Sikki Grass Craft of Bihar

The sikki grass craft is a traditional handicraft of north Bihar, especially the Mithila region, in which the fine golden grass known as sikki is woven and coiled into baskets, boxes, toys, figurines and decorative and ritual objects. Often dyed in bright colours, sikki work is admired for its warm golden sheen, its intricate coiled forms and its deep roots in the domestic and festive life of Mithila. It is largely a women’s craft, handed down from mother to daughter, and is closely tied to local traditions of dowry, gift-giving and festival. Flourishing in the same cultural world as the celebrated folk painting described in our guide to Madhubani painting, the sikki craft remains a living tradition, and this account keeps to broadly established history where particular dates and details are uncertain.

Key Takeaways

• The sikki grass craft is a traditional handicraft of north Bihar, especially the Mithila region.
• It uses the fine golden grass called sikki, coiled and woven into a variety of objects.
• Typical products include baskets, boxes known as pauti, toys, figurines and ritual objects.
• Sikki items are often dyed in bright colours and prized for their golden sheen.
• It is largely a women’s craft, handed down from mother to daughter in Mithila.
• The craft is closely tied to Mithila’s traditions of dowry, gift-giving and festivals.

Read on for the history, culture, and legacy in detail.

Quick Facts

What Is the Sikki Grass Craft?

The sikki grass craft is a traditional handicraft of the Mithila region of north Bihar, in which a fine golden grass called sikki is worked into a wide array of objects through coiling and weaving. Artisans gather and prepare the grass, then wind and bind it, often around a core of other grass, to build up shapes such as baskets, boxes, toys and figurines. The natural golden colour of the grass gives the finished pieces a warm, lustrous sheen, while dyed strands add bright colour and pattern. The craft is largely practised by women, who have passed the skill down within families for generations. Sikki objects serve both decorative and practical purposes and hold a special place in the domestic and festive traditions of the region. Admired for its delicacy and charm, the sikki craft is one of the most distinctive folk traditions of Bihar, closely bound to the cultural life of Mithila.

Where Is the Sikki Craft Practised?

The sikki craft is practised chiefly in north Bihar, and above all in the Mithila region, a culturally distinct area long celebrated for its folk arts and traditions. The grass from which the craft takes its name grows in the wetlands, marshes and low-lying areas of the region, providing the raw material close at hand. Villages across the Mithila belt have traditionally engaged in the craft, often as a household activity carried out by women. The region’s rich artistic heritage, which also includes its renowned folk painting, provides a fertile cultural setting for the craft. The availability of the grass and the strength of local traditions together sustain the craft in this part of Bihar. The craft is also found in neighbouring areas that share the Mithila cultural world. Understanding where sikki is practised, within the folk-art heartland of north Bihar, helps to place it among the living handicraft traditions of the region and of eastern India more widely.

What Is Sikki Grass?

Sikki is a fine, pliable grass that grows in the wetlands and marshy areas of north Bihar and is prized for its natural golden colour and its suitability for fine craft work. The grass is generally harvested, dried and processed to yield slender, flexible strands that can be coiled, woven and bound into shape. Its natural sheen and warm golden hue give sikki craft its characteristic appearance, while its flexibility allows artisans to create intricate and delicate forms. The grass is often used together with a coarser grass that serves as a core around which the sikki is wound. Being a natural and locally available material, sikki supports a sustainable craft rooted in the environment of the region. The qualities of the grass, at once strong and supple, are central to the craft. Understanding what sikki grass is, and why it is so well suited to weaving, is key to appreciating the beauty and technique of the craft that bears its name.

Why Is Sikki Called Golden Grass?

Sikki is often called golden grass because of the warm, lustrous golden colour that the prepared strands display, which gives the finished craft its distinctive glow. When the grass is harvested, dried and processed, it takes on a pale golden sheen that catches the light, lending sikki objects an appearance of delicate brightness. This natural colour is one of the most admired qualities of the craft, so that even undyed pieces possess a quiet beauty. The golden sheen is frequently combined with strands dyed in bright colours to create patterns and contrast. The description of sikki as golden grass thus captures both the appearance of the material and much of its charm. The term is widely used to distinguish this craft from work in other grasses or fibres. Calling sikki golden grass highlights the very feature that makes the craft so appealing, uniting a humble natural material with a radiant and attractive finish treasured across the Mithila region.

How Is Sikki Grass Prepared?

Sikki grass is prepared through a series of steps that transform the freshly gathered grass into strands suitable for fine craft work. After the grass is harvested from the wetlands of the region, it is generally cleaned and dried, which brings out its golden colour and makes it ready for use. The strands may be sorted and trimmed so that artisans have material of suitable length and fineness. For coloured work, some of the grass is dyed in bright hues before weaving, adding to the palette available to the craftsperson. A coarser grass is often prepared as well, to serve as the core around which the sikki is wound in coiled objects. This preparation, though simple, requires care to ensure the grass is supple and attractive. The quality of the preparation affects the beauty and durability of the finished piece. Properly prepared sikki, golden and flexible, is the foundation of the craft, ready to be coiled and woven by skilled hands.

How Are Sikki Objects Made?

Sikki objects are made chiefly by a method of coiling and binding, in which strands of the golden grass are wound and stitched together to build up the desired shape. In the common coiling technique, the artisan wraps sikki around a core of coarser grass and binds the coils to one another with a needle, gradually spiralling the material into forms such as bowls, baskets and boxes. Flat weaving and other methods may also be used for certain items. By varying the coiling and incorporating dyed strands, the craftsperson creates patterns, colours and intricate detail. Figurines, toys and decorative objects are shaped by skilled manipulation of the grass. The work is done entirely by hand, requiring patience, dexterity and long practice. Each piece reflects the individual skill of its maker. This handcrafting, built up coil by coil, gives sikki objects their delicacy and character. The technique, handed down through generations of women, lies at the heart of the craft.

What Is a Pauti?

A pauti is a traditional box or container made from sikki grass, among the most characteristic and cherished products of the craft in Mithila. Generally round and fitted with a lid, the pauti is built up by coiling the golden grass and is often decorated with dyed strands in bright colours and patterns. These boxes have long been used to store small valuables, ornaments and personal items, and they hold a special place in the domestic traditions of the region. The pauti is particularly associated with occasions of gift-giving, and such boxes are traditionally included among the items presented in connection with marriage and dowry in Mithila. Beyond their practical use, pauti boxes carry cultural meaning as tokens of blessing and tradition. Their fine craftsmanship and golden glow make them prized possessions. The pauti thus represents the meeting of utility, beauty and custom in the sikki craft, standing as one of its most emblematic and meaningful creations.

Who Are the Sikki Artisans?

The sikki artisans are chiefly the women of the Mithila region, among whom the craft has traditionally been practised and handed down from mother to daughter across generations. Working within the home, often alongside their other duties, these women have kept the craft alive as part of the domestic and cultural life of the region. The skills of harvesting, preparing, dyeing and coiling the grass are learned through observation and practice from an early age. As the principal makers of sikki objects, the women are the custodians of the craft and of the traditions it embodies, including its links to dowry, festival and worship. The craft also provides a source of income and a means of creative expression for many. In recent times, the work of these artisans has gained wider recognition beyond the region. The women artisans of Mithila thus stand at the heart of the sikki tradition, sustaining a craft that is both a livelihood and a cherished inheritance.

What Products Are Made from Sikki?

A wide variety of products is made from sikki grass, ranging from practical household items to decorative and ritual objects. Baskets and containers of many shapes and sizes are among the most common, used for storage and for carrying. Boxes known as pauti, often round and lidded, are especially cherished for keeping ornaments and small valuables. The craft also produces toys and figurines, including charming representations of animals, birds, dolls and figures from folklore. Decorative objects, ornaments and items for use in worship and festivals form another important category. In response to contemporary tastes, artisans have extended the craft to new products such as trays, coasters, jewellery and wall decorations. The common feature across all these items is the coiled golden grass and the fine handwork of the craftsperson. These products carry the identity of Mithila into homes and markets. Together they represent the practical, artistic and cultural output of the sikki tradition of north Bihar.

How Is Sikki Linked to Mithila's Traditions?

The sikki craft is closely linked to the traditions of Mithila, forming part of the domestic, festive and ritual life of the region. Sikki objects are made and used within the home for storage, decoration and worship, and they feature in the customs surrounding marriage, gift-giving and religious observance. As a craft practised chiefly by women, sikki is woven into the social fabric of the household and the community. Its products, such as the pauti box, carry cultural meaning as tokens of blessing and tradition. The craft also shares in the wider artistic heritage of Mithila, a region celebrated for its folk arts. In these ways sikki is far more than a means of making useful objects, for it participates in the customs and identity of the region. The close connection between the craft and the traditions of Mithila gives sikki much of its cultural significance, binding the work of the artisan to the living heritage of north Bihar.

What Role Does Sikki Play in Dowry and Festivals?

Sikki plays a notable role in the dowry and festival traditions of Mithila, where its golden objects carry both practical use and cultural meaning. By long custom, sikki items such as boxes, baskets and decorative pieces are traditionally included among the gifts and articles associated with marriage, where they serve as tokens of blessing and as useful possessions for the new household. The craft is also connected with festivals and religious occasions, for which sikki objects may be made and used in worship, decoration and ceremony. In this way the craft is bound up with the auspicious moments of life in the region. The making and giving of sikki objects on such occasions reflects their valued place in local custom. These roles give the craft a significance that reaches beyond the everyday. Through its association with dowry and festival, sikki is woven into the ceremonial and devotional life of Mithila, lending the craft a cherished cultural importance.

What Colours and Designs Define Sikki Work?

Sikki work is defined by the warm golden sheen of the natural grass, enlivened by strands dyed in bright colours that create pattern and contrast. Artisans commonly use vivid dyes to colour some of the grass, which is then combined with the natural golden strands in coiling and weaving to produce cheerful bands, motifs and designs. The forms themselves, built up by coiling, range from simple rounded shapes to intricate figurines and decorated boxes. Patterns are generally geometric or floral, worked into the surface through the arrangement of coloured and natural strands. The golden background gives even the brightest pieces a soft and attractive glow. This interplay of golden grass and colourful dye is central to the visual appeal of the craft. The designs reflect the folk aesthetic of Mithila, with its love of colour and pattern. Together, the colours and designs give sikki work its distinctive and instantly recognisable charm within the handicrafts of Bihar.

How Does Sikki Relate to Mithila's Wider Art?

The sikki craft belongs to the rich artistic heritage of Mithila, a region renowned for its folk arts and for the creative traditions of its people, especially its women. It shares with the celebrated folk painting of the region a common cultural world, a love of colour and pattern, and a basis in the domestic and ritual life of the household. Both traditions have long been practised chiefly by women and handed down within families, and both draw on the imagery, customs and beliefs of Mithila. While painting works in pigment on surfaces and sikki in golden grass worked into form, they reflect a shared sensibility and heritage. Together they illustrate the breadth of Mithila’s folk art, from two-dimensional imagery to crafted objects. Appreciating sikki alongside the region’s other arts helps to reveal the depth of its creative culture. The craft thus stands as one expression among several of the artistic genius for which Mithila is admired.

What Challenges Does the Craft Face?

Like many traditional handicrafts of India, the sikki craft faces challenges that affect the artisans who sustain it. The work is delicate and time-consuming, and returns can be modest and uncertain, making it difficult for some to rely on the craft for a livelihood. Competition from cheaper, mass-produced goods can reduce demand for handmade objects. Changes in the availability of the grass, owing to pressures on the wetlands where it grows, may also affect the craft. There is concern, too, that younger generations may turn to other occupations, threatening the continuity of inherited skills. Access to fair prices and wider markets poses further difficulties for the women artisans. These pressures are common to many of India’s folk crafts. Addressing them is widely seen as important for the welfare of the artisans and the survival of the tradition. The resilience and creativity of the women of Mithila, however, have helped the craft to endure through such difficulties.

What Supports the Sikki Artisans?

Support for the sikki artisans has generally come through craft promotion, the organisation of women into groups and growing appreciation for handmade and sustainable products. Government bodies, craft organisations and self-help initiatives have at various times worked to promote the handicrafts of Bihar, improve access to markets and encourage training and fair returns for artisans. The organisation of women into cooperatives and groups has helped them to pool skills, reach buyers and gain recognition for their work. Rising interest among consumers in eco-friendly, handmade and traditional products has created valuable opportunities for a craft worked in natural grass. Exhibitions, fairs and wider awareness of Mithila’s artistic heritage further help to bring sikki to new audiences. Such measures aim to strengthen the position of the women artisans and to encourage the continuation of the craft. These supporting efforts are regarded as important to the future of the tradition, helping to sustain sikki as a living craft of north Bihar.

Sikki Grass Craft Today

The sikki grass craft today remains a living tradition of north Bihar, carried forward by the women of Mithila and increasingly appreciated beyond the region. Its golden baskets, boxes, toys and figurines continue to serve the domestic, festive and ritual life of the region while also finding new admirers as examples of fine folk craft. Growing interest in eco-friendly and handmade products, worked in natural grass, has brought renewed attention to the tradition, and artisans have adapted their skills to create new designs and products for wider markets. The organisation and recognition of women artisans have helped to support the craft. For those who study India’s folk traditions, sikki offers a vivid example of a women’s craft deeply rooted in the culture of its region. Its legacy endures in the warm golden objects that carry the artistry and customs of Mithila. The continuing work of the artisans keeps this delicate and cherished craft alive for future generations.

Sources & Further Reading

• Ministry of Culture, Government of India (indiaculture.gov.in).
• Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Government of India (handicrafts.nic.in).
• Department of Tourism, Government of Bihar (tourism.bihar.gov.in).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the sikki grass craft?

The sikki grass craft is a traditional handicraft of north Bihar, especially the Mithila region, in which the fine golden sikki grass is coiled and woven into baskets, boxes, toys, figurines and ritual objects. Often dyed in bright colours, it is largely a women’s craft linked to Mithila’s dowry and festival traditions.

What is sikki grass?

Sikki is a fine, pliable grass that grows in the wetlands of north Bihar, prized for its natural golden colour and its suitability for fine craft work. When harvested and dried, it yields slender golden strands that can be coiled, woven and bound into a wide variety of delicate objects.

What is a pauti?

A pauti is a traditional sikki box or container, usually round and fitted with a lid, built up by coiling the golden grass. Often decorated with dyed strands, it is used to store ornaments and small valuables and is traditionally included among the gifts associated with marriage in Mithila.

Who makes sikki craft?

Sikki craft is made chiefly by the women of Mithila, among whom the skill is handed down from mother to daughter across generations. Working within the home, they harvest, prepare, dye and coil the grass, making them the custodians of the craft and its associated traditions.

Why is sikki called golden grass?

Sikki is called golden grass because the prepared strands display a warm, lustrous golden colour that gives the finished craft its distinctive glow. This natural sheen, often combined with brightly dyed strands, is one of the most admired qualities of the craft, lending even undyed pieces a quiet beauty.

How is sikki used in Mithila traditions?

In Mithila, sikki objects are used in the home for storage, decoration and worship, and they feature in customs surrounding marriage, gift-giving and festivals. Items such as the pauti box are traditionally given at weddings as tokens of blessing, binding the craft to the ceremonial life of the region.