A cluster is defined as a geographic concentration (city/town/few adjacent villages and their adjoining areas) of units producing near similar products and facing common opportunities and threats. An artisan cluster is defined as geographically concentrated (mostly in villages/townships) household units producing handicraft/handloom products. In a typical cluster, such producers often belong to a traditional community, producing the long-established products for generations. Indeed, many artisan clusters are centuries old Artisan.

About Raipur Cluster:-

Raipur Cluster falls under Chhattisgarh State in Raipur district.

The Raipur cluster is able to form 100 plus Artisans & 10 SHGs supporting the strong work force. The mobilization gains momentum day by day.

Grass, Leaf, Reed and Fiber:-

The subtropical region of Asia, specially India, Bangladesh and China is most popular for Jute. Jute craft is most popular in this region and is derived from the fibre of a reed like plant. The warm humid climate of West Bengal with plenty of rainfall is best suited for this plant. The plant grows to a height of 3-4 meters and takes upto six months to mature. Jute is the second most popular natural plant fibre and is available in abundance.

Once the plant is ready for harvesting, it is cut very close to the ground and left in the ground for a day or two when the leaves fall off. The cut plant is then absorbed and dipped in water to separate the fibre from the plant. This process is known as retting. The, thus separated Jute is dried and given various forms. The fiber is knit into threads. Sometimes the threads are weaved to make rags and cloths. The cleaned fibre, the threads and the rags all are used to make beautiful craft products like the bags, rags, carpets, hangings, footwear, coasters, jewelry, show pieces, etc. Some very fine quality jute is also used to make furnishing material and dresses.

Raw Materials Used :-

The villages of  Chattisgarh are full of Palm trees, coconut, date and Palmyra. Palm is the major source of raw material for preparing baskets and related products. Other raw materials like bamboo, cane, grasses, fibers and reeds are also used in making baskets, thatch, ropes, mats and many other things.

Process:-

The jute fiber comes from the stem and ribbon (outer skin) of the jute plant. The fibers are first extracted by retting. The retting process consists of bundling jute stems together and immersing them in low, running water. There are two types of retting: stem and ribbon. After the retting process, stripping begins. Women and children usually do this job. In the stripping process, non-fibrous matter is scraped off, then the workers dig in and grab the fibers from within the jute stem.

Jute bags are used for making fashion bags & promotional bags. The eco-friendly nature of jute makes its ideal for corporate gifting.

Jute floor coverings consist of woven and tufted and piled carpets. Jute Mats and matting’s with 5/6 mts width and of continuous length are easily being woven in Southern parts of India, in solid and fancy shades, and in different weaves like, Boucle, Panama, Herringbone, etc.Jute Mats & Rugs are made both through Power loom & Handloom, in large volume from Kerala, India. The traditional Satranji mat is becoming very popular in home décor.Jute non-wovens and composites can be used for underlay, linoleum substrate, and more.
Thus, jute is the most environment-friendly fibre starting from the seed to expired fibre, as the expired fibres can be recycled more than once.

Techniques:-

The practical course is to introduce modernization of technique and improve the skills and make the worker capable of enhancing his productivity and his earnings so as to enable him to meet at least the basic necessities of life and come out of the clutches of poverty within reasonable time.

How to Reach:-

Taking the aerial route to Raipur is the most favored and hassle-free way of the traveling to Raipur. There are a number of flights that connect Raipur to the other major cities. You can access Raipur from Delhi, Bhubaneshwar, Bhopal and Jabalpur. There are regular flights that ply between these cities and Raipur.Raipur serves as a major junction for the South Eastern Railway on Mumbai, Nagpur, and Calcutta route. Traveling to Raipur by rail is also a popular and much favored option especially for those who find the air fare quite pricy.Reaching Raipur by road is possibly the most inexpensive way to get to the city. The city is intersected by The National Highway 6 and the National Highway 43 links the city to Vijaya Nagaram.