Moonj Basket Weaving

Photography by Pranidhi Gupta

Situated at the “Sangam”(meeting point) of the Ganga and Yamuna river, the city of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, is known for its handwoven Moonj grass products. The Sarpat grass, locally known as “Balla”, is a widely available weed that naturally grows in the areas along riverbanks of North India.
The ‘Moonj’ grass is harvested during a period of a couple of weeks, in the onset of the winter season. The hard inner stalk becomes the source material for weaving baskets and several other items. Once the inner stalk is split and extracted by hand, it is then dried out in the sun for several days, giving it the signature beige shade and a smooth sheen. It is also easily dyeable in any color.

The collected material is then used throughout the year for making ropes, baskets, jewelry, furniture, brooms, thatched roofs, decor, artefacts and several other items. While weaving, “Kaasa” is another grass that is generally combined and used as a filler grass inside the woven patterns of Moonj grass. Kaasa also wildly grows in the region, which is collected and distributed by several women for whom it is the main source of income.

Moonj as a craft evolved and became popular in the region about 100 years ago. Just about 60 years back, women from all kinds of social backgrounds used to weave Moonj baskets themselves, and used them in their own kitchen and household. Moonj baskets also became a staple in the “Dauri” or the bridal trousseau, where women of the house used to design and weave baskets and boxes to store gifts of all kinds for the bride-to-be.
A predominantly women-led craft, the practice of Moonj weaving is more than just a traditional token. Today it is the source of livelihood for hundreds of women who practice this craft from their homes, between daily household work. The tradition is not just kept alive by patrons all over the world, but also by the ordinary women who are doing the extraordinary by continuing to pursue the craft and pass it down to future generations, despite the ups and downs.