Paddy Craft: Bhotada Tribal Women Working Together in a Collective Process

24-Mar-2026

This photo is from Kenduguda village in the Nabarangpur district of Odisha and shows women from the Bhotada tribal community engaged in their traditional handicraft known as paddy craft. The women work collectively, sitting together and performing each step of the craft in an organized manner. The process begins by collecting good-quality paddy stalks from the fields. These stalks are then washed, dried, and colored using turmeric water before being dried again. After that, thin bamboo sticks are prepared, and each paddy grain is placed between two sticks and tied using threads of different colors. The pieces are then shaped into specific forms or designs. Wherever needed, adhesive such as glue or Fevicol is applied to hold the structure together and the craft is left to dry.