Here is a plant species to bamboozle you.
Hailed as among the fastest-growing plants on the planet, the bamboo is eco-friendly and simultaneously endowed with a tensile strength mightier than steel. The bamboo also provides fibre for fabric and its reeds evoke soulful music while its shoots are popular health food.
“We’ve more than a hundred products derived from bamboo,” says Elumalai S, one of the key members of the Auroville Bamboo Research Centre, or simply the ABC team at Auroville.
Founded in 2009, the ABRC’s vision statement is to turn into a global research institution for cutting-edge bamboo products and technology.
Cultivation strategies are in the works to experiment with different species of bamboo and understand the intricacies of the bamboo life cycle.
The ABRC also conducts research in an effort to expand the centre’s product line, including the development of new styles of furniture and buildings.
“A recent spinoff of research with bamboo is the bamboo charcoal soap,” says Elimalai.
The soap is one of the most popular bamboo products on the ABRC showcase which boasts of bamboo giraffes and elephant toys for children, flutes and dress materials.
The team even put on display the prototype of a bamboo bicycle during last month’s World Bamboo Day celebrations.
ABRC’s partnership with sister concern the Lively Boutique has created a diverse line of bamboo utilities — dinette sets, lounge chairs and couches, lampshades, flower vases and serving trays. Auroville already has a thriving bamboo jewellery line featuring earrings and necklaces since 2010.
“The entire bamboo cottage industry is driven by local villagers,” says an ARBC coordinator.
About 45 villagers, including 20 women, are engaged in making bamboo products.
With Auroville currently having only a few acres (between 2 to 5 acres) of bamboo cultivation, the team sources raw materials from farmers in nearby villages.
ABRC initiative In fact, one of the major initiatives undertaken at the ABRC is spreading awareness about the commercial potential of bamboo cultivation among the farmer community.
“As part of a tie-up with the Tamil Nadu government, we encourage farmers to turn to bamboo cultivation. As a fast growing grass, the yield starts to come in after five years,” a coordinator said. And, with an eye on building a bamboo-friendly future generation, the team also focuses on creating awareness among school children. On most weeks, batches of school children arrive at Auroville for field trips on the bamboo experience.
