Moonj/Sarkanda Grass Furniture of Haryana

Munj Grass craft of Haryana is more popularly known as sarkanda craft. The Culm of this Asiatic grass is used to create ropes and baskets. The main stalk of sarkanda grass dries up during winter and the grass is harvested. The thick part of the grass is used in making stools and the outer skin makes for thatch. The leaf of the grass is called munj. The munj is twisted tightly to create ropes. These ropes are then used to create web like structure on charpoi and muda. The muda can vary in size by height. Now a day’s many contemporary functional products are made. For instance big sized chairs, light weight sofa sets for the living rooms. The other products include Chairs, Changeri, Boiya (bread basket), Sindhora (pear shaped basket), Kharola (fodder basket) chatai, chik etc.

The Asiatic Sarkanda grass is used  for a variety of  purposes. The main stalk of sarkanda grass dries up during winter and the grass is harvested. The thick part of the grass is used in making furniture items; its outer skin makes for thatch. The leaf of the grass is called moonj. The moonjis twisted tightly to create ropes. These ropes are then used to create web like structure on charpoi / traditional wood legged rope beds and muda/stool and other pieces of furniture also called muda. Made by aligning sarkanda in a criss-cross construction with two concentric cylindrical layers of reeds, each twisted in opposite directions, to form shallow hyperbolic paraboloids that are locked together by binding ropes at many levels along the cylinder. The structure thus formed is extremely stable and strong. The open edges are cut and bound by rope and fiber trimmings  that are tied along the spine its edges are secured with moonj ropes with which the seat is also woven.

Now a day’s many contemporary functional products are made. For instance all sizes of moodas, light weight sofa sets for the garden and living rooms. The other products include varities of baskets, floor mats/ chatai, window and door blinds/chiks, Jhadoo/broom etc.

These is a wide spread craft with craftspeople spread across Gurgaon, Farukhnagar, Rewari, Mayan, Kund, Chandpur, Khori Garhi-Bolni ,Moondreya-Kheraj, Beval, Mahendragarh, Dongra Aheer, Gujjarwaas, Khatripur and Faridabad