This is a bamboo tray called Dali used by the Rabha Tribe living in most forested and riverine areas of Assam and northern West Bengal. This tray takes a circular shape as it is made by weaving strips of bamboo. It showcases the relationship of the Rabhas with nature and an outstanding craftsmanship with bamboo.What's unique about Dali is its small rim to keep things from getting messed up, usually decorative yet functional and preventing anything from slipping over its tiny rim. The entire rim itself is reinforced with stout and broad bamboo splits which make the tray rugged to carry heavier quantities, such as grains, fruits, vegetables, or even cooked food. That makes the tray shape-effective even with extensive use.
It serves various functions in daily tribal life. It finds its day-today usage during harvesting, drying grains in the sun, serving food, and acting as a serving tray in community feasts and rituals. Making it the best for seed sorting or winnowing rice as it has a lengthy flat surface area.The Dali is more than a simple functional object; rather, it expresses hospitality and domestic grace for Rabha households. It is made most often within the family itself, and all trays thus show beauty in applied design and culture carried through generations.The Dali speaks the green life of the Rabha tribe and their ingenuity in making something beautiful and sustainable out of a natural resource, bamboo.