ARTICLE
Sholapith
The objects the shola is used to make today serve specific functions such as the topor and mukut, traditional head accessories worn by the bride and groom in a Bengali wedding; torso and heads of the puppets made by the Muragachha Colony and Borboria village in Nadia district; the daak-e-shaaj, or decorations that are a part of the Durga Puja festivities. The sholapith craft is also famous in parts of Odisha where it is used to create headgears for the deity Jagannath and his siblings during the Rathayatra festivals and boats for the Boita Bandana or the Bali Yatra festival held during Kartik Purnima. While sholapith, as a craft material, is both biodegradable and eco-friendly, the plant has been a part of the Red List of Threatened Species compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The sholapith craft is also known as netti in Tamil Nadu.
Bibliography
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