Glory of shital pati on the verge of extinction

Once a popular household cottage industry, Shital Pati is disappearing under the pressure of plastic and cheap alternative products. The tradition of this craft is fading, and artisans are gradually leaving the profession opting for other livelihoods.

A symbol of Bengal’s summer heritage, the shital pati is not only comfortable but also the carrier of a century-old culture. In the past, not gifting a shital pati at weddings could cause disputes. Even a decade ago, mothers would carefully weave and store shital patis in preparation for their daughters’ weddings. Some would even sell ducks, chickens, or eggs to afford buying these mats for such special occasions.

Journalist Monir Hossain said, “The popularity of shital pati has almost vanished due to the expensive and busy urban lifestyle, the abundance of plastic products, and the high cost of the mat. The new generation is mostly unaware of its benefits. Hardly anyone is buying them now, and many have lost interest. Although a few are struggling to keep the business alive, most artisans are withdrawing from the craft. As a result, this thousand-year-old art form is now on the verge of extinction.”

At this year’s fair held at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram, organised on the occasion of the historic Jabbarer Boli Khela, only 30 sellers brought shital patis. However, they suffered even greater losses than in previous years. While other businesses at the three-day fair did well, the shital pati business failed to gain momentum. Most artisans left Chattogram unable to recover even half of their expenses for transport, rent, and food.

Each seller arrived at the Laldighi fair from places like Barishal, Bhola, Sylhet, and Sirajganj, bringing at least 100 shital patis by bus or train, hoping to sell them. However, sales were so low that many couldn’t even cover their hotel and food expenses. Saddened by this situation, many expressed their intention to leave the profession.

Shah Alam, who came from Bhola, said, “Making a shital pati involves several stages of work and passes through the hands of multiple artisans before reaching the market. A real shital pati is soft and fluffy, has a distinct finishing, and can be folded neatly into small sections. This makes it extremely comfortable to sleep on.”

Ganesh Dutta from Barishal shared that he has cultivated cane plants — the raw material for shital pati — on 35 shotangsho land. “It costs about Tk 1,200 taka to make a small-sized mat with the labour of three workers; medium-sized mats cost between Tk 1,500 to Tk 2,000, and large ones cost around Tk 2,500 to Tk 3,000. However, buyers are unwilling to pay such prices,” he said.

In two days, his sales didn’t even exceed Tk 20,000, while participating in the fair cost him over Tk 15,000.

Ganesh explained that men toil hard under the sun in the cane fields, and women spend the entire day weaving the mats. Yet, they can hardly make a profit. Although each worker is paid Tk 300 to Tk 400 a day, even that is not enough for them to support their families. If the owners pay higher wages, they themselves face even greater losses.

Kalachan Das from Sylhet said, “The shital patis from our region are the most famous. There is even a separate village dedicated to shital pati weaving. At least 100 families are involved in this craft, and they solely depend on it for their livelihood.”

He said, “We cultivate cane in the forested hills. After planting, it takes about three years for the plants to mature. In the first phase (after new planting), we harvest cane once in three years. After that, we can harvest every year. The canes are soaked in water and then boiled in hot water. Afterward, they are scraped to extract fine fibers. Finally, with artistic skill, various designs of shital patis are created.”

He further said, “I can weave designs of the map of Bangladesh, ducks, chickens, cows, goats, sheep, horses — everything — onto shital patis. But nowadays, no one values these designs. The wages don’t even cover the costs. I’m thinking about quitting, but this craft has been passed down through generations, and I’ve been making shital patis since my childhood. That’s why I feel so attached to this craft.”

Almost all artisans and workers said we will never return. This is the end of the road for us in this profession. Even our children don’t want to get involved in it.