Straw Craft of Odisha

The inner rib of the paddy or rice crop is vertically split into two with a blade. The straw is left to dry in the sun for five to six months to get an alluring golden hue. Each strip of straw is flattened with a pestle and pasted on paper with the coloured skin on the outside. This is done for strengthening the straw. These straws are used to create beautiful paintings without using colours.

The subject of the painting is drawn on butter paper, which is then replicated on the sheet of straws after it is dried. The straw sheet is cut into desired shapes and sizes using scissors. A thin plyboard is then covered with a black cotton cloth or black velvet, over which these pieces of paper are pasted using adhesive. The small revealing areas on the board create thin and delicate black lines for details such as ornaments and facial features.

Straw craft is used to make shiny golden paintings of subjects from Indian mythology, local folklore and Jagannath culture that come out beautifully over the black background.