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:''For high-altitude stunted evergreen forest found in southern India see [[Shola]]''
'''Sholapith''' or '''shola pith''' (also referred to as '''shola''' and '''Indian cork''') is a dried milky-white spongey plant matter from ''[[Aeschynomene]]'' species. It can be pressed and shaped into objects of art.<ref name=govt>{{cite web|url = http://www.murshidabad.gov.in/About.aspx#4 |title = Handicrafts & Silk Industry |accessdate = 2009-05-04|work = Indian Cork (Sholapith) |publisher =Murshidabad district authority}}</ref>

==''Aeschynomene''==
[[File:A piece of Aeschynomene sp. stem, close-up photo.jpg|thumb|A piece of Aeschynomene sp stem. The very thin, reddish brown layer around the stem is the bark. The whitish interior is the wood. The central, dark hollow tube contained the pith which disappeared with the ageing of the plant.]]

The useful part of this plant is the wood (secondary-xylem) of the stem. This wood is often mistaken as the pith.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Aeschynomene+indica|title=Aeschynomene indica - Useful Tropical Plants|website=tropical.theferns.info}}</ref>

The wood of ''Aeschynomene'' is among the world's lightest.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mortensen|first=Andreas|title=Concise Encyclopedia of Composite Materials|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=zs_lGeGsuaAC|page=888}}|date=8 December 2006|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=978-0-08-052462-7|pages=888–}}</ref>

Shola grows wild in marshy waterlogged areas. The biological name of shola is ''[[Aeschynomene aspera]]'' of the [[bean]] family. It is an herbaceous plant, which grows especially in the marshy areas of [[Bengal]], [[Assam]], [[Orissa, India|Orissa]] and [[Deccan Plateau|the Deccan]]. The sholapith is the cortex of the plant and is about 1.5 inches (38.1 mm) across.<ref name=govt/><ref>india-crafts.com</ref>

==Crafts==
Traditionally sholapith products have been used for decorating Hindu idols and creating the [[Topor (headgear)|headgear]] of brides and grooms for a traditional [[Bengali Hindu wedding|Bengali wedding]]. In more recent times, sholapith handicrafts have found a wider application in home décor such as Hindu gods and artistic objects.<ref>{{cite web|url =http://www.zimbio.com/Asian+Home+Decor/articles/34/Shola+craft+Bengal+Magic+soft+reed |title = Shola-pith |accessdate = 2009-05-04|publisher =zimbio.com}}</ref>

Sholapith is similar in form to man-made [[Polystyrene#Foams|polystyrene foam]] (sometimes known by the brand names Thermacol and Styrofoam), but is superior in terms of malleability, texture, [[wikt:lustre|lustre]] and sponginess.<ref name=govt/>

==West Bengal==
[[File:Craft sholapith.jpg|thumb|An example of sholapith craftwork.]]
In [[West Bengal]], this craft is mainly practised in the districts of [[Bardhaman district|Bardhaman]], [[Murshidabad district|Murshidabad]], [[Birbhum district|Birbhum]], [[Nadia district|Nadia]], [[Hooghly district|Hooghly]], [[Malda district|Malda]] and south 24 Parganas district. Sholapith craftsmen are known as ''Malakar'', meaning "garland maker", probably because they made shola garlands for idols and for the noble class.

About 5,000 artisans practice this craft. Craftsmen spend months on each piece.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aboutbengal.com/2009/02/shola_pith_craft_west_bengal/ |title=Shola pith craft of West Bengal |accessdate=2009-05-04 |publisher=aboutbengal.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208003607/http://www.aboutbengal.com/2009/02/shola_pith_craft_west_bengal |archive-date=December 8, 2013 }}</ref> In [[Murshidabad]] shola crafts are flowery designs, decorative headwear of gods and goddesses, garlands, figurines such as the faces of gods and goddesses, elephant [[howdah]]s, peacock boats and [[Litter (vehicle)|palanquins]].<ref name=govt/> Shola products are exported to across the world. In [[South 24 Parganas]], many poor families earn their livelihood from shola products. Big [[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]] ''[[pandal]]s'' of Calcutta are beautifully decorated using shola.

The idol makers of [[Kumortuli]] who traditionally produced clay idols have taken to making idols of sholapith and [[Fiberglass|fibreglass]]. While fibreglass products can cost around Rs 110,000-120,000, those prepared from sholapith cost Rs 90,000. The height of the idols can vary from four to nine feet. These are mostly purchased for Indian community [[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]] organizers abroad.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata_/Idol_demand_grows_abroad/articleshow/3551285.cms |title = Idol demand grows abroad |accessdate = 2009-05-04|publisher =Times of India, 2 October 2009 |date=2008-10-02}}</ref>

==Pith helmet==
[[File:Aden Pattern Pith Helmet.jpg|thumb|left|An "Aden" or "Cawnpore" style of pith helmet. They were manufactured in India until about 1938.]]
The shola (sola)-style [[pith helmet]]—also known as the sun helmet, topee, shola topee, salacot or topi, is a lightweight helmet made of shola pith, with a cloth cover and a particular design and thickness designed to shade and insulate the wearer’s head from the sun. It was popular among Westerners in India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Transjordan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, and other tropical and subtropical British colonies until the late 1960s.

Later this style of hat became associated with colonial oppression and was slowly abandoned by Western visitors,{{cn|date=July 2021}} but continues to be used by military units around the world. The Shola-style helmet has, however, recently gained popularity among traffic police in cities such as [[Chennai]] during the summer as they insulate the wearer from the heat.

[[File:Shola Pith Helmet.jpg|thumb|An Indian-made 'Bombay Bowler' shola-style pith helmet from the Second World War era.]]
The Shola-style pith helmet usually has a flattened top and thick brim with either square or rounded edges. It is easily confused with other styles of "pith helmets" that were manufactured outside India and are usually made from [[Cork (material)|cork]] or other materials. Some shola-style pith helmets feature a crisscross quilt-stitched cloth cover. The latter had more rounded edges at the brim. The cork-style pith helmets, contrary to their misleading name, are not made out of pith; they are much thinner, heavier, and more rounded on the top.

Both styles of hats feature [[wikt:puggree|puggree]]s, air vents, [[khaki]] or white covers and green inner brim liners. Some have chin straps made of leather, in others they are made of cloth. Some Shola-style pith helmets feature a thin leather belt that runs from under the puggaree across the top. The chin strap commonly runs across the front brim. Shola pith helmets are still sold in Indian, Pakistani and Nepali [[polo]]-equipment stores, though they are seldom used in matches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hotnewsitems.blogspot.com//2007/11/pith-helment-coming-back-in-style.html|title=Case Study Blog}}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Aeschynomene aspera]]''

==References==
Ghosh, Kundan 2015 Sholapith craft of West Bengal, International Journal of Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Studies, Vol.3, No. 1, 54-62{{reflist}}

{{Wood products}}
{{Culture of West Bengal}}

[[Category:Natural materials]]
[[Category:Wood products]]
[[Category:Artistic techniques]]
[[Category:Culture of West Bengal]]
[[Category:Hindu art]]
[[Category:Indian art]]

Sholapith - Revision history

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