How a village in Barpeta is weaving stories of success through traditional bamboo craftmanship

Situated approximately 12 kilometres from Barpeta Town, Kuriha village has emerged as a bustling hub for bamboo mat production, boasting over 1000 families dedicated to this traditional craft. The village's journey, spearheaded around 30-40 years ago by pioneers like Azahar Ali and Jeherul Hoque, has not only sustained but evolved into a significant economic contributor.

Every family in Kuriha village is actively involved in the meticulous art of crafting bamboo mats by hand, a practice that has flourished over the years.

The village is renowned in the district for its substantial impact on employment, providing opportunities to a large number of people . An elderly worker from Kuriha expressed, "Here, every family is involved in making bamboo mats."

The versatility of the craft extends to the production of "Dulis" in the village. Notably, there are no age or gender restrictions; individuals across all age groups, both male and female, participate in the bamboo mat production process.

The diligent efforts of the villagers have not gone unnoticed, as their bamboo mats have found their way to states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

Jeherul Hoque, owner of Alamin Bamboo and Bamboo mats Industries, shared that nearly 50,000 to 1 lakh people are associated with this thriving business.

In an exclusive interview with India Today Ne, Hoque highlighted that the business generates an annual turnover of at least 2 crore. 

Azahar Ali, associated with Hoque's bamboo enterprise, acknowledged a brief setback during the COVID period but emphasized the subsequent resurgence of the business, now flowing smoothly.

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