Walk into a place that got its name from the coconut tree

[cowey]

The name Kerala has originated from two words namely ‘Kera’, which means the coconut palm tree and ‘alam’ which means land. This small strip of land is tucked away in the southern most tip of the Indian peninsula. It is widely known as the ‘God’s Own Country’. It abounds in natural greenery and biodiversity. The proliferation of flora and fauna in this state has few parallels anywhere else. From Kerala trips to distant places can be made either on one’s own effort or by availing the services of the tour operators.

In Kerala tourist resorts are now coming up on the banks of the backwaters of Kumarakom and other places in Alleppey district. When riding through the backwaters, a visitor will be taken through narrow alleys whose sides are thickly lined up with swaying coconut palms. Widely known as the ‘tree of life’, the different parts of the coconut tree can be used to make more than 1000 byproducts. While the wood of the coconut tree is used as a building material, the oil is processed and used as medicine and also for cooking purposes. The tender coconut water is now being promoted as a refreshing drink.

Till the advent of the modern concrete technology, roofs of houses, windows, doors and even the modern furniture was made out of coconut wood. Another use to which coconut wood has been put to use in the past was to store foodstuffs in tightly sealed wooden vessels. Due to the popularity of the natural food stuffs and natural ways of living the wooden forks and spoons carved out of coconut wood has many takers especially in the advanced countries. Recently a research institution has come out with the technology to enhance the shelf life of the coconut leaves.

Due to the interest shown by the visiting tourists to live in traditional structures, and also due to the importance given to things traditional by the tourism department, the use of locally available eco friendly building materials is given precedence over other modern building patterns and structures in the prominent resorts. In a majority of the tourist resorts the use of coconut tree products is widely seen. There are resorts that offer five star comforts in the rooms where thatched leaves are used as roofing material.

[vishal khanna]

Hey thanks for the information.... quite useful!!