Subclusters of
AGARTALA
RESOURCES
Craft
West Tripura
district:
Traditional bamboo Bamboo
products
West and North
Tripura districts
Agartala
Bamboo crafts
Bamboo
West and North
Tripura districts
Bamboo furniture
Bamboo
Katlamara
(Bambusa affinis)
Pressed clay work
Clay
Raw Materials
Nalchar
Churilam
Melaghar
Katlamara
Crafts of
AGARTALA
Traditional bamboo
products
Bamboo crafts
Bamboo furniture of
Katlamara
Pressed clay work of
Melaghar
Bamboo fences
Tripuri textiles
Sources
Melaghar
The Ujjayanta Palace and the Neermahal, water palace,
reminders of the Manikya dynasty credited with encouraging
art, craft and learning in Tripura are in Agartala, the capital of
Tripura. Since the northeast of India is amongst the wettest
regions in the world, receiving seasonal rain twice a year, the
environment at Agartala is lush green with bamboo, a giant
grass which grows rapidly during the monsoons. Agartala,
Nalchar and Churilam are bambo and cane clusters that
support and sustain thousands of craftspersons who depend on
basket making for their livelihood. The government has also
set up several training and marketing organizations and
common facility centres, providing infrastructure and
equipment for modernizing craft production for interiors and
export.The craftspersons, many of whom are women, practice
basketry and loom based splits that are made into hand fans or
sold to upmarket outlets as window blinds. Entrepreneurs in
Katlamara village have been cultivating a special species of
bamboo for fishing. Bamboo is extensively used by both the
plains and tribal communities in Tripura. A bamboo flute
called suma baanshi acompanies Tripuri folk songs.
Handloom weaving is widely practiced and fabrics are woven
for personal consumption on loin looms and pit looms. Private
entrepreneurs and government funded organizations emply
weavers who produce handwoven saris, yardage fabrics,
bamboo blinds and table mats commercially.
ACCESS
1. Bambusa affinis,
a species of
bamboo
specially
cultivated in
Katlamara,
which is used in
sports such as
pole vaulting.
2. Craftsperson
carving bamboo
root. The outer
layer of the culm
is removed. The
inner portion of
the bamboo root
is softer than
wood for
carving. There
has been a spurt
in sculpting
narratives in
relief.
3. Craftsmen in
Nalchar making
bamboo splits
from a culm.
Nalchar has a
large population
of skilled
bamboo
craftspersons.
4. Bamboo fencing
around a private
residence in
Motorable roads connect Agartala with Silchar - 288 km,
Guwahati - 599 km, Shillong - 499 km, Dharmanagar - 200
km. Agartala is linked by air to Kolkata and Guwahati.
Agartala.