For a yoga lover, the best Diwali gift is one they will unroll the next morning: a handwoven mat in plant fibre or plant-dyed cotton, packed without plastic, with your name on a card inside. We weave three that suit the three usual Diwali budgets, from about ₹1,800 to ₹3,500 at the time of writing. Below are the mats, how to time the order, and how to go about gifting for a team or a company.
Why a mat, at Diwali
Diwali gifts tend to be sweets, dry fruit and boxes that get passed on. A mat is different in three ways. It is used, daily, for years. It is made of cotton, grass or banana fibre and natural latex rather than PVC or synthetic foam, and we pack it without plastic; we describe exactly how in how we pack a mat without plastic. And it carries a story: our own weavers make every mat on handlooms in Komarapalayam, a textile town on the Cauvery in Tamil Nadu, and dye the cotton with plants. That story is worth a line on the card.
Three mats for three budgets
Prices are at the time of writing; the product pages show current figures.
| Sambu Frame | Banana Fibre | Prana Shakti | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made of | Sambhu grass woven with GOTS-certified organic cotton | Banana bark and banana fibre, cotton-bound | GOTS-certified organic cotton, six-ply |
| Thickness | 3 mm | 3 mm | 5 mm |
| Size | 183 × 68.5 cm | 183 × 68.5 cm | 188 × 69 cm |
| Weight | ≈1 kg | ≈1 kg | ≈1.5 kg |
| Colour | Tan field with a paler border | Undyed | Rose ground, seven chakra colour bands, plant-dyed |
| Suits | Hot-weather practice, meditation, travel | Seated practice, a firm floor feel | Daily asana, a gift with colour |
| Price now | ₹1,799 | ₹2,000 | ₹3,499 |
Sambu Frame (about ₹1,800) is the light, cool one: sambhu grass woven with organic cotton, firm underfoot, with a simple framed pattern that suits almost any home. It is the easiest to give to someone whose taste you are not sure of. Banana Fibre (₹2,000) is undyed and a little unusual; it suits a friend who sits more than they flow, or who likes a plain natural object. Prana Shakti (about ₹3,500) is the festive choice: a rose-coloured six-ply cotton rug with seven chakra colour bands dyed with turmeric, neem and tulsi among more than twenty herbs. In the chakra tradition each colour carries an association, which gives the card something to say; we describe the colours as tradition rather than fact in the seven chakra colours on a mat.
All three, like our other cotton, grass and banana mats, have a thin layer of natural tree latex brushed onto the underside by hand so they hold on tile, marble and wood. If you are allergic to natural latex, choose with care and write to us first; when buying for someone else, it is worth a quiet question.
Timing the order
Every mat is handwoven, and the weeks before Diwali are busy for everyone, couriers included. We will not promise a delivery date here because we would rather not break it; the Shipping page has our current terms, including free shipping above ₹1,999 and cash on delivery. The honest advice is to order earlier than feels necessary, and to have the mat sent to yourself rather than to the recipient if you want to hand it over in person with the card.
A note worth writing
Handwoven mats vary slightly from one another, plant colours soften over years, and a little colour comes out in the first rinse. None of that is a fault; it is what plant-dyed handloom cotton does. Say so on the card, or tuck in a line pointing to our Mat care page, and the person you give it to will treat the first wash as normal rather than as a worry.
Gifting for a team or a company
If you are buying for an office, a studio's teachers or a wedding party, write to us through the Contact page with the number of mats, the mats you have in mind and the date you are working to. Lead times depend on what is on the looms, and we would rather tell you honestly what is possible than take an order we cannot weave in time. Buying yoga mats for a studio covers what to think about when ordering many of the same mat, and for a teacher specifically our guide to gifts for yoga teachers goes into more detail.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Diwali gift for someone who does yoga?
A mat they will use the next morning: our Sambu Frame grass mat (about ₹1,800), Banana Fibre mat (₹2,000) or Prana Shakti chakra rug (about ₹3,500) at the time of writing. Each is handwoven, made of plant fibres and natural latex rather than PVC or foam, and packed without plastic.
Can I order Diwali gifts in bulk for my office?
Yes. Send the quantity, the mats and your date through the Contact page. Lead times depend on the loom schedule, so enquire early; we will tell you plainly what we can weave in time.
Will the mat arrive before Diwali?
We do not promise dates. Delivery depends on your location and the courier, and the festive weeks are among the busiest of the year. Check the Shipping page for current terms and order with more margin than you think you need.
Is the packaging plastic-free?
Yes. We pack mats without plastic; our article on how we pack a mat without plastic describes what we do and what we are still working to improve.
If you have a budget in mind, the Sambu Frame is the starting point under ₹2,000 and the Prana Shakti the one to give when colour is the point; all the mats are side by side if you want to browse.
