Bamboo forms an important resource for indigenous communities, especially in Asia with its abundant bamboo resources. Thin-walled bamboo is widely used for mat weaving by the tribal communities in Western Ghats, which forms a major utilitarian item. Two endemic bamboos, Teinostachyum wightii Bedd. & Ochlandra travancorica (Bedd.) Benth, are used for mat weaving by the communities, with the former being the most preferred species. The physical and anatomical properties of these two bamboo species are studied in the bottom, middle and top portions. The internodal length of T. wightii was found to be more (120 cm) in the middle, reducing the need for joining the slivers, which is an important parameter of mat weaving. Density ranged between 0.48g/cm³ and 0.59 g/cm³ for T. wightii. Vascular bundles were found to be predominantly of Type II. Fiber characteristics showed variations across height levels (bottom, middle and top) and radial positions of the species (outer, middle and inner). Mechanical properties were studied for the splits (IS 8242) that were used to produce slivers from the bottom, middle and top parts of both species. The study revealed that T. wightii splits had better MOE (6563 N/mm²) compared to O. travancorica (8334 N/mm²), which could explain the reason why it is the preferred choice of indigenous communities for weaving highly flexible bamboo mats with various designs.