“Even rajas and maharajas preferred these chairs,” claims Pramod Kumar Sikar as he tries to give out the advantages of sitting on the modas (stool) and chairs made out of a type of bamboo cane available in his State, Rajasthan. “These are very comfortable and better than plastic chairs,” he adds.
By and large common people in rural areas in Rajasthan use charpoys with sleeping surface made of the cane. Such cots help people get proper sleep in huts, according to Pradeep Kumar, a maker of the chairs, now in Adilabad town.
Until not very long ago, the chairs made of ‘churil’ the cane, used to be sold only in shops in big cities like Hyderabad. Now, we have people like Pramod Kumar making and selling them by the side of the roads in almost all towns for affordable prices.
“We sell our products across India, even in Kerala. The moda is sold for Rs. 350 and the chair for Rs. 850 apiece,” Pramod Kumar says.
Being made of natural material, the chairs do not harm the body of the user in any manner which is not so when it comes to plastic chairs, he opines. “Our product is also comparatively durable in that it lasts for about 10 years,” he claims.
Among other advantages attributed to the use of the cane chairs if the ease with which it can be carried or transported over long distance. “Even the moda bears a weight of 500 kg,” he adds.