stands, flower vases, vessels and tea trays. 

Ringal Winnow Making

Ringal bamboo varies in length according to the altitude at which it grows. The bamboo is selected as per the product to be made. Wide and thin strips of bamboo are cut for winnow making. There are different styles of winnows that are obtained by changing weaving patterns.                                                                                                       

The common household kitchen product ‘Sieve’ or ‘winnow’, is mainly used for agricultural and kitchen purposes. A lengthy bamboo pole is split into wide thin splits. Slightly tender bamboo splits are directly used for winnow weaving. In case the bamboo splits are dried, they are soaked in water before weaving to retain moisture.

Winnow weaving process is done by arranging the bamboo strips in a criss-cross manner with the help of a small bamboo stick. Once the weaving is completed, the extra edges are cut and removed. A small tender stick is tied on the edge of the winnow to give reinforcement.

Other Ringal Products

Uttarakhand state is a remote area in terms of lifestyle and is also rich in botanical resources like Ringal bamboo resource. In the district, Rudraprayag (Garhwal) Ringal bamboo is part of life of the local tribal population. Products of Ringal bamboo are particularly tough and durable.

Natural eco-friendly products are best replaceable of plastic containers. Nowadays, the usage of bamboo products is growing due to its good decomposable characteristics and also due to the craze toward modern lifestyle products that are introduced in the current market. Products like fruit and vegetable baskets, pen stands, flower vases, vessels and tea trays are beautifully weaved in attractive design patterns like plain weave, basket weave and twill weaves.

List of Traditional products:
Tokri – Grain measures
Doka – Large Baskets
Dalia – Shallow Baskets
Puthuka – Grain Baskets
Dvak – Double-walled Baskets
Suppa – Winnows
Jhoola – Cradles