Bamboo Artisans from Meghalaya

Shahriyar has been conducting training programs for bamboo artisans in Meghalaya .. the people living there have a natural felicity for working with bamboo .. sitting on the floor, perched on rooftops, bamboo is everywhere. ... products are now being sold at the Bamboo Store

An Ode to Bamboo Charcoal

BAMBOO CHARCOAL, A GREAT DEAL
SMOKELESS AND SAFE, A NICE FEEL
A GREAT WAY TO BEAT THE CHILL
OH! WHAT A THRILL!!

THE CENTRE OF ATTRACTION AT A PARTY
BAMBOO CHARCOAL - SO HOT SUCH A SMARTY
WARM UP YOUR DANCING FEET
BOOGIE TO THE BEAT !!

NO TREE HAS BEEN CUT,
GET OUT OF THE RUT.
FOR YOUR PARTIES THIS YEAR,
ENJOY BAMBOO CHARCOAL, HAVE NO FEAR.

BARBEQUE OR BONFIRE, WHATEVER YOUR MOOD
BAMBOO CHARCOAL IS ALL GOOD !!

only and only at The Bamboo Store
N-11 Rear Lane, N-block Market
Greater Kailash Part I
New Delhi -110048

Bamboo amongst NEXT BIG THING for 2010

How delighted we at the Bamboo Store were to read in the Hindustan Times Brunch magazine that bamboo is among the top trendy things for 2010 - here's hoping that this trend will be here to stay.

My Bamboo Poems - This one is on Storage

TONS OF THINGS AND NO WHERE TO STORE
YET YEH DIL MAANGE MORE !
COME TO THE BAMBOO STORE
WHERE WE HAVE SOLUTIONS GALORE !
CLOTHES STANDS WITH RODS PLENTIFUL
STACK UP YOUR SCARVES, STOLES, SHAWLS BEAUTIFUL
BAMBOO LADDERS TO PROP UP AGAINST THE WALL
TOWELS, LINEN, IT WILL TAKE IT ALL
FOR TRINKETS AND SOCKS
HOW ABOUT A BAMBOO BOX?
FOR YOUR FINEST SILKS AND SUITS TO KEEP
CANE HANGERS NOT TOO WIDE OR DEEP
YOU GET MY DRIFT BY NOW
WE HAVE STORAGE SOLUTIONS AND HOW

ONLY @ The Bamboo Store N-11 rear Lane N-block Market Greater Kailash I New delhi -110048 ph 9810328934
we will be happy to make customised storage for you too.

The Bamboo Store at UN Day

It gives me immense pleasure to let you know that the Bamboo Store was part of the United Nations Day International Year of Natural Fibres (IYNF) celebrations at UN Headquarters New Delhi. Jaya Jaitley and Dastakari Haat Samiti put up a wonderful show called from Grass to Gold and there were many products from the Bamboo Store there

Bamboo pavilion by NMBA wins gold award

From 14-27 November, The Bamboo Store has been at the India International Trade Fair IITF 2009 as part of the National Mission on Bamboo Applications ( NMBA)'s specially designed bamboo pavilion. We had a display there of our bamboo products and I was conducting the first of its kind bamboo festival called BAMBOOSTIC ! I am happy to report that the festival was a super success with participation from people of all age groups and backgrounds ( from 3 to 60 year olds) who expressed themselves creatively in the painting, slogan and poetry writing competitions, all bamboo themed.

The icing on the cake however is that the NMBA pavilion won the Gold Award for Best Display ....................... putting bamboo definitely in the forefront !!

And while everyone focusses on the problem of climate change and global warming, all of us in the bamboo world including the participants of BAMBOOSTIC would like to offer bamboo as part of the solution to deforestation and other environmental problems.

New Bamboo Poem for Diwali

Diwali is round the corner,
Give Bamboo a place of honour!

Climate change is here to stay,
What a warm October I must say!

Bamboo can be the warrior great
Reducing global warming at any rate

Use bamboo and let the trees be
For that there is no extra fee

Bamboo for candlestands plenty
Of bamboo gifts, we have a variety

Come o come to the Bamboo Store
Where we have bamboo and more

BAMBOO ON THE ROAD - TREE GUARDS ENROUTE TO DEHRADUN

We, at The Bamboo Store, always get excited when we see bamboo being used in new and innovative ways. On a recent road trip to Dehradun, we saw something that really made us happy and our hearts sing. Bamboo has been extensively used as tree guards here all along the road as you approach the hilly stretch near Mohund. The bamboo has been painted a nice shade of green and all the greenery around this green bamboo was a beautiful sight. We were pleased because bamboo is such a sensible option for tree guards -

• it is locally available in most places,
• easily renewable,
• easy to work with and
• not resource intensive to produce such as metal tree guards.

Also, once the tree becomes big and the tree guard is no longer required, the bamboo can be re-used. Depending on the time-frame, if the bamboo has got spoilt, since it is bio-degradable, it can be returned to earth.

Enjoy these pictures of the eco-friendly tree guards !!

A sturdy, practical tree guard

You can't tell where the tree guard ends and plants begin - a melding of all things green

Bamboo for the Garden

Bamboo looks wonderful in the garden - natural or brightly coloured. Bamboo can be used in so many ways in the garden - both for functional and decorative purposes. You can use bamboo for fences, gates, planters, stakes, sculptures, fountains, water-pipes, garden candlestands, torches, solar and bamboo lamps, bird-houses, bird-feeders and much much more.

Here is one of the exciting things we at The Bamboo Store are creating for the garden

bamboo and coconut shell candlestands

Bamboo Furniture

There is something about bamboo furniture

Sturdy yet sleek

In the words of a poet

"A Bamboo Chair -- is mostly composed of Air".

Yes, it is this quality of lightness , of not being bulky that is appealing about bamboo furniture.

Enjoy this offering from The Bamboo Store, New Delhi, India

Bamboo Table Mats - Perfect Recipe for Aesthetic Meal-times

Bamboo Table mats all the way from Northeast India at the Bamboo Store - an elegant way to set the dinner table . Roll them up and carry them for a good-looking picnic lunch. Or why not eat in style at office too - the benefit of a bamboo table mat is that it is sturdy, washes well, can be rolled and carried easily and looks good !!

MY LATEST 'POME' FOR THE BAMBOO STORE

Stay cool in this economic meltdown
Don't wory, don't frown

Surround yourself with bamboo green
On this strong grass you can lean
Life will not seem so mean
In bamboo's embrace, you can preen!

Shut out the hot sun with bamboo blinds
Surely, one of the Bamboo Store's great finds
Create a cool atmosphere for great minds!

Bamboo for the table
Bamboo shoots on the table
If you are willing and ableBamboo is quite a staple !

Bamboo lamps to flood your home with light
Bamboo baskets for many purposes so right
Don't give up without a fight
Keep your spending really tight

So no more economic doom
Let bamboos boom !!

Bamboo products galore
Only at The Bamboo Store
N-11 rear Lane
N _ Block Market Greater Kailash Part I
New Delhi -110048

The World Wakes up to Bamboo

This is a story that has appeared on the CNN website - I think it is exciting that bamboo's potential is being widely recognised. We at the Bamboo Store have been working to do just this - show bamboo as a solution to the environmental and poverty issues in today's world.
The story is titled

Can bamboo tackle environmental and poverty concerns?
Story Highlights
-Bamboo could be source to lift thousands out of poverty in south east Asia
-Potential of industrial use of fast-growing plant lies in greater export market
-Bamboo must overcome image problem, say advocates

This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser.http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/02/15/eco.bamboo/index.html

EASY WAYS TO INCORPORATE BAMBOO IN YOUR LIFE

One thing I realise clearly now is that most people find it very difficult to think of ways to incorporate bamboo in their daily lives. Yes, they may be ecologically conscious and want to adopt bamboo. Yes, they may like the look and feel of bamboo. But they don't know how to begin to include bamboo in their daily lives. So, now for the next couple of blogs, I am going to look at how bamboo can be used at home, offices, restaurants, spas, gardens, etc. This will be like a practical guide to the various bamboo products available today, especially at The Bamboo Store. I will focus on particular products too and explain their construction and use.

For today it is a sampling of different bamboo products:

bamboo mats for your table

a variety of lamps

A Bamboo Life: Kitchen Garden in the City

Continuing the theme of " Bamboo Life" as in having a closer-to-Earth organic life, I am pleased to let you know that for years ( 14 to be precise), I have had a terrace garden - nothing fancy but just pots in which I have grown flowers and vegetables. More vegetables because I like the idea of growing my own food, using organic fertilizers ( cow manure and vermicompost). Watching the tiny flowers metamorphose into flavourful little tomatoes is wonderful. As I brush past the mint and the basil, they release their wonderful fragrance. Beans, onions, brocolli - they all share the sun in my garden. I use a lot of bamboo - to stake up the tomatoes , as a railing all along the terrace ( cheap and beautiful- not cold metal ) . Some pictures of my terrace garden - cheers to the Bamboo Life !

Notice the green bamboo railings above - they have lasted for years under the Delhi sun - just needs a coat of paint once in two years.

the heirloom tomatoes are heavy - the bamboo stakes are handy !

The Staff of Life

Bamboo in Northeast India is "The Staff of Life". It is there in the bamboo knife your umblical cord is cut with, the house you live in, the utensils you feed in, your daily implements, the pipes that bring you water, the bridges you walk on, the musical instruments you play and so till bamboo bier you lie on when your time on earth is up !

We have been working with bamboo craft communities in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland. Every state, every community has its own distinctive style of working with bamboo and even though the products are the same, baskets, containers, etc. each tribe/community has its own kind of bamboo product. We have been fortunate to work with bamboo artisans in most of the northeastern states and in Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh but somehow, Northeast and bamboo are synonymous. Perhaps, it is because bamboo is used with great felicity here and there are bamboo groves everywhere - bamboo housing, bridges, fencing, chicken coops, grain baskets, tea baskets and even pig cages - ever seen a squealing pig being transported !! Fish traps are beautiful in bamboo - strong and yet delicate, never spoiling despite being dunked in water for ages.

Working in Nagaland has been a highpoint - the design workshops there were led by Shahriyar. Some pictures from Nagaland -

heat-flattened bamboo culms

and woven bamboo products

Some of the products from our workshops and training programmes in the Northeast are available at The Bamboo Store. Believe me, each of them tells a story !!

Bamboo Group on Facebook

Well, today I did something I have been planning to do for a long time - I started a Bamboo Matters group on Facebook. I have been going blue in the face trying to tell people what a great material bamboo is - both in itself and as an alternative to wood and plastic. More than selling actual bamboo products, what is turning out to be critical is to sell the concept of bamboo itself. Instead of feeling frustrated by the lukewarm response people have to bamboo, I have decided to rededicate myself to the Bamboo Cause and double my efforts. I honestly believe that bamboo in the 21st century makes for great ecological and economic sense !! At the rate that trees are disappearing and how resource intensive plastic production is, bamboo is a great alternative - it grows fast, can be used as is with little preparation ( at least for certain things) - and inspiring me to do all this is Shahriyar - the steadfast Bamboo Man - for while I do venture into arts, crafts and culture, he has remained the quintessential Bamboo Guy !!

So to all those reading this, jump onto the Bamboo Bandwagon - let's roll ! Lets promote and adopt bamboo and leave the world a little better for the future generation !!

Bamboo Cutlery

Of late there have been many enquiries for bamboo cutlery at the store - from Australia, Slovakia and even India - for the Commonwealth Games !! Would be lovely to have an organic, fork, spoon and knife instead of the usual cold, fragile plastic stuff. I mean can you imagine eating with a golden, glowing, strong bamboo spoon and fork? Not afraid that it will snap into two like a plastic one does as you pick up a morsel ? And then once you are done with the meal, even if the cutlery is disposed, it is bio-degradable and will not fill up a garbage dump or landfill. Great idea - I would love to sell them - only if I had them !! Up until now, I have met artisans who make spoons, forks and knives - but these are all hand-crafted artisanal products. They will definitely not be able to produce in large quantities or at the throwaway prices the buyers demand . So I am still waiting for some manufacturers of bamboo cutlery. In the meantime , a picture of some bamboo cutlery - handmade in India !

Bamboo in The Garden

• The Bamboo Store is launching Garden Mania: A bamboo garden accessories festival to celebrate the onset of spring. A range of garden accessories in bamboo will be available from The Bamboo Store, N-11, Rear Lane, N Block Market, Greater Kailash Part I, New Delhi-110048 throughout the month of March.
  
  Bamboo is ideal for gardens, both as a planting material and for garden furniture and accessories. Firstly it is a natural bio-degradable material and therefore scores high on the eco-friendly point of view. Secondly, bamboo has a natural charm that adds greatly to the garden’s beauty - think of sweeping bamboo stands, the wind whispering through them. Think of a melodious bamboo wind-chime adding a lovely musical note … I could go on !!
  
  Reams have been written about the invasive nature of the bamboo plant, how it takes over the entire garden, its vast network of roots and shoots spreading wide. However, all that fear is exaggerated. You can take several measures to restrict bamboo in the garden to the spaces you want it to be present –
  1. plant the bamboo is sturdy pots and bury them in the garden,
  2. line the sides of the trench where the bamboo is to be planted with tin/aluminium sheets or a layer of bricks
  

In terms of garden accessories and furniture, the sky is the limit as far as using bamboo is concerned. Here are just some of the things that can be done in bamboo which we are stocking at the Bamboo Store:
· planters
· bird-houses
· bird-feeders
· chairs
· tables
· swings
· candlestands
· flares (mashaals)
· garden umbrellas
· fences
· gazebos
· garden lamps
· deer-scares
· sculptures
· wind-chimes

You don’t have to have a huge garden to have bamboo in it. Even a small terrace or balcony will do – get some lovely bamboo plants in pots and use it as a screen. Hang up some bird feeders, bird-houses, a wind-chime, a couple of bamboo planters with seasonal or succulents and voila! Your bamboo retreat is ready. If space permits, throw in a bamboo and fabric garden umbrella, a couple of bamboo loungers and you can relax in your bamboo paradise !