Screwpine Weaving in Kerala — Mats from the Thazha Leaf

The story

Along Kerala's backwaters and coastal belts grows the screwpine — thazha in Malayalam — a spiky, sprawling pandanus whose long leaves have furnished the state's households for generations. Stripped of their thorny edges, cured and plaited, those leaves become the screwpine mat: supple, faintly glossy, and famously cool to lie on through Kerala's humid nights. The craft belongs almost entirely to women, passed from mother to daughter as a skill practised at home between other work — a quiet, kitchen-verandah economy that has covered floors, beds and prayer spaces across the state. Mats were traditionally graded by fineness, the softest, closest weaves reserved for special use; in many communities a finely woven mat customarily formed part of a bride's household gifts. Kora grass, a slender sedge worked by the same weaving communities, extends the repertoire. In recent years the craft has found a second life: the same plaiting now produces bags, baskets, table linen and accessories for buyers drawn to natural fibre, and design interventions have brought colour and new formats. The material logic is unchanged — a wild, fast-growing leaf, no synthetic input, and a product that returns to the earth.

How it is made

Screwpine leaves are harvested long — a metre or more — and their first hazard dealt with immediately: the rows of thorns along each edge and midrib are stripped away with a knife. The cleaned leaves are split into even strips, boiled or blanched, and dried in shade and sun until they turn a pale straw colour; some strips are dyed in bright solids. Weaving is done entirely by hand, without a loom: strips are plaited diagonally, over and under, the weaver adding new strips as she goes until a continuous sheet forms. Fineness depends on strip width — the narrower the strip, the softer and denser the mat. Finished sheets are trimmed, their edges folded and bound, or cut and stitched into bags and accessories.

Buying guide

Grade by strip width: fine mats woven from narrow strips feel almost cloth-like and cost more than coarse utility weaves. Check the edges — neatly folded, tightly bound borders are the mark of careful work — and look for even colour with no brittle, cracked strips. Everyday mats and small bags typically run ₹200–₹800; finer double-woven mats and structured bags sit in the ₹1,000–₹3,000 range; the largest, finest pieces reach ₹8,000. A faint grassy scent is natural and fades.

Care

Screwpine likes the conditions it grew in: shade and moving air. Roll mats for storage rather than folding, which cracks the plait. Wipe with a damp cloth and dry flat in shade; never machine-wash or soak. Air pieces in gentle sun occasionally to keep mildew off in humid months, and keep them away from continuous moisture. With this, a good mat serves for years.

Frequently asked questions