Fishing is an essential aspect of the subsistence life of the Khonds of Odisha, who mostly resort to forested and hilly areas with natural freshwater bodies. Among their old tools, cotton fishing nets are simple but effective tools that reflect their use of sustainable interaction with the environment.With simple squareness, this fishing net is woven meticulously with cotton thread. Biodegradable and not heavy at all. The edge of the mesh is strung together with jute rope, lending great robustness and shape to the mesh. Two wooden rods are fitted to the opposite sides of the square net. They act as a supporting frame and as a handle to maneuver it through water. This old net is primarily used for catching short fishes in shallow streams, ponds, and flooded fields, so it is actually suited for subsistence fishing.
The net is a real indigenous invention, being totally constructed from nature and local materials. It showcases the learned art of the Khonds regarding their ecosystem while harvesting resources from the environment.Such handcrafted fishing gears are still common in far-flung tribal belts, not only as their livelihood tools but also as elements of identity of an independent way of living. Recording and preserving such instruments becomes all the more important since modern society is changing the rural landscape in order to understand the resourcefulness of the tribal communities.