Natural Mats (Chatai)

We were introduced to the traditional custom of using madur mats in the households of West Bengal through a friend. They are part of West Bengal’s culture,  a treasured part of our heritage and perfect for every home. Curious to understand in-depth, we travelled 200Kms from Kolkatta to a cluster of villages in Mednipur. The locals proudly pointed out that the Madur mat is mentioned in the records of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who lived here in the 15th century. The process of making these mats from drying the cut grass, cutting it to multiple stripes, to making the end product was a visual treat.  It takes 2 to 3 days to create a single mat.