UNESCO recognises art of handcrafted Shital Pati as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

The UNESCO has recognised Bangladesh’s handcrafted mat Shital Pati as part of humanity’s cultural heritage.

The UN body has included the traditional art of weaving together strips of green cane from ‘Murta’ plants in its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for 2017.

The handmade mats are widely used across people in Bangladesh as sitting mats, bedspreads or prayer mats.

The weavers come mostly from villages in the northeastern Sylhet region. However, there are also weavers in other parts of the country.

A seven-day Shital Pati (a traditional mat made of materials from murta plants) exhibition has been opened at the National Museum at Shahbagh in Dhaka on Tuesday. Photo: dipu malakar

“Both men and women participate in collecting and processing Murta, with women being more involved in the weaving process. The craft is a major source of livelihood and a strong marker of identity; primarily a family-based craft, it helps to reinforce family bonding and create a harmonious social atmosphere,” the UNESCO said on its website.

A craftswoman gives a live demonstration how to make Shital Pati (a traditional mat made of materials from murta plants) at the three-day exhibition opened at the National Museum at Shahbagh in Dhaka on Tuesday. Photo: dipu malakar

The UN agency says as a result of efforts by the Bangladesh government, the weavers’ communities are increasingly being organised into cooperatives ensuring safeguarding and transmission of the craft from generation to generation.