Basket weavers from the tribal belt of A Kondur near Vijayawada fetch the bamboo
and palm leaves from the forest and weave the baskets. Weaving is done manually
by experienced artisans. The bamboo and palm leaves are divided into strips of
different sizes that vary in width. This process is done using a sharp knife. The strips
are then dried and made into baskets. First the base of the basket is made and then
the reeds are bent in an upward position and the basket is woven by going over one
spoke and under the next, alternately. Once the desired height is reached, weaving
is stopped. The top of the basket is finished by cutting the spokes with scissors. The
spokes are then bent towards the inside of the basket and inserted into the third row
from the top. Mr.Venkatratnam from west Madhavaram village, A Konduru Mandal
conducted the basket weaving Demonstration as part of craft education program in
the schools.
