My Grandma and Palmyrah!

My maternal Grandma, Magadalena Mary, was my best friend from my childhood who taught me the philosophy of life.  She was a mother of 11 children and grandmother of 48, but I am certain that I was the most favorite among them all.  I was not regular to school till Standard IV (middle school), but learnt a lot from her.

There were various kinds of trees & flowers in her home.  The most fascinating favorite, for me, was the palm tree in the backyard.  There was a well without walls, but full with water anytime of the year.  She'll make me to sit under this palm tree while washing the vessels.  This was the time that I had the opportunity to listen to some most interesting stories.  While listening to her stories, I'll enjoy watching birds like palm swift building their nest.  Most of the time, ripened ice apple ('Kadukaai', கடுக்காய் in Tamil) falls from the tree.  I would run to pick it and eat, but my Grandma would never allow me to eat them.  The reason she would tell me, "Ice apple is good for health, but not Kadukaai (ripened Ice apple).  It will cause stomach ache."  Her explanation would not suffice the adamantly screaming child that wants to eat them.  Grandma immediately would ask my uncle to bring ice apples from her palmyrah tree farm.  Imagine a 3-year-old kid eats 10 to 15 ice apples a day!  But that was what I was having for my breakfast, no wonder.  And there brings grandma, my coffee, made of palm jaggery.  Oh! how I love it!  The very taste still waters my mouth.  When its eleven in the morning, I'll get hot 'padhaneer kanji' (பதநீர் கஞ்சி) made out of the natural drink neera from palmyrah and rice.  In the evening, I get palm 'kilangu' பனங்கிழங்கு and palm fruit.  Needless to say, I grew up as a healthy girl getting all the nutrition / vitamin from all edibles from the palm.  The palm fruit, especially, is very delicious.  It subsides the excess heat generated in the body.

Panai Jaggery is being prepared from Palm Juice

Every year, my grandma used to plant new palm saplings.  I remember, once, I asked her this question, "Why are you doing it as a custom?"

Her answer was, "Don't you like the palm fruit?  ice apple? palm candy?"

"I love them grandma!"  I answered.

She then asked me "Don't you like the pond of our village?"

"Sure!" I said, "Its full with beautiful lotus.  The ever-living waters where you taught me swimming."

Now she said, "To save the traditional tree which is bound to our culture and heritage, my dear, we need to plant more."  She went on to say in her own style, "Planting palm tree preserves mother earth, nature, the water bodies like our village pond.  Do you know, my child, this tree is the best friend of mankind?  Let me tell you... each and every part of this tree is used in one way or other."

Yes, what my grandma said was absolutely correct.  Even now, as I re-live that evergreen talk, I remember, I was fanning the breeze with palm leaf!

Not long after that conversation, it was time for my grandma to say goodbye to this world.  After her, I was brought up in town and never wanted to visit the village again.

Several years later, I had to visit the same village for some cause.  Wait...! Did I say 'same village'?  No, it wasn't the same.  While my heart pounded to see that pond, that palm tree, and the beauty of the place, I never thought that I would see what I saw.  To make the long tragedy short, most of the palm trees in that village were cut, for money, by the farmers themselves who planted it.  They've gone to look for alternative trade.  I couldn't locate the pond.  People showed me a thorn bush and said that's where the pond used to be.  I had to return absolutely disheartened.  Since then, my mind was contemplating over this loss and I ended up making a decision.

Not long after..., I started learning the uses of palm tree and started working with the palmyrah farmers.  Thanks to my profession, being a professor, I invest at least a part of my lecture, to inculcate environmental consciousness, awareness, and values.  For the past six years, I have engaged my beloved student community with palmyrah tree toddy tappers in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Districts.

Me and my students with palmyra toddy tapper in the field.

I gratefully acknowledge my friends and supporters, Dr. Sethu Kumanan, Chairman, Sethu Bhaskara Group of Institutions, Mr. Bharathi, Director, RUDSET, and my co-worker, Samson.  Now, I am happy to see my grandma's assignment continued with farmers planting palm seedling.  This has made me feel that I have successfully crossed few milestones, but I agree with Robert Frost when he says, "Miles to go before I sleep."

The palmyra tree is one of our nature's best defense mechanism that can be saved; as well as our planet.