Traditional Wooden Churning Keeps Ancestral Buttermilk Craft Alive in Surguja District

In Surguja district, Chhattisgarh, traditional artisans continue using wooden churners and ropes to produce pure buttermilk and ghee. Ratan Manjhi, who has practiced this ancestral method for 10 to 20 years, highlights its health benefits and superior taste.

In the rural heartlands of Surguja district in Chhattisgarh, the age-old practice of crafting authentic buttermilk and clarified butter using traditional wooden equipment remains alive and thriving. Bypassing modern industrial churners, artisans continue to rely on hand-carved wooden tools and ropes to separate butter from curd. Health-conscious consumers and local residents overwhelmingly prefer this traditional method, valuing the purity, rich flavor, and nutritional benefits that modern processing often lacks.

Ancestral Craftsmanship and Rare Wooden Tools
Ratan Manjhi, a practitioner of this craft, explains that the traditional churning rod, known locally as a mathni, is painstakingly carved from a wooden pole with distinct structural supports on both ends. Handmade wooden churners of this design have become increasingly rare in contemporary times. Manjhi notes that he inherited this specialized technique directly from his ancestors, preserving an essential element of regional heritage.

Health Benefits and Superior Taste Profile
Addressing the quality of the final product, Ratan Manjhi emphasizes that preparing buttermilk using iron implements or metal tools compromises both flavor and healthfulness. Conversely, curd churned slowly with a wooden mathni retains its natural goodness, producing a rich, smooth, and highly palatable drink. This exceptional quality drives strong demand across the village, where traditionally processed buttermilk is widely praised.

Decades of Heritage and Seasonal Production Dynamics
Having sustained this traditional practice for 10 to 20 years, Ratan Manjhi has successfully turned ancestral knowledge into a rewarding craft that earns both steady financial benefits and widespread community appreciation. Although buttermilk is produced continuously across all seasons of the year, production naturally expands during the rainy monsoon season due to an increased supply of milk. As the wooden churner is rotated rapidly using a rope, pure butter floats gracefully to the top surface, leaving clean, nutrient-dense buttermilk at the bottom of the container.

What this means for you
Across India: Rising interest in traditional food processing techniques is creating sustained demand for authentic, small-batch rural dairy products.

In Surguja: Local residents gain direct access to pure, nutrient-dense buttermilk and ghee produced without metal contamination.

Questions & Answers

1. What traditional equipment is used to churn buttermilk in Surguja?
In Surguja, a specially carved wooden churning rod known as a mathni and a rope are used to churn curd traditionally.

2. How long has Ratan Manjhi been practicing this traditional method?
Ratan Manjhi has been using this traditional ancestral method to make buttermilk and ghee for 10 to 20 years.

3. Why is buttermilk churned with a wooden mathni preferred over metal churners?
According to Ratan Manjhi, buttermilk prepared with iron tools lacks flavor and health benefits, whereas wooden churning preserves natural taste and nutrients.

4. During which season does buttermilk production increase?
While buttermilk is made year-round, production increases during the rainy monsoon season due to higher milk availability.

Inspiration & Lessons
Inspiration & Lessons:

• Preserving Ancestral Knowledge: Ratan Manjhi sustained a 10 to 20 year ancestral tradition despite the prevalence of modern mechanical churners.
• Uncompromising Quality: By rejecting iron tools in favor of wooden churners, he preserved both natural health benefits and authentic taste.
• Livelihood from Heritage: Traditional crafts can be successfully turned into a viable, respected, and profitable source of income.

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