The Dangra is a handmade bamboo basket, which is sort and used by the Gadaba people of Odisha, having a strong build and practical design. This medium basket is made by using flat bamboo strips tightly and firmly woven to impart strength and durability in all normal household and agricultural applications.
The Dangra settles into functionality and unique weaving patterns of the Gadaba tribe. The basket has a squarish base, making it quite stable for carrying or placing things. Each corner of the base has a slight projection, thus serving both aesthetics and stability when placed even on uneven surfaces.
The rim of the basket is circular, and this is further enforced by plaited bamboo strips to make sure that the basket keeps shape after long use. The reinforced rim gives it a grasp and meanwhile is capable of supporting the entire basket even while carrying a heavy load, like that of grains, vegetables, or firewood.
This makes it an appliance in use in daily living among Gadaba people, and thus the Dangra serves a very good testimony of the great knowledge that the people possess with bamboo as a material which forms a vital aspect of their cultural identity and self-sufficiency. Like in most tribal Artefacts, this basket does not only contain practical usage; it also carries knowledge and skills of generations.