Alhamdulillah I am fine today I have appeared before you with the details of the famous Shital pati of the Sylhet division of my country. Shital pati plays an immense role on hot summer days.

A cool rug is a type of floor covering with leaves or rugs. It is a traditional cottage industry in Bangladesh. They are made from the bark of murta or pati bet, or mostak, an herbaceous plant. They are highly valued as crafts. It is widely used as a showpiece in cities and as a substitute for village mats and sheets. A mat decorated with decorations is also called a Nakshi Pati.

On December 6, 2017, the United Nations organization UNESCO included the traditional handicraft of Shital Pati weaving in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh in the list of important intangible cultural heritage of the world on the application of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh.

It is prepared from the bark of a native herb called Murta. It is loved everywhere for being cool, smooth, and comfortable. Nowhere else in Bangladesh can such excellent rugs be prepared. Different game boards like dice, chess, etc. are depicted in the pattern of the rug.

Weaving method

The herb from which cool mats are made is locally called “Murta”. It is also called 'Mushtaq', 'Patibet' etc. depending on the place. The murta tree looks like a slender bamboo and grows in the form of a bush. The body of Murta is cut from the root and soaked in water. The leaves and twigs are thrown away, dirt is removed.

The trunk of the murta is split into at least four longitudinal slices by dropping a fishing rod on the ground. The soft white part inside the stem is called 'Bukka'. This bag is thrown away. A person who makes rugs is called 'patikar' or 'patial'. Patikor's aim is to make 'Veti' as narrow and thin as possible from Murta bark. The finer and thinner the wick, the softer and smoother the carpet. For this reason, the wicks that can be woven are separated with fingernails.

After the beti is made, one bunch is tied in the form of a beera. Then the bira is boiled by mixing rice starch and amra, jarul and geola leaves with water. This results in soft, smooth, and shiny wicks. Color powder is mixed with rice starch, etc. while boiling to make colorful patterned rugs. Skilled artisans can make up to 12 narrow sticks from one murta. When making a stick, the potter wraps a piece of cloth between his thumb and middle finger so that his fingers don't break on the edge of the stick.

Patikar sits on the ground and sets the wicks of equal length and width, just like weaving cloth. While weaving the rugs, the wicks are tightly packed so that there are no gaps. In the case of nakshi rugs, the patikar creates designs by mixing brown or natural color wicks with colored wicks from his memory.

Sylhet is famous for this rug. Also, this tree is grown and found in Raiganj Upazila, Barisal, Tangail, Comilla, and Lakshmipur regions of Sirajganj district. Shital Patti is available to buy in Newmarket, Caravan Bazaar, Dhaka. Its price varies according to the size. Designer rugs tend to cost more.

Carpets are made in different parts of Bangladesh. But the quality of cool carpets produced in various places in the Sylhet area is extraordinary. Patikars in areas like Sunamganj of Sylhet region have been famous for their skill for hundreds of years. The comforting cool feeling that comes from sitting or lying on a cool mat is indescribable. Even in modern urban life, Shital rugs continue to be used as seats for the bride in wedding ceremonies. Fragments of cool mats are used to make other crafts.

See you again.