Carpet paves the way for better livelihoods for tribal women

Berhampur: The traditional hand-woven carpet has paved the way for the economic upliftment and better livelihood of tribal communities at Sikulipadar village in Mohana block and two adjoining villages, Nilakunti and Baghamari, in Gajapati district.

About 15 tribal women have undergone training for six months on weaving carpet from Tibetan women at Chandragiri Settlement base near their villages. Tibetan women artisans had trained these tribal women on the art of weaving carpets recently.

After the skill development training, these tribal women have started to weave the carpets on their own. They are now capable of making varieties of carpets which are in demand in the market. Till now, they have earned Rs 27,000 by selling their own handmade carpets. Each carpet costs from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 and it takes around 15 days to complete a carpet.

“We never expected to earn such a huge amount by selling carpet,” said the trainees Kesomani Raito, Madhusmita Gamango and Esoswini Raito. They had been living from hand to mouth and the financial condition of their families was very poor. “We are purchasing raw materials for the carpet from Tibetans Multipurpose Cooperative Society with ease,” they said.

Thanks to the leverage by Society for Welfare of Weaker Sections (SWWS), a leading organisation of Gajapati district working at Mohana block under Odisha Primitive Empowerment & Livelihoods Project (OPELIP) supported by Soura Development Agency (SDA) of Chandragiri, these tribal women are hopeful of their economic empowerment.

The carpet craft dates back to hundreds of years and was practised by the nomad communities in Tibet. The technique is different from the Persian or the Turkish methods. The handwoven carpet is traditionally made from wool of sheep, but cotton warps are common nowadays. The woollen carpets are decorated with the designs of birds, dragons and other scenes of nature. It can be used on floors, wall hanging, saddles and seating carpet. Tibetan carpet is in high demand in the international market, sources said.

Traditional carpet weaving is a dying art form among the young Tibetans as the young generation is not keen to participate as it is labour-oriented. But the tribal women, after systematic training from the Tibetan women, have adopted this skill as their means of livelihood and the art

form exists.