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Asian Agri-History Vol. 18, No. 2, 2014 (145–151) 145
Full-length paper
Madur Kathi – An Important Economic Non-food Crop of
West Bengal
K Jana1 and AM Puste2
1. Rice Research Station, Department of Agriculture (Government of West Bengal), Bankura 722101,
West Bengal, India (email: kjanarrs@gmail.com)
2. Department of Agronomy, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur 741252, Nadia,
West Bengal, India
Abstract
Cultivation of mat-sedge and its valuable products can play an important economic
role in rural areas of West Bengal, India. Mat-sedge provides a gainful employment
opportunity to the resource-poor farming community for their secured livelihoods.
A preliminary survey and contact with the farmers at Sabong and Pingla blocks in
Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal indicated that it is widely cultivated
mostly as a monocrop with poor management practices by the poor and marginal
farmers, resulting in low returns. Improved agro-techniques are needed for higher
returns. As the mat-sedge is perennial in nature and grows round the year, annually
three cuttings are taken consecutively at the end of kharif, winter, and summer
season. From this raw material, mats are generally made with the help of a few
wooden pegs, poles, and threads at home. Even an elderly man or woman (aged
family members of a farmer’s family) in rural areas can earn a net income of about
` 60 to ` 80 per day.
The ever growing population poses a
number of problems and the major thrust
falls on the agricultural sector. Presently,
agriculture is facing under-employment.
Cultivation of mat-sedge crop and its
value-added products and production of
mat-reed of different quality can play
a vital economic role. In West Bengal,
India about 100,000 farm families are
associated and solely or partly dependent
on mat-sedge cultivation for their secured
livelihoods.
Historicity of mat-sedge and
‘Madur’
‘Madur’ mat weaving is an old cottage
industry in India, with references dating back
to the Atharvaveda (references to kapisu or
mats/madur from grass). References of mats
found in the sacred scriptures of ancient
Sanskrit literature indicate that mats are of
considerable antiquity. Madur is one of the
most popular mats among the numerous
varieties of mats made in West Bengal
(http://www.craftrevival.org/craftArt.asp).
146 Madur kathi: an economic non-food crop
The mat is woven on a simple bamboo
frame-loom. The warp is cotton thread and
the weft is a thin soft reed called ‘madur
kathi’. References have been made in the
Satapatha Brahmana, Mahabharata, and
Atharvaveda. The origin of the craft in West
Bengal dates back to the Muslim period,
when ‘masland’ mats of superfi ne variety
with silk yarn as weft were produced under
royal patronage. During this period, the
craft had fl ourished in Midnapore district
(now Paschim Medinipur). Mats would be
collected as revenue of the jaigirdari system.
Nawab Alibardi Khan issued a charter to the
jaigirdars in this regard and as a result, it
was obligatory to supply ‘masland’ mats
for use in the collectorate. They had formed
permanent markets for mats in Midnapore.
Kasijora and Narajol were the two most
important centers of ‘masland’ mat weaving
during this period. Mats of ordinary variety
were also produced (http://nilanjanbasu.
wordpress.com/2012/06/05/madur _craft_
of_rural_bengal). Government offi cials in
the British period found that a large number
of ‘masland’ mats were being manufactured
in Midnapore, some of which were being
sold at more than `100 per mat. It is reported
that 448,300 mats were manufactured
during 1907–08.
Mat production is an organized industry
and the mats are woven mainly by the
weavers of the Mahishya caste in the
southern part of the district of Paschim
Medinipur, which covers the whole coastal
area of West Bengal, west of the river
‘Ganga’. The craft of ‘Madur’ weaving is
practiced in the residence-cum-workshops
of artisans’ households with the help of
family members (http://www.midnapore.
in/sabang_mat_industry.html). This rural
handicraft provides employment to a large
number of artisans, mostly in the Paschim
Medinipur district. With the partition of
India and the formation of Bangladesh,
many Bangladeshi mat weavers migrated
to West Bengal and started popularizing the
craft. They are skilled at weaving the most
popular Madur mats.
Types of Madur mats
Midnapore craftsmen design three types of
Madur mats. The three types of mats are
woven as ekh-rokha, do-rokha, and masland.
Do-rokha is thicker than the ekh-rokha and
is more suitable and comfortable when
compared to ekh-rokha. The masland mat
is very fi ne textured and made of carefully
selected reeds with beautiful geometric
designs woven on it. These designs are self
in color but sometimes they are painted in
magenta shade (http://www.midnapore.in/
sabang_mat_industry.html).
Species of mat-sedge
Mat-sedge, belonging to the family
Cyperaceae, is a glabrous robust plant with
culms of 1.5 to 2 m height arising from a
creeping woody rhizome. There are several
species under the genus Cyperus and these
are mostly habitants in swampy, marshy
land predominant in tropical to subtropical
environmental conditions (CSIR, 1988).
‘Madur’ mat weaving is an old cottage
industry in India, with references
dating back to the Atharvaveda.
Asian Agri-History Vol. 18, No. 2, 2014 147
Cyperus irria: In Bangladesh, it is called
Bura Chuka and sometimes it is used as
‘madur kathi’, i.e., mat-stick.
Cyperus tegetum: It is mainly used as
mat-stick and known as ‘madur kathi’ in
West Bengal. Cyperus tegetum differs from
‘sitalpati’ (Clinogyne dichotoma), which
belongs to the family Marantaceae. Sitalpati
plant has 2–2.5 cm cylindrical stem with
cut-prominent node except at the terminal
end. Sitalpati is very popular in the marshy
areas of Cooch Behar district of West Bengal
where annual rainfall is about 3000 mm.
Cyperus corymbosus: It is known as fi ne
quality ‘madur kathi’ in Tinnevelly area in
Tamil Nadu. Cyperus corymbosus, locally
named as ‘korai’, is used as mat-stick for
mat making in Tamil Nadu (Amalraj, 1985).
It differs from C. tegetum in having much
more distinct glumes, the margins of which
in the dried specimen are incurved and not
overlapping.
Agroclimatic conditions and
distribution of mat-sedge
Mat-sedge can thrive in a wide range of
agroclimatic conditions and occurs in marshy
situations especially in eastern and southern
parts of India (Sarkar and Samanta, 1987).
The plant is capable of tolerating extremities
such as prolonged submergence in water and
extended drought conditions. Sometimes
swampy and marshy lands are used to
cultivate non-food crops like mat-sedges.
Watt (1889) refers to mats (commercially
known as Calcutta mats) chiefl y made from
the infl orescence axis (culms) of C. tegetum,
which is abundantly found in India in marshy
areas. In low-lying areas in the eastern
region, the productivity of rice is not high and
utilization of land by growing mat-sedges
for mat-making provides an alternative use
of such marshy areas, resulting in more
profi t and employment to the rural people.
Introduction of mat-sedge cultivation on
such poor type of lands would go a long
way in achieving economic well-being of
the farmers. Besides India, mat-sedge is
also grown in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal,
China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Java, and
Sumatra.
Popular mat-sedge growing
areas of West Bengal
Mat-sedge is mainly produced in Paschim
Medinipur district (Sabong, Pingla, and
Narayangarh blocks) and some areas in
North 24 Parganas district (Habra, Nagar
Ukhra, Gaighta, etc.) of West Bengal. In
rural areas of Paschim Medinipur district,
particularly Sabong block area, the Madur
mat has gained wide popularity and even
conferred with the President’s Award for
its quality and artistic work. Sabong block
is a very popular mat-sedge growing area
under old alluvial zone of West Bengal.
This zone comprises fl at alluvial plains
intersecting with the main river system
(Rupnarayan, Ajoy, Damodar, Kangsabati,
Keleghai, Haldi, etc.) and its tributaries,
canals, and low-lying areas subjected to
frequent waterlogging and fl oods, making
them swampy and almost non-cultivable
during the peak kharif season. Cultivation
of mat-sedge is remunerative in these
areas with least investment in contrast to
the cultivation of other crops like paddy,
wheat, etc.
148 Madur kathi: an economic non-food crop
Mat-sedge crop grown round
the year
Mat-sedge crop is grown in all three seasons,
viz., kharif season (June to end of September)
and subsequent winter season (October to
end of January) as well as summer season
(February to end of May) (Jana and Puste,
2012). After full establishment of the crop
in the fi eld, it may be possible to take three
cuttings for economic return. Annually three
cuttings are taken – fi rst cutting in the end
of September (kharif), second in the end of
January (winter), and the third cutting in the
end of May (summer). The crop of kharif
season accumulates higher dry matter yield of
mat-stick as compared to the regeneration crop
raised during winter and summer seasons. Mat-
sedge crop during kharif season has taller plants
(Fig. 1), greater number of tillers m-2, more
total green area index, and higher total dry
matter production as compared to the crop
grown during winter and summer. Lower
values of almost all the parameters are
observed in the regeneration crop during
winter. This may be due to prevalence of cool
temperature in winter months. The ratoon
(regeneration) mat-sedge crop also succeeds
for 5 to 6 years with successive returns and
even it may continue to produce economically
for 10 to 15 years under better management
practices.
Quality characteristics
The yield attributing characters are important
and are associated with the growth and vigor
of the crop. Plant height and number of
tillers m-2 produced from rhizomes infl uence
the quality of mat-sedges. In addition, plant
height is more important since it determines
Mat production is an organized
industry and the mats are woven mainly
by the weavers of the Mahishya caste
in the southern part of the district of
Paschim Medinipur, which covers the
whole coastal area of West Bengal, west
of the river ‘Ganga’.
Figure 1. Mat-sedge crop during kharif: (left) good growth with maximum tillering; and (right)
infl orescence stage.
Asian Agri-History Vol. 18, No. 2, 2014 149
the original width of a hand-made mat, as
the market price of the hand-made mat
varies according to its width.
Economic importance
Besides mat-making, Cyperus is also used
for different purposes.
Medicinal value
The rhizomes are used as a tonic and
stimulating medicine. Rhizomes are also
used medicinally as diaphoretic, astringent,
and diuretic. In native practice, rhizomes
are held in great esteem as a cure scraped
and pounded with green ginger, and in this
form mixed with honey, they are given
in cases of dysentery in doses of about a
scruple. Rhizomes are extensively used as
an aromatic adjunct to numerous compound
medicines (Puste, 2004).
Dye
Rhizomes are in certain dye preparations to
impart a perfume to the fabric and also for
fragrance in hair lotions.
Oil
The rounded rhizomes yield an essential
oil, which the natives of upper India use to
perfume their clothes. In Bengal, the rhizomes
of Cyperus scariosus are more largely used in
perfumery, this species being more plentiful
– in fact it is a troublesome weed.
Fodder
Some of the species of Cyperus are well-
eaten by cows and occasionally by buffaloes
but most of them are not fond of it.
Utility
In hot humid climate like India, Madur mats
are very comfortable when spread over the
hot, cold, or damp earthen or cemented
fl oor, or even on cotton beddings, as they
are bad conductors of heat. These are also
easily accessible to the common people
because they are comparatively cheaper
and affordable even by the poor. A single
mat lasts for about 3–4 years. Nowadays
decorative and colorful mats are available
in the market and are used in many religious
and ritual functions.
Socioeconomic importance
The mats are generally used for sitting as
well as bedding purposes. In hot climate,
the mats are very comfortable because of
their non-conducting property and ability
to absorb sweat. A common mat generally
costs ` 50 to ` 80 while a designed and
embroidered mat costs ` 300 to ` 2000. The
mats from Paschim Medinipur and North
24 Parganas districts are being exported
to other countries. The profi t under good
management conditions may be much higher
Mat-sedge can thrive in a wide range of
agroclimatic conditions and occurs in
marshy situations especially in eastern
and southern parts of India.
Midnapore craftsmen design three types
of Madur mats.
150 Madur kathi: an economic non-food crop
than the profi t a farmer can get by growing
two crops of rice per annum. Growing
of raw materials including processing,
drying, and bundling of harvested culms is
very labor intensive (Fig. 2). The split and
dried sticks are either immediately used
for making mats or kept for use in the off
season, when there are no other farming
operations. Mat making is very easy. From
the raw material, mats are generally made
with the help of a few wooden pegs, poles,
and threads at home (Fig. 3). Even an aged
member of either sex of a farmer’s family
in rural areas can earn a net income of about
` 60 to ` 80 per day (Puste, 2004).
Value-added products from
mat-sedge
Several valuable decorative products (>50
types, viz., different types of window
screen, bags for men and women, mobile
and fi le covers, hats, water-carrying bags,
purse, shoes, pen stand, fl ower vase, etc.)
other than mattresses are being made. These
are marketed in different parts of the country
and also exported to other countries. Some
NGOs and even some individuals are solely
engaged for the purpose through self-helf
groups. Production of these items is an
alternative good source of economic return,
which may help to improve the livelihood
of farmers, particularly those who are
inextricably linked with this ecosystem.
Conclusion
‘Madur kathi’ (C. tegetum) is a very
high-yielding perennial sedge. It responds
to irrigation particularly in the dry and
warm seasons. It also responds to heavy
doses of nitrogen manuring. There are no
specifi c high-yielding varieties, package of
practices, etc. for maximizing dry mat-stick
yield. So there is enough scope to work
Figure 3. An elderly woman engaged in
traditional mat weaving.
Figure 2. Processing of harvested culms of mat-sedge: (a) A special knife and technique used
for splitting the mat-stick; (b) Women engaged in bundling of split mat-sticks; and (c) Different
grades of split mat-stick bundles according to height.
abc
Asian Agri-History Vol. 18, No. 2, 2014 151
on various aspects of the crop. A detailed
survey on cultivation and marketing of
this crop at different locations is needed.
Farmers raise this crop as part of their
traditional practice without much care.
Improved agro-techniques such as selection
of rhizomes (planting materials), better soil
condition, transplanting, proper mid-term
care, application of manures and fertilizers,
water management practices including
life-saving irrigation, and need-based plant
protection measures will enable to increase
the production of sedges more than twofold
and also enhance the quality of mat-stick.
The mat manufacturing industry, which is
still continued in villages of few districts
of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala,
needs to be expanded to other parts of India,
particularly to uplift the resource-poor rural
people through income generation.
Acknowledgment
The fi rst author is grateful to Prof. AM
Puste for his supervision and auspicious
guidance and also to Prof. BK Mandal
(Retired Professor and former Head),
Mat making is very easy. From the raw
material, mats are generally made with
the help of a few wooden pegs, poles, and
threads at home.
Prof. SS Mondal, Prof. A Zaman (Head),
Prof. G Sounda, Prof. RK Ghosh, Prof.
P Bandyopadhyay, and Dr BC Patra,
Department of Agronomy, Bidhan Chandra
Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia,
West Bengal for valuable suggestions and
encouragement.
References
Amalraj VA. 1985. ‘Korai’ – A profi table crop for
marshy lands. Indian Farming 35(8):35–56.
CSIR. 1988. The Wealth of India – Raw
Materials. A Dictionary of Indian Raw Materials
and Industrial Products. Vol. IIC. Council of
Scientifi c and Industrial Research, New Delhi,
India. p. 423.
Jana K and Puste AM. 2012. Effect of
water management practices on dry mat-stick
yield of mat-sedges (Cyperus tegetum R.)
for sustainability of resource poor farming
community. Green Farming 3(3):277–281.
Puste AM. 2004. Aquatic non-food commercial
crops. In: Agronomic Management of Wetland
Crops. Kalyani Publishers, India. pp. 198–206.
Sarkar R and Samanta N. 1987. Cultivation
of the matreed in West Bengal. Indian Farming
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