Trevor51P0492 at 11:31, 31 December 2025

2025-12-31T11:31:05Z

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{{short description|Reed-woven mats made in Bengal, India}}

{{Infobox geographical indication
| name = Madurkathi
| image = Madur Logo Registered for GI.png
| alt =
| caption =
| alternative names = মাদুরকাঠি
| description = Handicrafts
| type = Handicrafts
| area = [[West Bengal]]
| country = [[India]]
| registered = 28 March 2018
| material =
| official website = {{URL|http://ipindiaservices.gov.in/GirPublic/Application/Details/567|ipindiaservices.gov.in}}}}
'''Madurkathi''' mats, or ''madur'', are mats woven in [[West Bengal]] from a reed called ''madur kottir'', or ''madurkathi'', a sedge of the family [[Cyperaceae]]. ''Madur'' mat-making is a long-standing tradition, centred on the Medinipur district, and is an important part of the [[rural economics|rural economy]]. The mats are woven mainly by weavers of the [[Mahishya]] caste, and predominantly by women. This cottage industry contributes significantly to village household income.<ref name="Jana & Puste">{{Cite journal|last1=Jana|first1=Kalyan|last2=Puste|first2=Am|date=April 2014|title=Madur Kathi – An Important Economic Non-food Crop of West Bengal|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279485980 |journal=Asian Agri-History |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=145–151}}</ref><ref name="Biswa Bangla">{{Cite web|url=http://www.biswabangla.in/handicraft-natural-fiber/2016/6/4/madurkathi|title=Madurkathi|website=Biswa Bangla|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-11|archive-date=2018-12-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214080450/http://www.biswabangla.in/handicraft-natural-fiber/2016/6/4/madurkathi|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In [[Bengal]], the word ''madur'' is used as a generic term for floor mats, although it designates mats woven from a specific type of reed.<ref name="Naturally Bengal">{{cite web |url=http://www.naturallybengal.com/?craft=madur |title= Madur, Bengal's Best Traditional Mats |last= Naturally Bengal |website=www.naturallybengal.com |publisher=Naturally Bengal, India |access-date=26 May 2019}}</ref> Mats are an integral part of the social fabric of rural Bengal, and Madurkathi mats are popularly used to sit on and as bedding. The mats are non-conductive and sweat-absorbing, making them an essential household item in West Bengal's hot and humid climate. These mats are also used for religious purposes.<ref name="Jana & Puste"/>

On March 28, 2018, [[Indian Patent Office]] granted the [[Government of West Bengal]] a [[Geographical indication|Geographical Indication]] (GI) Tag for madurkathi, under registration no. 567 in respect of handicrafts. The application for registration of madurkathi was filed by the Government's West Bengal Khadi & Village Industry Board.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=1072815d-a549-4493-8c39-f1513d5cbe13|title=India: Madurkathi of West Bengal Gets a Geographical Indication (GI) Tag {{!}} Lexology|website=www.lexology.com|date=24 April 2018 |language=en|access-date=2018-12-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/bengals-chau-mask-acquires-gi-fame/article24028259.ece|title=Bengal's Chau mask acquires GI fame|last=Singh|first=Shiv Sahay|date=2018-05-30|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-12-11|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== History ==
Mat-weaving in India dates back to the [[Indus Valley Civilisation]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wbkvib.org.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=470:madur-kathi&catid=56:projects&Itemid=37|title=MADUR KATHI : MAT WEAVING, DATES BACK TO THE INDUS VALLEY|website=www.wbkvib.org.in|access-date=2018-12-11}}</ref> Its socio-cultural relevance is evidenced by references in ancient literature, including the [[Atharvaveda|Atharva Veda]], the ''[[Shatapatha Brahmana]]'', and the ''[[Mahabharata]]''.<ref name="Jana & Puste"/> Its historical significance is also reflected in Indian folklore, in which the saints were offered grass mats to sit on.

Records from the [[Middle Ages|Medieval Period]] provide the first information about mat-weaving in the region of Bengal, with both ordinary and fine quality mats being produced.

The finest quality of mat, the ''masland'', derives its name from the [[Persian language|Persian]] word ''masnad'', which means throne.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The arts of Bengal and Eastern India|publisher=Craft council of lndia|year=1982}}</ref> ''Masland'' mats originated in the Muslim period, when the finest mats were produced in Medinipur with a silk weft, under the patronage of the royal community of that time.<ref name="Jana & Puste"/> The Medinipur district village of Maslandpur, located close to Tamluk subdivision, probably takes its name from the ''masland'' mat.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Art-Manufactures of lndia|last=Mukherji|first=T.N.|publisher=NAYARANG|year=1888|location=New Delhi|pages=310}}</ref>

Mats were collected as revenue under the ''[[Jagir|jaigirdari]]'' system. In 1744, [[Alivardi Khan|Nawab Alibardi Khan]] issued a charter to the ''jaigirdars'' in this regard. As a result, it was obligatory to supply ''masland'' mats for use in the collectorate. Permanent markets for mats were established in [[Midnapore|Medinipur]].<ref name="Jana & Puste"/> [[Kasijora]] and [[Narajole|Narajol]] were the two most important centers of fine ''masland'' mat-weaving during this period.<ref name="Jana & Puste"/><ref>{{Cite book|title=A Statistical account of Bengal-Medinipur|last=W.W. Hunter|year=1876|pages=142}}</ref> Ordinary mats were also produced.

Government officials in the British period observed that a large number of ''masland'' mats were manufactured in Medinipur. According to a census report of 1872, there were 618 skilled workers engaged in mat-making in the district of Medinipur, where mats were one of the principle articles of trade.<ref>{{Cite book|title=A Statistical account of Bengal-Medinipur|last=W.W. Hunter|year=1876|pages=143}}</ref> 448,300 mats were reportedly manufactured in 1907-1908.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Bengal District Gazetteer-Medinipur|last=O'Malley L.S.S.|publisher=Govt. of West Bengal|year=1995|pages=152}}</ref> Records of the British Raj show that, at the beginning of the 20th century, the price of ''masland'' mats was 100 [[Indian rupee]]s (INR) or more.<ref name="Jana & Puste"/><ref>{{Cite book|title=Bengal District Gazetteer-Medinipur|last=O'Malley|publisher=Govt. of West Bengal|year=1995|location=Calcutta}}</ref> The finest quality mats at that time were made at Raghunathbari, Kasijora, and Narajol in Medinipur.

== Types ==
The weavers, mainly [[Mahishya]]s, make three types of mat:<ref name="Jana & Puste"/>
* ''ekh-rokha'', or single mat
* ''do-rokha'', or double mat
* ''masland''
Ekh-rokha is a light, thin madur mat. ''Do-rokha'' is a heavier and thicker mat, superior to ''ak rokha'' in terms of comfort and convenience. The third type, ''masland'', is a textured mat featuring decorative patterning, and is the finest and most expensive of the three.<ref name="Jana & Puste"/>

Madurkathi have also been used to make a variety of decorative and functional items, including door curtains, sleeping mats, [[tiffin]]-carriers, and handbags.<ref name="Jana & Puste"/><ref name="Biswa Bangla"/><ref name="Naturally Bengal"/>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ style="text-align: left;" | Typical mat specifications
|-
! scope="col" | Size !! scope="col" | Large !! scope="col" | Medium !! scope="col" | Small
|-
|- style="text-align: center;"
! scope="row" | Height
| {{convert|45x50|in|cm|abbr=on}} || {{convert|18x12|in|cm|abbr=on}} || {{convert|5x6|in|cm|abbr=on}}
|-
|- style="text-align: center;"
! scope="row" | Weight
| 5 kg || 2 kg || 1 kg
|}

Mats may be made in a variety of patterns. The designs are self-colored, using variation in the natural reed, and can also incorporate dyed reed patterning in black and magenta.<ref name="Jana & Puste"/>
[[File:Cyperus alternifolius 2.jpg|thumb|Madurkathi]]

== {{anchor|Cultivation of Madur Kathi}}Madurkathi cultivation ==
The raw material used to make ''madur'' mats is a [[Cyperaceae|sedge]] of the genus ''[[Cyperus]]'': ''Cyperus pangorei'' (formerly ''Cyperus tegetum'').<ref name="Properties of mat sedge">{{cite journal |last1=Benazir |first1=J. Fathima |last2=Manimekalai |first2=Venugopal |last3=Ravichandran |first3=Perumal |last4=Ramasamy |first4=Suganthi |date=May 2010 |title=Properties of fibres/culm strands from mat sedge—Cyperus pangorei Rottb |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233540420 |journal=Bioresources |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=951–967 |access-date=27 May 2019 }}</ref> Known locally as madurkathi, it grows on marshy land, thriving in southern and eastern India including in the area of Medinipur.<ref name="Jana & Puste"/>

The frequent flooding around Medinipur makes many areas unsuitable for crop cultivation. Grass, sedges and reeds provide a viable alternative for the region's farmers. As a result, cultivation of madurkathi grass and the weaving of Madur mats has become an important part of the local household economy.{{cn|date=July 2019}}

== {{anchor|Details Mat weaving}}Mat production ==

=== Weaving ===
{{multiple image
| align = right
| total_width = 320

| image1 = Babool (Acacia nilotica) trunk at Hodal W IMG 1252.jpg
| alt1 =
| caption1 = [[Vachellia nilotica|Babla tree]] bark

| image2 = Harra (Terminalia chebula) hanging fruit at 23 Mile, Duars, WB W IMG 5902.jpg
| alt2 =
| caption2 = [[Terminalia chebula|Haritaki fruit]]

| footer = Babla fruit and bark and haritaki fruit produce black dye
}}
The ''ekh-rokha madur'' is the simplest of the three types of mat (''ekh-rokha'', ''do-rokha'', and ''masland''). It is produced on a simple bamboo-frame loom, using cotton thread as the warp and single reeds as the weft. The ''du-rokha'' is more complex, with a double-reed weft, and requires greater skill to produce. ''Masland'' mats are the finest products, requiring the greatest accuracy and experience to weave.<ref name="Jana & Puste"/>

''Masland'' mats are made with superior quality madurkathi. At least two people are required to weave these mats. One person places the reeds from left to right, alternately laying one thread on top and the next underneath. The second person repeats this from right to left. When they reach the edge, the threads are turned and the process is continued. The ''masland'' mat weaving process is very similar to the technique used to weave [[sari]]s.<ref name="Naturally Bengal"/>

Popular ''masland'' mat designs include flowers, [[honeycomb]] patterns (''mouchak''), rhomboidal motifs (''barfi''), and ''jharna''.<ref name="Naturally Bengal"/>

=== Colouring ===
{{multiple image
| align = right
| total_width = 320

| image1 = Urucum (bixa orellana) seeds.jpg
| alt1 =
| caption1 = Seeds for red pigment

| image2 = Bixa orellana with fruits in Hyderabad, AP W IMG 1456.jpg
| alt2 =
| caption2 = Rang gach (annatto) tree

| footer = Reddish dye is made from the ''rang gach'' (''Bixa orellana'')
}}
The natural colouring of the reeds is used to weave geometric designs, creating a subtle pattern in the finished mat. Madurs are traditionally made using vegetable dyes only. Naturally sourced maroon or black vegetable dyes may be used for further decoration on mat borders.

Black dye is produced using haritaki fruit (''[[Terminalia chebula]]''), and the fruit and bark of the babla tree (''[[Vachellia nilotica]]'').<ref name="Naturally Bengal"/>

Reddish dye is made from the seeds of the Achiote, or annatto tree (''[[Bixa orellana]]''), native to Latin America but introduced to India by trade in the 16th and 17th centuries and cultivated mainly as a source of dye.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/9242#C19AC032-9D96-488E-BE68-7972662568B4|title=Invasive Species Compendium Datasheet Bixa Orellana (annatto) |publisher=CAB International |date=30 April 2019 |website=www.asiantextilestudies.com |access-date=31 May 2019}}</ref> In West Bengal, the tree is known as ''rang gach''.<ref name="Naturally Bengal"/>

Before dyeing, mat sticks are tightly bound with palm leaves at the places where natural colour will be retained. The bundles are placed in containers filled with dye powder and cold water, which are then boiled. Boiling time differs according to the colour: 10 hours for black, and 24 hours for the reddish dye. The dyed mat sticks are sun-dried before being used for weaving.<ref name="Naturally Bengal"/>

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Geographical indications in West Bengal}}
{{Culture of West Bengal}}

[[Category:Geographical indications in West Bengal]]

Madurkathi - Revision history

Trevor51P0492 at 11:31, 31 December 2025