To the list of decorative articles used as thorana (door hanging) to adorn the main door of the house, adds dried paddy stalk thorana, made of naturally grown dry paddy stalks/ straws. Paddy thorana, which was till recently extensively used in the  Northern parts of the country, has pervaded Southern part too, with Mysuru being the latest entrant for the unique door hanging.

It is a traditional belief among the Indian households during the festivals to hang green rich mango leaves, tied to a piece of thread as thorana in a horizontal manner. They are hung from one end of the door frame to another, along with flowers to spread positive energy. However, as the innovation became the in thing, with age old traditional articles ceding space for the modern, plastic-made door hangings and decorative articles, ruled the roost.

Of late, there has been a demand for indigenously made artistic articles and the paddy straw made hangings is one such artistic product. Not just the door frames of the house, even the main door of the temples can be decorated with paddy thorana.

For the unversed, paddy thorana is called by the name ‘jhalar thoran’ in West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and most of the other North Indian States, which is used as a decorative item during Diwali (Deepavali festival). It is widely held belief among the populace there that, Deepavali, marks Narakasura Vadhe (killing of Narakasura), the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya from his Vanvas (exile) and the occasion to welcome Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, with a festive fervour.

Now, such traditionally made thoranas, mostly made from innately talented rural artisans are back to life, signalling the demand for such desi products.

Why paddy thorana?

Paddy thorana, either partly baked or dried, give a traditional look to the house, besides keeping alive the tradition spanning several generations. It is also said that, these thoranas were earlier attracting animals and birds as food, marking the early conservation method of wildlife adopted by the households.

K.R. Sumanth Kumar, the vendor of these thoranas at a make-shift shop on Bogadi Road near Kukkarahalli Lake in the city, said, they are sourced from Karwar in Uttara Kannada district.

“Natural manure is used to grow paddy crop from which the thorana is made of. The unique quality of this thorana is, it easily lasts for three to four years. No artificial paint or chemicals are used in the making. Most importantly, there is a belief that, it brings luck and prosperity to the households, thwarting any negative energy from entering the house,” said Sumanth Kumar.