'When Rain Falls on My Leaf Hat': Forest Dweller on Growing Up With Mahul Leaves

The Mahul leaves are smooth and leathery, but unfortunately, they are slowly vanishing due to forest fires.

One can easily call Santu Yadav, who lives in a mud house in Bindawal village inside the Achanakmar Tiger Reserve of Chhattisgarh, a 'leaf hat man'.

Yadav, with his ready smile, is adept at making hats from large Mahul leaves to shield himself from heavy rains while grazing cattle inside the forest.

The leaves are smooth and leathery, but unfortunately, they are slowly vanishing due to forest fires.

"Animals also eat the leaves a lot, especially the gaur (Indian bison), which can be seen in herds. There are plenty of animals inside the reserve," said Yadav, who lives in a Gond-dominated village and is in tune with nature.

The village has an interesting story. Over 70 years ago, in 1949, Adivasi fire watcher Maiku Gond was killed by a tigress while on duty. The animal was later killed by a machan a few days later. Today, there is a memorial dedicated to Maiku near his village.

Tackling Forest Fires

Fires are a huge concern inside the forest from March to June, admitted beat guard Brijbhushan Manikpuri, in charge of the Chhaparwa range inside the reserve.

This year alone, nearly 110 fires have been reported. There are 108 fire watchers in charge of the same number of beats to control fires. A beat is usually between 500 and 1,000 hectares in Chhattisgarh. Awareness camps are also organised in all 19 villages inside the reserve.

In the peak fire season, fire blower machines are used to clear away dry leaves. As these are a concern, they are sometimes swept aside by the korni, a broom made of bamboo, if blower machines fall short in number.

Fire lines are created to clear paths and contain the spread of fires.

"Blower machines are heavy and sometimes difficult to carry in inaccessible areas. At that time, the brooms are used."

Brijbhushan Manikpuri, beat guard

Mahul: A Versatile Leaf

On first spotting him, Yadav was seated on a fallen branch wearing his special hat. He goes to the forest daily.

From the late morning hours until almost evening, he stays inside the forest throughout the year. When Yadav spots the gaur, he escapes from the place carefully. The solitary ones are sometimes dangerous, he told The Quint. 

The Mahul is commonly known as the Maloo Creeper or the Camel’s Foot Climber, as its shape resembles the foot of a camel. It is an evergreen climber found in central India. The Mahul has brown fruits bearing seeds that can be consumed.

Later at his house, Yadav explained that he first designed the hat from Mahul leaves at a young age to ward off heavy rainfall – and then went on making it after finding it useful. The hat is locally called khumri. It can be dismantled within minutes and made again with adjustments to its size and shape. Yadav likes to make them a bit conical, joined by little twigs.

Manikpuri informed us that the khumri was in vogue because, due to its light weight, people found it easy to carry it with them. The Baiga tribals used to make such hats a lot inside the villages, but now umbrellas, plastic sheets, and even raincoats are more common.

"These days it is difficult to enter deep inside the forest in the heavy monsoon and pluck the leaves. Mahul leaves are found mostly near river banks and water sources. I have to tolerate painful mosquito bites to collect the leaves," Yadav said.

'Demand of Leaf Plates Have Fallen'

Yadav’s wife, Rathia Bai, has other uses for Mahul leaves. Instead of hats, she uses the leaves to make plates, but she rues that the demand for leaf plates has reduced following the influx of plastic. Besides plates, bowls can also be made from the leaves. Even without making plates, the leaves can be spread out to serve food. The family sometimes uses the leaves for eating.

As Yadav sat down in the courtyard to make a hat, he said he never tried to sell it. Earlier, however, the family used to sell Mahul leaf plates when the use of plastic was minimal in remote villages.

"When rain falls on my leaf hat, it stays fresh, or else sunshine dries up the thing within days. If there is continuous rainfall, the hat lasts for a week, or else the sun makes it droop. When it is damaged or dried up, I throw it away and make a new hat," Yadav added.

Chhattisgarh’s forest-dwelling communities depend on a number of flowers, leaves, bark, and seeds gathered from the forest for livelihood purposes, medicinal uses, and even food. According to the Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce (Trading and Development) Cooperative Federation Ltd, Mahul is a non-medicinal forest produce. Its annual potential stands at 52,000 quintals, and the approximate trade value is Rs 8 crore.

In a time of disposable products made of plastic, which is harmful for the environment, the leaf hat and containers made from Mahul are examples of a natural and simple lifestyle.