15/08/2026
The video shows an artisan creating a Sholapith Kadam Flower (Kadam Phool), a traditional handicraft from West Bengal and Assam.
Materials Used
* Sholapith (Indian Cork): The soft, spongy, milky-white inner core extracted from the stem of the Aeschynomene aspera plant.
* Crafting Knife (Kat): A specialized fine-edged steel blade used for peeling and slicing the shola pith.
* Natural Dye / Paint: Used to color the tips yellow.
* String / Thread: Wrapped around the middle and pulled to tension the slits into a spherical flower shape.
* Real Plant Stem & Leaves: Attached to give the finished sholapith flower a realistic look.
Step-by-Step Crafting Process
* Peeling & Sheeting: The outer brown bark of the shola stem is peeled away using a knife to reveal the smooth, milky-white pith core. Thin, flat sheets are carved from the core.
* Rolling: The sholapith sheet is tightly rolled into a compact cylinder.
* Dyeing: One end of the rolled cylinder is dipped into yellow dye to color the outer tips.
* Slicing the Petals: Using a sharp knife, the artisan makes hundreds of fine, uniform cuts along the length of the roll from both ends toward the center, leaving the core intact.
* Binding: A strong thread is wrapped and tied tightly around the center of the cylinder.
* Fluffing into a Sphere: Using his big toe to anchor the thread, the artisan pulls the string tight, causing the sliced fringe on both sides to flare outward into a fluffy, spherical Kadam blossom.
* Stem Mounting: The completed sholapith flower head is attached to a real leafy branch to complete the realistic natural bloom.
