For women in Adichilithotti, a tribal settlement in Athirappilly, weaving a single Kannadippaya can take 40 to 50 days. The traditional mirror mat is made by splitting bamboo into fine slivers and weaving them into intricate patterns that reflect sunlight, creating a mirror-like sheen. There is no glass involved. The shine comes from the bamboo itself and the skill and patience of the weaver.“My mother and grandmothers have been practising this since my childhood. We prepare the knives and cut the bamboo first, and a mat takes more than a month to make. Often our hands get cut and bleed. It is laborious work,” said Revathy, at an exhibition in Kochi as part of Climate Week celebrations earlier this month.Kannadippaya is made by several indigenous communities across Idukki, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Palakkad, particularly the Muthuvan and Oorali communities. Traditionally woven from Njoonjiletta (Teinostachyum wightii), a bamboo species endemic to the Western Ghats, the mat derives its name from its reflective appearance. Among the communities, a mat is considered complete only when it acquires the characteristic sheen. But the craft involves more than technical skill. It is also governed by traditions passed down through generations.“The process is sacred and undertaken with utmost purity and devotion. There is an unwritten rule that a mat begun by one person cannot be completed by another. Weaving is like meditation, often done by lamplight at night,” said Kannappan P R, an Oorali community member and secretary of the Venmani-based Unarvu Pattikavarga Vividodesha Sahakarana Sangam.The mats come in several traditional designs, including Cherukannadi, Valiyakannadi, Aanachuvadan and Ozhukkan. Cherukannadi, known for its striking appearance, is particularly popular.This centuries-old craft received formal recognition last year when Kannadippaya secured a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, becoming Kerala’s first tribal handicraft to receive the distinction. The effort began in 2019, with Syam Viswanath, former director of Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), who has studied bamboo for over two decades, playing a key role in securing the recognition.Viswanath said the process took four to five years. The GI tag has since improved remuneration for artisans and encouraged the development of products such as bags, purses and notepads.Yet, even as the craft gains recognition and finds new markets, the bamboo essential to its production is becoming increasingly scarce. “The slivers they use are not the first but could be the third and fourth, and this leads to so much wastage during production,” Viswanath said.Populations of Njoonjiletta have declined in parts of Idukki, prompting KFRI to collect seedlings from areas including Nelliyampathy and undertake restoration efforts.Kannappan said the bamboo requires moist soil and often grows with the support of large trees. It can reach 80 feet, while the unusually long gaps between its nodes, sometimes extending to six feet, make it particularly suitable for producing weaving slivers. “This bamboo is becoming increasingly rare in forests. It does not grow easily in grasslands and needs moisture and the support of large trees,” he said.The shortage has placed severe limits on production, even as demand grows. Kannappan recalled an inquiry from an overseas buyer who wanted 2,000 mats and was willing to pay a high price.“Forget 2,000, we cannot even produce 20,” he said. “With KFRI’s support, seedlings have been planted in several locations. Hopefully, they will grow and address the shortage.”For artisans, however, sustaining the craft also depends on whether weaving can provide a reliable livelihood.Manju Vasudevan, an ecologist who has supported the marketing of Muthuvan handicrafts through the social enterprise Forest Post since 2016, said better remuneration has encouraged more women to take up weaving. Initially, only five elderly women among 84 households practised the craft. The number has since increased to 15.“Kannadippaya has received a GI tag, but we have a greater responsibility to find markets. Otherwise, what purpose does the document serve?” she asked.Meanwhile, the shortage of Teinostachyum wightii in the Sholayar and Edamalayar forests has forced Muthuvan women to use the more readily available Ochlandra travancorica. However, artisans say alternative bamboo varieties do not always produce the characteristic shine.The challenge is not merely to sustain production but also to preserve a craft deeply rooted in the communities’ cultural memory. Kannappan recalled an oral tradition linking the mats to the Cheraman kings. According to community accounts, tribal people once presented honey, frankincense and Kannadippaya to the rulers during visits from their forest settlements.But passing on these traditions is becoming increasingly difficult. Despite growing recognition and better earnings, younger generations remain reluctant to learn the painstaking craft. “Young people are reluctant to take up weaving despite our encouragement,” Revathy said. For generations, the mats have also carried spiritual significance, with some community members attributing medicinal properties to them. “Our forefathers believed that sleeping on these mats could prevent diseases and improve health,” Kannappan said.
Disclaimer: Views expressed above are the author’s own.