The Art of Coconut Craft

Coconut: The Art of Coconut Craft

Vijaydatta Lotlikar (Master Craftsman)

i Coconut: The Art of Coconut Craft © Vijaydatta Lotlikar 255/1, Arradi, Parra, Bardez, Goa Ph +91 832 2472067 M: +91-9423834208. Email [email protected] Released under the Creative Commons 3.0 license, non-commercial, attribution (except text copyrighted by others). May be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, with attribution. ISBN 978-81-905682-34

Published by Goa,1556, Saligão 403511 Goa, India. http://goa1556.goa-india.org, [email protected] +91-832-2409490.

Goa 1556 is an alternative publishing venture, named after the accidental arrival of Asia’s ﬁrst Gutenberg-inspired printing press here. Other publications: SONGSOFTHE SURVIVORS (on Goans in Burma, Yvonne Vaz-Ezdani, ed, 2007), IN BLACK AND WHITE:INSIDERS’STORIES ABOUTTHE PRESSIN GOA (2008), GIRLS IN GREEN (alumni writings from St Mary’s, Mapusa, 2008) and MEDIEVAL GOA (Dr. T. R. De Souza, 2009), ANOTHER GOA (Frederick Noronha, 2009) Cover design by Bina Nayak http://www.binanayak.com Illustrations2 by Mahesh Naik, Assonora Photographs from the2 collection of Vijaydatta Lotlikar and by Frederick2 Noronha Printed and bound in Byculla, Mumbai by Rama Harmalkar, 93261022252 Typeset using LYX, http://www.lyx.org Text set in Palatino, 11 point.

Price: Rs. 195 in India. Overseas US$ 19.95 or Euro 13.95

The author acknowledges the receipt of a grant of Rs 25,000 from the Goa Government’s Directorate of Arts & Culture, under its Scheme To Provide Financial Assistance to Goan Authors and Publishers. Contents

A thank you vii

Preface: Coco matters xi

A word in appreciation xv

I EVERYTHING COCONUT 1

1 Coconut’s many uses 3

2 How others use coconuts 17

3 Terms from Goa 27

4 Goa’s toddy-tappers 37

II COCONUT CRAFT 41

5 What you can easily achieve 43

6 Getting started 49

7 Using the tools 53

8 Art of carving 63

9 Other techniques 67

10 Marketing 81

iii 11 Shell craft syllabus 85

12 Online craft links 89

III AN UNUSUAL MASTER-CRAFTSMAN 91

13 Calling coco shells 93

14 What the others say 97

15 An artist, his work 99

16 His world, a nut shell 101

17 Hobby to commerce 105

18 National awards 2008 109

Appendix: Coconut time line 111 To my father Parshuram Lotlikar, who left for his heavenly abode even while still in the midst of his mission of spreading his art of imitation jewellery.

A thank you

HISBOOKWOULD have never happened without the encour- T agement and opportunities provided by so many people and friends who helped in making my dream come true. The dream of building my skills in a useful craft, and sharing it with others who could make use of it, and take it forward. Thanks go to all my loved ones and the organisations — governmental and non-governmental — that helped me move further along this engrossing journey. They all shaped my Kalpvrik- sha (the art of coconut craft) into a project which started from just one single coconut shell accidentally reaching my hands. To this day, their support has helped me to pursue my little dream that otherwise lay hidden deep in the recesses of my mind. I am particularly grateful to the management, headmistress and staff of St. Xavier’s High School in the scenic village of Moira, in Goa’s Bardez taluka, and my many students over the years too, for appreciating and encouraging my art. I would be failing if I didn’t acknowledge my gratitude, due in a significant way to the officers and staff of the Goa Government, specially its Handicraft Department and its Rural Development Agency (RDA), for inviting me to conduct several workshops and exhibitions that helped to reinforce my art and interest in this field. A special thanks to Padmanabh Lotlikar, for encouragement and help, given to organise an exhibition at the State Institute of Education in Alto Porvorim. Likewise, I would like to thank Roland Martins and Lillian Da Costa of the Goa Desc Resource Centre in Mapusa, for focussing on my work quite early on, encouraging me to put up a talk at their Friday Balcão series and reporting it on the Net.

vii viii A THANK YOU

My thanks to Mario Moraes for assisting me at workshops and exhibitions. To C.S. Radhakrishna, who helped me edit and plan an earlier version of the book. To Priya Bhivshet, the computer instructor at St Xavier’s High School in Moira, for compiling information that has gone into this work. Also, specially to Frederick Noronha, who encouraged me to apply for the Directorate of Arts & Culture grant, and helped to put together this book on behalf of Goa,1556. Dr Nandkumar M. Kamat — microbiologist, environmental- ist and a Goa-ologist known for his encyclopedic knowledge on all things Goan — as expected, has done a great job in placing my humble work within the wider context of the relevance of the coconut in Goan history. His words in the preface are a valuable addition to this product and particularly encouraging to me. There are many sources of information, mostly online, which this book has depended on in a significant way. In particular, the Wikipedia, the collaboratively-crafted online encyclopedia, whose information on the coconut was most helpful. Books undeniably are our teachers and a source of knowledge and give us the opportunity to learn. This teaching I got freely from the Central Library in Panjim. Other sources have also been duly credited where ever possible. In case of any oversight in crediting, kindly bring it to our attention, so amends may be made in a future edition. A thank you also goes out to journalist Agnelo Pereira and photographer Vincent Braganza, who enthusiastically and innovatively lent their pen and camera respectively to appreciate my art, by reporting on my work through the local newspaper, Herald and the Times of India. My deep gratitude is indeed due to the editors of Tarun Bharat and Gomantak Times for giving wide coverage to my art, which resulted in drawing me further appreciation and encouragement from across Goa. My sincere thanks also goes out to Goa Doordarshan, the tele- vision station in Goa, for its audio-visual coverage of my work. The financial support from the Goa government’s Directorate of Arts & Culture made this book feasible; its officers and staff ix have always been cooperative and supportive. Printer Rama Harmalkar has been ever obliging in placing ink on paper and giving the shape to this final product. Bina Nayak, an artist educated at the prestigious Sir. J.J. College of Art, has come up with yet another of her innovative covers for my work. A deo borem korum to every one of the above, and also to all those who have helped me in any other way. Your help made my work possible. ***

WORDABOUT this book itself. For ease of reference and A absorption, I have divided its pages into three parts. The first gives relevant information on the coconut tree’s different parts and varied uses. The second part, the kernel of this book: it looks at coconut craft and my experiences in this field. Finally, the third section includes articles mainly written about me in the local media. I think these write-ups give an overview of what my work is all about, as portrayed to readers of these publications in Goa. I hope you find this book of some use, and benefit. I look forward to your feedback. Vijaydatta Lotlikar Parra, Goa October 2009 Kalpvriksha is a mythological, wish-fulfilling divine tree that is a common trope — expression used in a figurative sense — in Sanskrit literature from the earliest sources onwards. See Rig Veda (1.75; 17.26). Along with the kamadhenu, or the ‘wish-giving cow’, the kalpvriksha originated during the samudra manthan or “churning of the milk ocean”, and the king of the gods, Indra, returned with it to his paradise. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalpavriksha Preface: Coco matters

WAS BORN on a day considered auspicious in the Hindu al- I manac – Narali Poornima. It marks the end of the monsoons and the beginning of a new fishing season, and a huge number of coconuts are offered to the sea to appease it. Apart from my birth coinciding with a day known for its coconut ritual, there is another reason I can fully identify with this book, its theme and the artistic impulse of Vijaydatta Lotlikar. I happen to be a tall person; people in my village would compare me with the maad, the coconut tree. ‘Kitlo lamb re tu, samko maad kaso vadla mure!’ I often heard such ‘compliments’ as I walked along village roads. Being brought up in a village with a number of rolling coconut palms on khazan bundhs (riverside protective walls), my encounter with coconut trees intensified from childhood to boy- hood. Finally it even assumed a certain spiritual dimension. And this is how.... Behind our old house at Bondir, Santa Cruz (Calapur), my father planted a coconut seedling (kavatho). I grew up with it: I used to talk to that tree with a degree of innocence. I would sit below it and read books while watching the crimson sun set behind Panjim’s Altinho hill. I penned poems under its gentle patronage. When it flowered after five years, we celebrated. When it produced the first bunch of coconuts, my father did not permit anyone of us to consume them. The first crop was offered to our family deity, Lord Ganesha of Khandola. When we harvested the second crop, we could not believe our eyes — each coconut was like a large clay pot, a modki. The tender ones produced

xi xii PREFACE: COCO MATTERS more than a litre of water. Each coconut shell was like a large bowl. But after 12 years, the tree had make way for our new house. I couldn’t stop its cutting. It was a choice between a new house and my beloved coconut tree. I left the house when the workers arrived to slaughter the tree. My mother was also unhappy. My father assured her that the best coconut from the tree to be sacriﬁced would be planted in front of our new home. He kept to his word. The next morning, I spotted the coconut logs stacked in the garden. For me it was almost a stack of human bones. I wept alone. Something had been removed from my life; a strange emptiness was created by the absence of that tree. For the next two years, I watched the stacked logs decompose. Then, nothing was left. I wrote an article in Konkani, Madparabrahmache ek zad, recalling my almost spiritual relationship with that tree. Con- cluding that article, I expressed my wish that my body be placed on a pyre of coconut logs and dry leaves, so my mortal matter could become one with coconut bio-material. Late Konkani poet Shankar Ramani was moved by the article, to send me a postcard.

***

Can Goa, Goans and their identity exist without coconut trees? Our traditional ﬁsh-curry would lose its personality without the coconut. For that matter, a large number of Goan recipes would have no meaning without coconut. Goa is among top eight coconut producing states in India, yet we have to import coconuts for domestic consumption. One could mention here that the ﬁrst organised coconut plantations were established in Goa at least 3000 years ago. Before that, coastal Goa had wild coconut plantations, as an integral part of coastal ecosystem. The major credit for popularising coconut- based horticulture and village artisanship should rightly go to the 225 gaunkaris (village communities) of Goa. The gaunkaris xiii promoted dense plantations as reliable wind-breaks in the sub- coastal region. These plantations performed a useful ecological role – binding soils and sand, reducing wind and storm energy. Then, probably during the Satav¯ ahana¯ period1, the toddy- tapping business was developed. A coconut tree is known to yield 400-500 litres of toddy, from which 18 bottles of vinegar can be produced per year. So the coconut tree also promoted the genesis of traditional fermentation and distillation technology. While exploring Goa’s biodiversity, I noticed that the coconut tree is not just another tree. It has in fact evolved with the local ecosystems, food chains and food webs. Cataloging the life forms dependent on a single mature 15-20 year-old coconut tree, I could count more than 1200 species — from bacteria to fungi, lichens, insects, arboreal mammals and birds. Later, during my Ph. D. research work, I cataloged 40 mush- room species associated with some or the other part of the coconut tree. It became clear to me that we need to see the coconut tree as a super cluster of micro-habitats. Yet, the Goa Tree Conser- vation Act doesn’t even consider the coconut tree as a protected species. When a mature tree is cut, we lose the micro-habitat of some 1200 species. What alternatives exist for these life forms? Who does the environmental audit or costing? *** Coconut links the ecosystem and species diversity to the diversity of human creative and cultural expressions. The art of Vijaydatta Lotlikar shows what’s possible using coconut bio- material as a medium. Vijaydatta is limited perhaps only by his own imagination; every part and product of coconut tree offers limitless opportunities to invent different uses. It was Goa’s pivotal position as a trade emporium of the East and a maritime centre which introduced here the knowledge of

1The Satav¯ ahana¯ Empire also known as Andhras ruled from Junnar (Pune), Prathisthan (Paithan) in Maharashtra and Kotilingala (Karimnagar) in AP over Southern and Central India for maybe 450 years till around 220 CE. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satavahana_dynasty xiv PREFACE: COCO MATTERS using various coconut products and parts. At least a hundred applications can be considered. For instance, the vheerachi sann or khutaro — the broom made from the thick, ﬁbrous ribs of the dry coconut leaf — is Goa’s innovative, eco-friendly product. Vijaydatta Lotlikar’s approach to complement and supple- ment Goa’s own coconut lore, coconut ethos, is essential to promote a culture of consumption of bio-degradable and eco- friendly materials, generate intellectually satisfying rural employment and reduce the ecological footprints of global warming — because planting of more coconut trees means more carbon sequestration. For natural disaster management on Goa’s coastal areas, there is no substitute for creation of a bio-shield of densely planted coconut trees, covering many tiers from the beachfront to settlements. Lotlikar’s useful, practical tipscould rejuvenate the interest in the revival of Goa’s coconut lore and traditional artisanship based on coconut products. It could serve as an important guide for teachers of environmental education and instructors of handicrafts. This is a book which realises the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and Ram Manohar Lohia. Goa can see sustainable rural prosperity by the intelligent promotion of coconut based economy, processes and products. This is a pioneering publication on the subject in Goa and needs to reach every Goan who’s true to his Goencho nall! It needs to be seen in the hands of our children. The art of Vijaydatta Lotlikar has to be practiced and not forgotten.

Nandkumar Mukund Kamat Asst. Professor, Goa University , Taleigao, Goa. Oct 2, 2009. 140th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi A word in appreciation

VERYHUMANBEING ﬁnds his destiny, either through deter- E mined pursuit or by some pleasant coincidence. In Vijay- datta Lotlikar’s case, it has been a mix of both. Getting interested in the ﬁne arts and becoming a crafts instructor was the pursuit part. But the pleasant coincidence part eluded him – for quite some years. Until, that was, Lotlikar discovered one day that the door to his achievement lay in the humble cotti, as the empty shell of the coconut is called in Goa. It invited him through its three hypnotising eyes to have a closer look. A world of wonders lay in wait. He discovered that coconut shells could be more individual than humans. No two coconuts are alike, each is a unique piece. Closer study taught him that the shells are nature’s alternative to plastic. They can themselves be shaped in many ways to create items of immense beauty. As days and months rolled by, his home accumulated many a piece of shell-craft. Friends and acquaintances began admiring him for creating those beautiful artwork. Some exhorted him to make more such exquisite pieces, so that they could turn into potential gift items. But at that time such professionalisation seemed out of the question. Read on to learn more about the Lotlikar story in the pages of this text.

C.S. Radhakrishnan

Part I

EVERYTHING COCONUT

1. Coconut’s many uses

FFICIAL statistics say Goa has 23,500 hectares covered under O coconut plantation. “Think of Goa and a coconut tree cannot be missed out of the picture. Coconut cultivation, is one of the main moneymaker in many villages,” adds the Goa Tourism website1. Wikipedia2, the collaboratively crafted online encyclopedia, notes that the coconut is grown “for decoration as well as for its many culinary and non-culinary uses; virtually every part of the coconut palm has some human uses.” Across India, the coconut palm is known as the Kalpvriksha, or the ‘Tree that Fulﬁlls Wishes’, it being among the most useful of plants in these areas. This gets reﬂected in other cultures as well. In Malay, the coconut is pokok seribu guna (“the tree of a thousand uses”). In the Philippines, it gets the title “Tree of Life”.3

Uses

Nearly all parts of the coconut palm are useful. Coconut palms have a comparatively high yield, up to 75 fruits per year. Some estimates say the coconut tree offers employment to upto 10 million people in India. The pinnate (feather-resembling) leaves serve coastal and rural areas, for protection and as a means of sustenance. Items of coco leaves — baskets, caps or mats — attract tourists. Coconut

1http://www.goatourism.org/ 2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut 3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut

3 4 CHAPTER 1. COCONUT’S MANY USES leaves have been used as a dress to cover the body in some parts of the world, and footware comes from weaving strips of leaves. Children in yesteryears’ Goa made toys of coconut leaves, out of which ‘bangles’ and ‘watches’ were fashioned. Coconut trunk has been a substitute for pedestrian bridges, to cross canals or narrow streams, with two to three trunks placed alongside each other. In the past, coconut palm trunk was cut into two, lengthwise, and its ﬁbre removed. This served as canals for transporting water for irrigation.

For roof rafters (left), brooms and ropes (right) in Goa.

Dried coconut, called copra, contains valuable oils. Says the Coconut-Connections.com website4: “Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which is known for being anti-viral and anti-bacterial. Studies have been done on its effectiveness in lowering the viral load of HIV/AIDS patients. Coconut oil is being used by thyroid sufferers to increase body metabolism, and to lose weight. Virgin coconut oil is used for making natural soaps and other health products, as it is one of the healthiest things we can put on our skin.” Coconut is refined, tasteless, odourless and colourless. When cooled to below 24 degrees Celsius, it is set to a white-to- brownish yellow fat. Refined coconut oil contains Vitamin E, and is used in the manufacture of scented hair oil, and high- quality toilet soaps (high lauric acid content is believed to offer quick lathering properties). Coconut oil is used in preparing confectioneries, and acts as a laxative and a germicide. Women use face cream made from fresh coconut milk, which is rich in proteins. In Goa, the pre-marriage ceremony called ros has brides and grooms bathing in coconut juice.5 Coir – brown fibre extracted by beating the fibrous husk – goes into making ropes, cords and brushes for white-washing.

4http://www.coconut-connections.com/virgin_coconut_oil.htm 5http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg39649.html 5

Artiﬁcially coloured coir can make beautiful decorative material, door mats and mattresses. The latter are found useful to treat backache, spinal problems or even spondilosis. Coconut ﬁbre (coir) is used to make various items like mats, wall-hangings, ropes, strings, multipurpose brushes, and carpets. Floor tiles are made out of coir too.

Coir is also used for industrial purposes as filters and insu- lators for machinery. Ropes made from coir are preferred on ships. Coir ropes had many uses aboard ships before natural fibre ropes were replaced by synthetic ones. It is lighter than other natural-fibre ropes, more resilient, and floats on water.

Historical records talks of the use of coir ropes in the late 18th century, which was “used by Vasco da Gama (and) still favoured by the Arabs”. The best yellow coir was said to be grown on the Laccadive Islands, and the Cannanore and Tellicherry merchants had a large trade in coir and cowries with the islands. It later came from the Maldives, which sent in coir of a redder hue. The quality of coir from different areas – the Malabar coast, ﬁsher- men’s coir from Anjengo, Ceylon coir from Galle to Negumbo, and the Coromandel has been discussed too.6

Coconut pith – a soft lightweight residue from the beaten ﬁbrous husk separated from the ﬁbres – is used as a soil conditioner, for retaining water in horticulture and ornamental gardening. Pith is used for manufacturing bricks, which are popular in Sri Lanka.

6See The Bombay Country Ships, 1790-1833 by Anne Bulley. 6 CHAPTER 1. COCONUT’S MANY USES

Music... from the coconut: Musical instruments have had their bodies made of dried half coconut shells. For instance, the Chinese yehu and banhu, the Vietnamese dàn¯ gáo and Arabo- Turkic rebab. Amazon.com has been offering on sale a “unique, one-of-a- kind handcrafted, hand painted and hand polished coconut ukelele, entirely made of coconut wood and having a coco shell backing as the ukelele body.” It comes from Mactan Island in the Province of Cebu, Philippines. Wiki.encyclopaediaindica.com says folk musical instruments like the pungai (been) and khamak (ekta) are also created using coconut parts. So is the plectrum of the sarod which is made out of coconut shell wood. The body of the one-stringed ektara – played by folk singers and fakirs – is made from the shell of a bottle gourd or a wood apple or a coconut. The resonator of the gopichand (gopiyantra or the khamak, a folk-instrument of Bengal) – is made of coconut or gourd.

But the part of the tree that caught my imagination and curiosity the most is the coconut shell. My efforts are on to prove that the articles which I’ve made of coconut shell can substitute other non-ecofriendly articles. Tender coconut shells are bio-degradable. They are white and soft, and facilitates easy cutting, carving and designing of articles, both ornamental and others. Well-matured shells are hard and woody, and gain a lustre on polishing. Shells have industrial uses – as fuel, as a decolorising agent in chemicals, for pharma uses, and in allied industries. Shell powder is used in producing agarbattis (scented sticks), mosquito repellent coils, compressed wood, and toys. According to the Coconut Development Board of India, coconut shell powder ﬁnds extensive use in the plywood and laminated board industry as a phenolic extruder and as a ﬁller in synthetic resin glues, mosquito repellent coils and agarbattis. 7

Coconut shell powder is preferred to other alternate materials available in the market such as bark powder, furfurol and peanut shell powder because of its uniformity in quality and chemical composition, better properties in respect of water absorption and resistance to fungal attack. The product is manufactured in sizes ranging from 80-200 mesh. Keeping in view its vast industrial uses, the demand for coconut shell powder appears to be promising, says the Coconut Development Board. Jaggery is a traditional unreﬁned sugar, also made from the coconut palm in parts of India and Sri Lanka. Jaggery is made by evaporation, where toddy is boiled and its water content is allowed to vaporise. On thickening over a period of a week, it is poured into moulds and cooled. This is how we get jaggery in Goa typically shaped like a pyramid, or as discs elsewhere. Reports from Kochi in 2004 (The Hindu) said efforts to make value-added products from coconut had reached “a rewarding phase” with the development of new technology for processing the sap derived from the coconut inﬂorescence. The technology can be utilised for making honey, jelly, toffee, granules and cake, Kerala Agricultural University assistant professor M.P. Giridharan was quoted saying. Feni is the traditional Goan liquor made from the cashew apple or coconut sap. Toddy is fermented, and, by distillation, coconut feni is obtained.7.

Food products

These are some of the food products extracted from the coconut. This section draws from the Wikipedia page listing the use of coconut8, among other sources.

7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut#Uses 8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut 8 CHAPTER 1. COCONUT’S MANY USES

Coconut meat: Nutritious, and used as an ingredient in many food preparations. The edible white meat of a coconut is often shredded for use in curries, cakes, etcetera. It is used fresh or dried in cooking.

Dessicated coconut: Mainly absorbed by the confectionery and food industries.

Coconut water: Sterile, nutritious and thirst-quenching. Pos- sesses therapeutic properties. Contains sugar, ﬁbre, proteins, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Pro- vides an isotonic electrolyte balance, and is a highly nutritious food source.

Coconut milk: Made by processing grated coconut with hot water or milk, which extracts the oil and aromatic compounds. It should not be confused with the coconut water discussed above, and has a fat content of ap- proximately 17%.

Coconut cream: Ready-to-use product, can be either used directly or diluted with water in various edible preparations.

Spray dried coconut milk powder: Best method for preserva- tion of coconut milk. Can be reconstituted into coconut milk by adding water.

Coconut chips: Ready-to-eat snack food.

Copra: Two types, milling and edible, are made in India. Coconut oil: Contains short and medium-chain saturated fatty acids. Easy melting behaviour, resistance to oxida- tive rancidity, pleasing ﬂavour and good digestibility.

Virgin coconut oil: Oil extracted from fresh coconut (not copra) meat by mechanical or natural means, with or without using heat. To protect the oil’s essential proper- 9

ties, avoids chemical reﬁning, bleaching, or deodor- izing. Said to be high in vitamins and minerals.

Toddy: Fresh toddy, obtained from tapping the inﬂorescence of coconut palm. Excellent beverage and a rich source of sugars.

Coconut jaggery: Coarse, dark ‘sugar’ made from the sap of the coconut palm. Also described as a traditional un- reﬁned non-centrifugal sugar. Made for direct consumption. Calcium and phosphorous are the important minerals contained in coconut jaggery. Treacle is another product manufactured from sweet toddy, obtained by boiling down the toddy.

Coconut water beverages: Tender coconut water can be pre- served and packed in aluminum cans and pouches for marketing as a soft drink.

Coconut vinegar: Manufactured from matured coconut water. Used in the pickle industry, salads, sauces. Vinegar aids digestion and improves the quality of cooked meat and ﬁsh. In Goa, vinegar is made from coconut palm toddy. It is used in the cooking of meat, poultry, and pork dishes, and as a pickling agent.

Livestock feed: Left-over ﬁbre from coconut milk production is used as livestock feed.

Fragrance: Coconut’s smell comes from the 6-pentyloxan-2-one molecule, known as delta-decalactone in the food and fragrance industry.

Heart of palm or palmito: Apical buds of adult plants are edible and are known as “palm-cabbage” or heart-of-palm. A rare delicacy, as the act of harvesting the bud kills the palm. Hearts of palm are eaten in salads, sometimes called “millionaire’s salad”. 10 CHAPTER 1. COCONUT’S MANY USES

Coconut sprout: Newly germinated coconuts contain an edible ﬂuff of marshmallow-like consistency called coconut sprout, produced as the endosperm nourishes the developing embryo.

Rice packets: In the Philippines, rice is wrapped in coco leaves for cooking and subsequent storage — these packets are called puso.

Snow ball tender nut: White round soft kernel scooped out from the shell, with the water intact, using a ﬂex- ible knife. Eight to nine month old nuts are used.

Nata de Coco: A chewy, translucent, jelly-like food product produced by the bacterial fermentation of coconut water and carrageenan. Originates from the Philippines.

Coconut candy: Prepared from grated coconut mixed with coconut milk. High ﬁbre content.

Coconut biscuits: Prepared from dried, grated coconut with the addition of maida, sugar, baking powder, confectionery fat, cardamom powder and salt. 9

Non-culinary

Coconut has many non-culinary uses too. Here are some more examples:

Coir: The fibre from the husk of the coconut is used in ropes, mats, brushes, caulking boats and as stuffing fibre; it is also used extensively in horticulture for making potting compost.

Coconut oil: Also used as a medicine and in cosmetics, or as a direct replacement for diesel fuel.

9Source: Mainly from the Coconut Development Board. 11

Leaves: Provide materials for baskets and rooﬁng thatch.

Palmwood: From the trunk is increasingly being used as an ecologically-sound substitute for endangered hard- woods. Used in furniture.

Trunk hollows: Used by Hawaiians to form drums, containers, or even small canoes.

Husk and shells: Can be used for fuel and are a good source of charcoal.

Dried half coconut shells: With husks are used to buff ﬂoors. Called ‘bunot’ in the Philippines, or the ‘coconut brush’ in Jamaica.

Shirt buttons: Made from dried coconut shell. Coconut buttons are often used for Hawaiian Aloha shirts.

Stiff leaﬂet midribs: Go into cooking skewers, kindling arrows, or brooms and brushes (after being bound into bunches).

Roots: Used as a dye, a mouthwash, and a medicine for dysentery. Also as toothbrushes.

Leaves: Can be woven to create effective rooﬁng materials, or reed mats.

Drained coconuts: Can be ﬁlled with gunpowder and used as improvised explosive devices.

Coconut-shy: In fair-grounds, a ‘coconut shy’ is a popular target practice game, and coconuts are commonly given as prizes.

Home: A coconut can be hollowed out and used as a home for a rodent or small bird. Halved, drained coconuts can also be hung up as bird feeders. 12 CHAPTER 1. COCONUT’S MANY USES

Prevent fogging: Fresh inner coconut husk can be rubbed on the lens of snorkelling goggles to prevent fogging during use. Burnt: Dried coconut leaves can be burned to ash, which can be harvested for lime. Musical instruments: Dried half coconut shells are used as the bodies of musical instruments, including the Chinese yehu and banhu, and the Vietnamese dàn gáo. Herbal remedy: To treat bites from rats, in Pakistan. Coconut trunks: Used for building small bridges, preferred for their straightness, strength, salt resistance Lime: Dried coconut leaves can be burned to ash, which can be harvested for lime. Houses: In Kerala and Goa, coconut trunks are also used for house construction. Tourists appreciat ‘coco-huts’ built on coconut trees at beaches in Palolem (Cana- cona) and parts of the Pernem coast, in North Goa. Soap: Coconut nuts are used to make soap. Baskets: Leaves were woven together into a basket to drawing water from a well. Fuel: The dried Calyx of the coconut is used as fuel in wood ﬁred stoves. In Goa, in the past, before electric- ity was widely available, even one generation ago, dried shells were burnt and used in specially-crafted irons to press clothes. Sponge: The fresh husk of a brown coconut is also used as a dish sponge or as a body sponge. Tongue cleaner: The mid-rib of the coconut leaf is used as a tongue-cleaner in Kerala. 13

Sher D Fly lists 20 more uses for the coconut: tableware, fashion accessories, furniture, fuel-source, brooms, barbecue skewers, ropes, brushes, musical instruments, roofs, hair oil, bridges, canoes, soaps, toothpaste, relieving minor skin irrita- tions, compost made of the fibre of coconut husk, virgin coconut oil, and dye. 10 Lakshadweep, India’s largest producer of coconuts, is try- ing to find new uses for its crop. Some suggestions include vinegar (natural preservative), jaggery (a colloidal sugary substance made out of toddy), dessicated coconut powder, snowball tender coconut, ball copra, coconut cream, coconut fibre products, and converting waste coconut pith into usable manure and brickets.11

Recipe: Coconut dosa Ingredients: Raw rice ... 2 cups; Urad dal (black gram).. half cup; Coconut (grated)... half cup; Salt ... to taste. Method of preparation: Wash and soak rice and dal together for three to four hours. Drain completely. Grind it into a ﬁne paste along with coconut and salt. Remove and keep aside for eight hours. Spread one ladle of batter on a heated greased tava. Cover for 2-3 minutes till cooked. Remove from the tava carefully, and serve hot. (Source: Indian Coconut Journal)

The coconut tree endows us with sugar, wine, vinegar, oil (khobrem), water, milk, wood and yarn. From the ... coconut varie- gated art objects are made. Thus, the coconut tree is truly the king among the trees. – Caetano de Abreu, in Herald, June 12, 2008.

10http://www.gomestic.com/homemaking/20-more-uses-for-coconut/ 11http://lakagri.nic.in/ 14 CHAPTER 1. COCONUT’S MANY USES

Coconut links

THEARTOFCARVINGOUTCOCONUTINTHEHUSK http://made.in.coconut.free.fr

COCONUT VARIETIES ENDEMICTO SRI LANKA http://www.fao.org/docrep/x0270e/x0270e03.htm#P168_10799

COCONUT RESEARCH CENTER http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/

COCONUT TIME LINE http://cocos.arecaceae.com/

PLANT CULTURES: botany, history and uses of the coconut http://www.plantcultures.org/plants/coconut_landing.html

PURDUE UNIVERSITY CROP PAGES:COCOSNUCIFERA http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/ Cocos_nucifera.html

COCONUT http://www.bioversityinternational.org/Plants_and_Animals/ Coconut/index.asp

COCONUT GENETIC RESOURCES. COGENT (International Coconut Genetic Resources Network) — IPGRI (International Plant Genetic Resources Institute). http://www.bioversityinternational.org/Publications/ pubﬁle.asp?ID_PUB=1112 15

DESCRIPTORSFOR COCONUT (COCOSNUCIFERA L.) http://www.bioversityinternational.org/Publications/ pubﬁle.asp?ID_PUB=392

NUTRITIONALVALUESFORCOCONUTPRODUCTS http://www.bloodindex.org/nutrition-values-common-foods/ search-foods-for-nutrition-value.php?food_key=Coconut

COCONUTCHARCOAL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_charcoal

COCONUTCREAM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_cream

COCONUTMILK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_milk

COCONUTOIL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil

COCONUT WATER http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_water MAYPAN COCONUT PALM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maypan_coconut_palm COCONUTCANDY http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_candy Multiplying bee colonies in coconut plantations enhances the number of bees visiting the inﬂorescence, pollination rate and thereby productivity of coconut to a tune of 20 per cent. – Indian Coconut Journal, July 2009.

2. How others use coconuts

ITHCOCONUTPRICES failing to keep up with inﬂationary W trends, and competition growing, planters of this versatile nut are looking for alternative ways to enhance their income. Options are growing too. Some successful coconut ventures include coconut water- based health drinks, and vinegar, and miscellaneous food articles available in global markets. Nata de coco is a chewy, translucent, traditional Philippine dessert which is “coconut gel-product from coconut water by bacterial fermentation-prepared.” There is a growing demand for nata de coconut in Japan and Malaysia, and technology for making it is available. There is also a large demand globally for kernel and sap-based coconut products, coconut liquid milk, coco milk powder, and desiccated coconut. Solution Exchange for the Food and Nutrition Security Community, a United Nations initiative to share information within India, recently raised this issue and got some useful hints about the versatile plant.

Coconut supplies food, drink and shelter to humans, along with raw material to a number of industries. A coconut palm has 12 different crops of nuts at any point of time, from the opening ﬂower to the ripe nut. Each part is a source of food, ﬁbre, medicine or for producing handicrafts. New ideas are coming up for tender coconut water sales too. Tender green coconut can be trimmed (removing a considerable portion of the husk) and shaped such that it can be attrac- tively marketed by shrink-wrapping to prevent desiccation.

17 18 CHAPTER 2. HOW OTHERS USE COCONUTS

Thailand has aptly used this method. In India, several companies are innovatively marketing coconut water. They are being sold on green carts in Hyderabad, as ‘Tender Fresh’ in Bangalore and ‘Coconectar’ in Kerala. Other commercial value additions for coconut, which are being increasingly noted, are: canned sweet toddy, one of the major coconut products in Sri Lanka; coconut sugar (Indonesia and Thailand are leaders) and coconut oil. Coconut oil, besides being edible, is used in soaps, toiletry articles, plasticizers, safety glasses, rubber substitutes, paints, synthetic detergents, etc. Glycerin, derived from coconut oil, is also in demand for medicines, personal care products, food and beverages, and animal feeds. Virgin coconut (VC) oil is now emerging as the most valuable coconut product, with the Philippines as the major exporter. The export price ranges from $US8 to $12 per litre of cold processed oil. As noted earlier, virgin coconut oil is derived from fresh coconuts (rather than dried, as in copra). It is produced by either quick drying of fresh coconut meat, wet milling (oil is extracted from fresh coconut without drying), or by adjustment of the water content, then the pressing of the coconut flesh results in the direct extraction of free-flowing oil. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Na- tions (FAO) has perfected the microfiltration process for the cold sterilisation of coconut water and has made information on the process freely available for commercial application. In India, the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CP- CRI) has supported a progressive farmer in perfecting the technology for climbing the coconut tree, making the harvesting process safe and efficient. Another system developed is a coconut dehusking mechanism that reduces drudgery but does not displace labour. CPCRI has also standardised a virgin coconut oil process by developing equipment suitable for micro enterprise and has worked on snowball tender coconut. 19

Besides, CPCRI has developed a range of copra dryers, which use agricultural waste as fuel. Kerala Agro Industries Corpora- tion has applied these technologies. Says farmer-journalist Shree Padre, who edits the journal Adike Patrike (Farmer’s Own Media), “In the recent past, we have carried stories of tender coconut minimal processing, virgin coconut oil, the coconut broomstick home industry and more.” Padre argues that the “need of the hour” is to help farmers build value-added products from their crops, which otherwise mostly earn only depressed prices. Incidentally, among the different oils and fats, coconut oil has the maximum digestibility coefﬁcient and is digested and absorbed in the human system more rapidly than any other fat. Coconut oil is preferred for medicinal foods, especially for disorders affecting digestion, absorption and transport of fats, and infant feeding formulae for the treatment of malnutrition. Suggestions coming up include providing tender coconuts to schoolchildren under the Mid-Day Meal scheme, which would greatly increase the demand. P. K. Thampan of the Kochi-based Peekay Tree Crops De- velopment Foundation said, in the discussion put out online recently: “Coconut water-based vinegar is being produced on a commercial scale in a few units in Kerala and the product is enjoying good consumer acceptance both within and outside the State.” Of the total production of coconuts, about 5 percent is consumed in the tender form for drinking purposes. The rest is utilised as mature nuts for household and religious purposes and for the production of edible copra, milling copra and desiccated coconut. Hyderabad-based D.S.K. Rao added: “I always felt that coconut farming has a greater potential than what is being currently exploited. I was pleasantly surprised to see in Hyderabad airport a green cart selling tender coconuts.” 20 CHAPTER 2. HOW OTHERS USE COCONUTS

See details at the Solutions Exchange1.

Documentation

· How to Bottle Coconut Water2Article. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Jan- uary 2007 For a hard copy of the manual write to AGS- [email protected] Provides details on a simple cold preser- vation technology for producing bottled coconut water, under refrigeration, that stays fresh for at least 10 days.

· Tender Coconut Juice, Instantly Chilled4. Article by Shree Padre. India Together; Hyderabad; June 4, 20075. Reports on the innovative approach of serving coconut water which is refrigerated and chilled for customers in Hyderabad.

· Handbook of Energy. Crops-Cocos nucifera L. Book (unpublished); by James A. Duke; Purdue University; West Lafayette, Indiana; 19836 Informs about various chemical and biological properties of the coconut alongwith the uses of various parts of the tree.

· From Shree Padre, Adhike Patrike, Kerala. Coconectar Project Awaiting Funds Article: The Hindu; Kozhikode; 7 January 20087 Reports on the project coconectar that is helping promotion of coconut water in the market and has greatly increased demand

1http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in/food/cr/cr-se-food- 11010801.htm 2From Meeta Punjabi, FAO, New Delhi and P K Thampan, Peekey Crops Development Foundation 3http://www.fao.org/AG/magazine/0701sp1.htm 4From Shree Padre, Adike Patrike, Kerala 5http://www.indiatogether.org/2007/jun/eco-cococool.htm 6http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Cocos_nucifera.html 7http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/07/stories/2008010760450300.htm 21

· Tender Coconuts Break into Corporate Ofﬁces. Article; by Shree Padre; India Together; Bangalore; Sept. 28, 20068 Reports on the recently risen demand for coconut water in software companies of Bangalore; the attraction being the value addition to its packing as a ready-to-drink pack

· Rescuing the Coconut Economy. Article; by Prathapan B; India Together; December 20039 Article on a community- based micro-credit programme attempting to revive the economy of a coastal village in Kerala through training and enterprise development on coconut based products

· Government to Start Model Coconut Farms. Article; The Hindu; Kasargod; 20 May 200710 Reports on the initiative by the Kerala Government to develop model coconut farms to produce value added products from coconuts

· Coconut. Article; iKisan11 Provides a background to coconut cultivation, processing, storage and seasoning and uses of various coconut by products

· High Value Agriculture. Article; Department of Agricul- ture; Lakshadwep12 Provides a list of possible value added coconut products alongwith outlining the processes that are planned by the Ministry as an income generation opportunity

Organizations and programmes

· Coconut Development Board13, Kochi. Kera Bhavan, SRVHS Road, Kerala 682011; Tel: 91-484-2376265, 2377267,

8http://www.indiatogether.org/2006/sep/eco-coconut.htm 9http://www.indiatogether.org/2003/dec/eco-coconut.htm 10http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/20/stories/2007052006120300.htm 11http://www.ikisan.com/links/tn_coconutHarvestingAndStorage.shtml 12http://lakagri.nic.in/Files/High%percent20Value%20Agriculture.htm 13http://coconutboard.nic.in/welcome.html 22 CHAPTER 2. HOW OTHERS USE COCONUTS

2376553 ; Fax: 91-484-2377902; [email protected], cd- [email protected]; Statutory body established for the inte- grated development of coconut cultivation country with a focus on increasing productivity and adding value through diversiﬁcation

· Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Tech- nology, Ludhiana14 P.O. PAU LUDHIANA (PUNJAB) IN- DIA - 141004 Off. Phone: +91-161-2308669 Fax: +91-161- 2308670 Email: [email protected], [email protected], ramab- [email protected]

· Central Plantation Crops Research Institute15, Kasaragod CPCRI, Kasaragod, Kerala 671124; Tel: 91-4992-232894; Fax: 91-4994-232322 [email protected] Has supported development of various technologies and processes for value addition to coconut

· The Asian and Paciﬁc Coconut Community (APCC)16, 3rd Floor, Lina Building, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav.B7, Kuningan, Indonesia 12920; Tel: 62-21-5221712-13; Fax: 62-21-5221714; [email protected]; An inter-governmental organisation of 15 major coconut producing countries ac- counting for over 90% of world coconut production and exports of coconut products

· Coconut Research Center17, USA P.O. Box 25203, Colorado Springs, CO 80936 USA; con- [email protected] Dedicated to educating the public and medical community about the many beneﬁts of coconut and palm products

14http://www.ciphet.in/ 15http://cpcri.gov.in/ 16http://www.apccsec.org/ 17http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/index.htm 23

Portals and information bases

· Virgin Coconut Oil18. Offers complete information on virgin coconut oil from basic facts and health beneﬁts, to the latest research and news about on it

· Coconut-Info.com19, Mt. Banahaw Health Products Cor- poration, Philippines. Site provides information on the health beneﬁts of coconut products, particularly coconut oil.

· Coconut20, The Hindu Business Line. Serves as an information base on various processes and technologies that facilitates coconut cultivation, harvesting and how to do value addition

Tools and technologies

· Nata-de-coco21 Technology Process; Developed by Coconut Development Board, Kochi; Contact cd- [email protected] Informs on the technological process for manufacturing nata-de-coco. The technology is freely available for use by entrepreneurs

· Device to Climb Arecanut or Coconut Tree Equipment22: Contact Muthukulathil House, St. Mary’s Industrial Com- plex and Research Centre, Puranjan, Chemperi, District: Kannur 670632, Kerala Tool for easily climbing coconut trees, which ensures safety and efﬁciency in harvesting coconuts from trees.23

18http://www.thevirgincoconutoil.com/index.php 19http://www.coconut-info.com/ 20http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/nic/077/index7.htm 21http://coconutboard.nic.in/nata.htm 22From R. T. Patil, Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technol- ogy, Ludhiana Farm Implements 23http://www.niﬁndia.org/secondaward/book2.pdf (PDF, Size: 930 KB) 24 CHAPTER 2. HOW OTHERS USE COCONUTS

· Coconut Farm Level Machineries: Owned by Central Plan- tation Crops Research Institute, Kasargod; Three coconut dryers, snowball tender nuts and sweet coconut chips that help in post harvest value addition of coconut products.24

Reported properties of tender coconut water

Tender coconut water is believed to have a number of good properties. Among these, it is considered to be: Good for feeding infants suffering from intestinal disturbances.2 An oral re-hydration medium. Contains organic compounds2 possess- ing growth-promoting2 properties. Keeps the body cool. Is applied on the body to prevent2 prickly heat and summer boils.2 Subsides rashes caused by small pox, chicken pox, measles. Kills intestinal worms. Presence of saline and albumen 2makes it a good drink in cholera2 cases. Checks urinary infec- tions. 2 Excellent tonic for the old and sick. Cures malnourishment. 2 Diuretic. Effective in the treatment2 of kidney and urethral 2stones. Can2 be injected intravenously in emergency cases. Found as2 blood plasma substitute because it is sterile, does not2 produce heat, does not destroy red blood cells and is readily accepted by the body. Aids the quick absorption of drugs, and makes their peak concentration2 in the blood easier by its electrolytic effect. Urinary antiseptic and eliminates poisons in case of mineral poisoning.2 25

24http://www.cpcri.gov.in/pht.htm#Oil%20quality%20and%20storage 25Source: Tender Coconut Water, Nature’s Gift to Mankind. Coconut Develop- ment Board, www.coconutboard.nic.in Publication No 135. 25

· Coconut thrives even in poor soil, between 35 to 40 deg C. At heights of between 12-30 metres. · With an estimated 4000 to 7000 roots, well distributed in all directions, a mature palm gains resistance to high winds. · Coconut palms are classiﬁed into tall and dwarfs. Tall varieties have a higher life span, and yields large and long sized nuts which are green or greenish-yellow in colour. Dwarf varieties have smaller life-spans, green to yellow or orange nuts, with thinner pulp but larger yield. · In India, coconuts are also classed based on the coastal area where they grow — ‘west coast tall’ and ‘east coast tall’. In Goa, though, the local variety, called Benaulim, yields on an average 23 nuts.

3. Terms from Goa

Coconut in Goa

OA’SSECOND largest plantation crop, after rice, is the co- G conut. Many families in Goan villages plant coconut trees. Goans are generally incapable of making curries without the use of coconut, and coconut curries form an essential ingredient of their ﬁsh-curry-rice diet.1 Toddy from the coconut tree is used in the production of jaggery and vinegar as well as in the manufacture of coconut feni, another variety of liquor. Many sweets in Goa are made out of a mixture of rice and coconut. Not surprisingly, the important local role of the coconut gets reﬂected strongly in the main spoken language of the region, Konkani. Konkani writer and campaigner Sebastian Borges, in a post- ing2 made on the Goanet3 cybernetwork, listed coconut-related terms primarily from S.R. Dalgado’s Portuguese-Konknni Dictio- nary (1905). Singular and plural forms are separated by a dash. Some of the terms below are also from Green Aid-IV, Green Her- itage, Siolim; Xavier Cota4, JoeGoaUK5, Richard Cabral 6and Eddie Verdes7.

1See http://goaenvis.nic.in/agriculture.htm 2http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2009- August/182549.html 3http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org 4http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg51534.html 5http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2009- September/183139.html 6http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2009- September/182673.html 7http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2009- September/183168.html

27 28 CHAPTER 3. TERMS FROM GOA

Types of coconuts coconut: narl — narl coconut (tender): addsor — addsoram, xiallem — xiallim, girpallem — girpallim coconut (large): xelanno — xelanne coconut (immature/unripe): bonddo — bondde incipient (button): bonddi — bonddio coconut (empty/sterile): vanz — vanzam coconut with water dried out: adduk — addkam. coconut with water dried while on tree: moddko — moddke, moddkel’lo narl – moddkel’le narl coconut dry with kernel loosened from shell: guddguddo — guddgudde coconut seedling: biyaddok — biyaddok bunch of coconuts: penddi, manzor, mhalpenddi (most ripe), dhalpenddi (next to most ripe). slice of a tender coconut: tovli — tovleo. slice of tender coconut husk (used to scoop the soft kernel): kap — kapi. half a coconut split longitudinally (either tender or guddguddo): kapem — kapim. seedling: kavatho endosperm: morann. Endosperm is the tissue produced in the seeds of most ﬂowering plants around the time of fertilisation. 29

Leaf-related terms frond, leaf: chudet, chud’tam leaﬂet(s): chudti, chudteo aprical leaf: ram leaf bud: kunvado, kunvalo leaf crown: maathem leaf base, petiole: pido leaf web, ligule(s): pisturi, pistureo

Kernel-related terms kernel of coconut: katolli, (tender) korkem, (soft layer) pillpo half of a coconut kernel: vollem — vollim grated kernel: sôy grated kernel mixed with jaggery: churn sun-dried kernel (copra): khobrem

Shell-related terms hard shell of the coconut: kortti — kortteo, (large) kortto — kortte entire shell without kernel: belko — belke, belo — bele

Husk, etc husk of coconut: soddnn — soddnnam coir: katho, kabllo 30 CHAPTER 3. TERMS FROM GOA

Coconut products oil: tel, cobrel, khobrel, narlel, avel toddy: sur jaggery: godd coconut liquor: feni, maddel vinegar: vinagre twine: soom coir rope: razu — razu, sumb — sumbam, dhori coconut waste (after oil is extracted): pendd laddle made of shell: doy — doyo, dovlo — dovle, dovli — dovleo, poddki — poddkeo, chipott — chipttam (in decreasing size) coconut palm toddy: sur woven mat of frond: morl — morlam. dried frond: mulat. Used for thatching. This has its leaﬂets on either side twisted at the roots and all arranged on one side of the petiole or piddo. dried frond: sampiddo — sampidde. Used for thatching. Also the unwoven tail end of a morl or mulat. roof beam: pattim. Term used for any suitable timber. But the cross-section of a coco-palm patti is crescent-shaped, whereas that of timber patti is rectangular or square. rafter: vanso. The cross-section is oblong whereas that of a timber rafter is rectangular. coconut milk: narlacho ros coconut oil: khobrel, narlel, avel 31 coconut shell oil: kott’ttel coconut arrack: mollop (equivalent of cashew urrak, i.e. single- distilled) copra: khobrem kernel: kathli shell: kotti

ﬁbre: katho

Types of trees coconut tree: madd — madd nut-producing tree: narl-madd tree being tapped for toddy: surê-madd, bandlolo madd old unproductive tree: zorddul — zorddulam young immature tree/sapling: kovatho — kovathe slender tree trunk: kanddi is any straight slender tree tree.

Parts of the tree bunch of nuts: manzôr – manzri/manzoreo, penddhi — penddheo canopy/crown: kovoll spathe: pôy — poyo spadix: xevok — xevkam, xelkem — xelkim (the stalk from which a bunch hangs). frond (leaf): chuddit — chuddttam. 32 CHAPTER 3. TERMS FROM GOA tendermost, unopened apical frond: xivddi — xivddeo, ram’ — ram’ leaf bud: kunvllo — kunvlle, kunvallo — kunvalle. stalk (petiole) of frond: pirddo — pirdde

fibre-web (ligule) of frond-stalk: pisondori — pisondoreo leaflet of a frond: chuddtti — chuddtteo midrib (petiole) of leaflet: hir — hir, vhir — vhir marginal fibre of leaflet: vavlli woven mat of frond: morl — morlam

Coconut-related work and workers coconut plucking: paddo — padde coconut plucker: paddekar, paddeli, paddavi, paddavo toddy-tapper: render. toddy tapping in general: madd kaddop. toddy-tapper’s knife: kati — katio. toddy-tapper shaving end of spathe being tapped: xev ghalop toddy-tapper’s mudpot: damonnem — damnnim (used to collect toddy on the tree). toddy-tapper’s container: dudinnem — dudinnim, dudkem — dud- kim. Made from dried rind of bitter gourd, koddu-dudi, for bringing toddy down from the tree toddy-tapper’s large mudpot: kollso — kollxe. Contents of the dudinem are emptied into this after each tree is visited. 33 rope-ring used by coconut plucker: khaddum — khadduvam. Used around both feet at the ankles for climbing the tree. caretaker of the coconut plantation: torl. He is not necessarily a munddkar or homestead tenant. plantation in the charge of the caretaker: torluk — torluko. felling of entire bunches: paddop. plucking of individual nuts: khunttop. hammer: chhap. Used to mark the trunk with the number of bunches expected to be ready for the next plucking. javelin: bhalo, khilleaboddi. Used to retrieve nuts landing at in- accessible places Both chhap and bhalo are handled by the manager of the plucking: julgador. belt: makddi — makddeo. Worn by a paddeli for holding his chopper (koiti — koiteo) while climbing up and down a tree :

Miscellaneous endosperm or kernel of germinated coconut: morondd, murindd peduncle of the coconut: chamfem — chamﬁm circular trench at base of tree: allem. green manure buried around base: sanvoll. ﬁbrous peel from the upper surface of a green frond: vayo — vaye. Used as string for tying. coconut grater: kantonem — kantonim Products of sur (toddy): Moddop, pochok, fenni and goddo are the products or by-products of sur (toddy) 34 CHAPTER 3. TERMS FROM GOA

Toddy tapping tools, practices

Although shaving of the tree is done thrice daily, collecting the toddy is done twice. The mid-day operation is called the ‘shov’. In the mornings or the late evenings, the toddy-tapper’s visits to the trees are described as “Madd kaddunk’ gela” but at noon it termed as “Shov-ak gela”. Toddy tapping tools: The gope is a coiled string or ring to tighten the poi – the tip where is shaved thrice daily. The gope was itself a product of the coconut piddo/chuddit (avo) About coconut plucking (paddunk): A four- or five-sided metal sharp hammer was used to mark or emboss the trunk of the coconut tree by striking on it. This indicated the number of penddi or manzorio ready for next paddo (plucking), like writing on the tree itself. The oler did this job. Sadly, this practice is now discontinued, being treated as ‘unnecessary’. 8 Thin strips of a vayo (each about a meter long), called gopo — gope, are used by the toddy tapper for securing a spathe before tapping (poy bandop), so that the inflorescence will not open out. This bandop is extended to the tree itself, and called madd bandila. Toddy must be emptied from the tree at least once a day; normally this is done twice a day (early morning and late evening). If this is not done (“madd damnneant dovorlo”), the toddy spills into the canopy and the resulting acidic vinegar harms or destroys the palm. Should the toddy-tapper decide to discontinue tapping, he must untie (cut) all the remaining gope. If this is not done, the toddy oozing from the spathe harms or destroys the palm. The spathe thus freed then yields coconuts from the remaining part of the inflorescence. Unlike the plucker (paddeli), the toddy-tapper does not use a khaddum as an aid to climbing a tree. He makes a notch (called

8http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg07854.html is where JoeGoaUK’s detailed description is available 35 khamp — khampam) at regular intervals (depending on the length of his own stride), and adds more as the tree grows. The paddeli makes only one khamp, near the base, to place his foot comfortably while wearing the khaddum. Thus, if a trunk is marked by khampam for some part or the whole of its length, we can be certain that the tree was or is being used for tapping. The toddy-tapper prepares a ﬁne powder (kup — masculine gender as against feminine for ‘cloud’) by ﬁnely grinding pieces of quartz (kupathor) in a mortar.

Almost wholly coco-products

Some products made almost entirely of parts of a coconut palm:

· Broom or saron — sarni. This is made of the vhir. Fresh green leaflets are pulled from the frond together with as much of the root fibre as possible. Each leaflet is shaved (“tasop”) to remove the green part; the root fibre is also shaved. Root fibres of individual vhir are woven as in a plait and the entire plait is wound around itself. The only non-coco product used here is a few metres of string.

· Bird-cage or panjiro — panjire or panjirem — panjirim. This is made of vhir (shaved like the above but with the root ﬁbre clipped retaining only a knob), and laths made from the midrib of a green frond. No nails are used, nor any non-coco product.

· Eco-friendly carry bag: konddul — konddlam. Two strips of leaflets are woven like in a morl to obtain a container which can be used like a carry bag. The number of leaflets in each strip determines the size of the resultant konddul. In the pre-plastics days, this was used for carrying home fish from the market. Food items could be stored in it too, suspended from the ceiling above the fireplace. 36 CHAPTER 3. TERMS FROM GOA

· Kottumbo is a basin made by scooping a piece of trunk. It is used as a stand for the cooking vessel as well as a receptacle for the strained liquid in the process of straining cooked rice. 4. Goa’s toddy-tappers

Walter Menezes reviews Renderamam’ ani Tachem Jivit, a book on the life of the toddy-tapper in Goa.1

Rendermam Ani Tachem Jivit Fr. Ave Maria Afonso Pages: 64 Price: Rs. 60

MET FR. Ave Maria Afonso at Thomas Stephens Konknni I Kendr, Alto Porvorim on a day when Fr. Mathew Almeida, SJ was celebrating his birthday. The book release ceremony of Fr. Almeida’s Romi Lipient Konknni Kurs was over and we were helping ourselves to a piece of cake and a cup of tea when Fr. Ave Maria presented me with a copy of his book, Rendermam’ ani Tachem Jivit (The Toddy Tapper and His Life). This book was released in Margao a couple of days earlier at a function organized to celebrate the ﬁrst anniversary of the Konknni magazine Jivit. Although I was present for the same, I had to leave the function half-way through, without buying a copy of the book, whose seeds were sown when Fr. Ave Maria was pursuing his post-graduate studies at the TSKK.

1Tapping is done by slicing of the apex of the unopened spadix gradually and beating it with a tapping rod everyday to rupture the cells and induce the ﬂow of the sap or juice. Tapping is found to improve the yield of nuts of poor bearing palms. The juice can be converted into sweet or fermented toddy, vinegar, jaggery or arrack. http://goaenvis.nic.in/agriculture.htm says that with 6000 tappers, the toddy tapping community is one of the major occupational groups in Goa. Its members tap toddy from coconut trees, distilling it into liquor and sell it. Toddy is collected twice or thrice daily from the tree. Distilling, done later, needs a shed (batti) and certain vessels.

37 38 CHAPTER 4. GOA’S TODDY-TAPPERS

I finished reading Rendermam on a relaxed Sunday when the nation was celebrating the triumph of good over evil and realized how little I knew about the toddy-tapper who, like the poder and the pagi (baker and traditional fisherman) has been an essential part of every Goan household. For who can imagine a life without our daily bread, our fish-curry and a peg of feni? Or our feasts without sannas and our mouth-watering dishes — like sorpotel, sausages, vindaloo, fish parro and mol — without vinegar? My father-in-law ran a bar in Kepem and, on days when he was indisposed, I was the one who was summoned to help out. We normally catered to the aam admi who would flock to the bar in the afternoons and the evenings and help themselves to their favourite drink. I had the opportunity to interact with some of the rendermams, and, in one case, the wife of a rendermam’, who would come from as far as Sanguem with their kollxo (earthern pot) of feni and deliver the same to Ruzar-irmao, as my father-in-law was respectfully called. He would then measure the grau of the feni by dipping the alcohometer in the bottle, nod his head when it showed 18 degrees, and then make the payment. A kopin of feni is what I normally had in the night just before supper was served. And on days when I was too tired after a hard day’s work, my wife would not mind at all if I had some ‘extra’ ones! What she never knew was that sometimes I would join my friend at a village bar, where dukhsiri, a strange combination of feni and medicinal roots, was a great hit at that time. Meant for those who labour and sweat it out in the fields, dukhsiri is a soothing drink and like vodka, there is not a trace of smell at all. But just to be on the safer side, once the bill was settled, my friend would remove a couple of cloves from some secret chamber of his trousers and off we would go, munching them merrily on our way home. We were happy and so were our better halves! Fr. Ave Maria’s book is a treasure of information. The tools that the rendermam’ uses, the sign of the cross that he makes on 39 his forehead before the risky climb to the coconut tree-top and the process of distilling feni, these and other details make the book interesting. It is a male-dominated world, but, strange as it may sound, Fr. Ave Maria reports of the only lady-render from Verna who once did the job. With a colourful ‘dose’ of photographs by Egidio Fernandes and a cover designed by Willy Goes, Rendermam’ ani Tachem Jivit is a great offering in Romi Konknni.

tod·dy ... a. The sweet sap of several tropical Asian palm trees, especially palmyra and Caryota urens, used as a beverage. b. A liquor fermented from this sap.

There is one chapter dedicated entirely to Rendrachim Gitam-Kantaram. The toddy-tapper leads a lonely life, hopping from one coconut tree to another, three times a day. Seated on one of the palm fronds high above the ground, sharp-edged kati, dudinem to collect the sap and the clay pot, damonnem, ﬁrmly in place, the poet in the rendermam’ awakens and he sings:

Jivit chintlear amchem, Xirxirta ang lokachem. Maddar choddun denvpachem, Jivit amchem Rendranchem!

Yes! Life is a hard grind for the rendermam’. And very risky too. Fr. Ave Maria informs that the All Goa Toddy-Tappers’ Association, headquarted in Margao and established in 1961, has been in the forefront to protect the interests of the render community. A few welfare measures are in operation and a pension scheme’ formulated by the Goa Government for toddy-tappers above 60 years of age, awaits implementation. The rendermam’ is a fascinating person, and Fr. Ave Maria has observed him from close quarters. Even going to the extent of spending a night and a day with his family. The rendermam’ 40 CHAPTER 4. GOA’S TODDY-TAPPERS is a god-fearing man. There is the rosary recited in his house every day and, once a year, villagers gather at his residence for the ladin (litany) in honour of the patron saint. On the last Sunday of February every year, he attends, along with his entire community, the thanksgiving Mass at the Basilica of Bom Jesus. Like any niz Goenkar, he loves football, khell-tiatrs and tiatrs. His breakfast consists of pez with kalchi koddi and kharem nustem and his house is full of Konknni cassettes. He gambles a lot, plays the moddko and has, on many occasions, squandered his hard-earned money on such vices. Arthur Hailey, best-selling author of such subject-speciﬁc novels like Airport, Hotel, Wheels, Overload and Final Diagnosis, who used factual research to his advantage, once said, “I don’t think I really invented anybody. I have drawn on real life!” Per- haps Fr. Ave Maria’s next stop should be a novel, with characters drawn from real life. Prof. Jose Salvador Fernandes, in his foreword, shares his own experience of maddar choddpachem when he used to assist his father in toddy-tapping whenever the manaim-render (helper) used to be absent. Both Prof. Jose’s father and the rendermam’ where Fr. Ave Maria spent a night felt that this is not only a tough job but one where there is no respect at all. “Ami tras-koxtt kaddtat te puro. Amchea bhurgeank tem naka”, they said, expressing in a way the sentiments of the entire community. Such a view may just be the reason why the population of toddy-tappers has reduced drastically from a strong force of around 22,000 in 1964 to only around 1100 in 2006. The death-knell has already sounded for many such age-old traditional occupations, Prof. Jose laments in his foreword. In the distant future, books like Rendermam’ ani Tachem Jivit will become a rich repository of information and a window to our fascinating past.

(Contact Walter Menezes at [email protected]) Part II

COCONUT CRAFT

5. What you can easily achieve

ORKINGWITH coconut shells can be a learning experience. W One would be surprised to know what all can be done from the humble kotti (Konkani for ‘coconut shell’).1

The aims and objectives of coconut craft is:

· To make use of non-exhaustible natural resources

· To bring out the hidden talents and interest of the students

· To motivate students and others to opt for a career, or hobby, based on Kalpvriksha (the all-abundant tree).

· To make the user aware of the harmful effects of plastics

Coconut shell is eco-friendly, and available almost free of cost. It is easy to work with. It is durable, beautiful and a household product. Yes, we have a plentiful supply of coconuts. If its water is good for health, and its shell can be so nicely decorative, why throw away the very protection of the coconut? It’s simple to get started. All you need is a hacksaw blade, a piercing blade, ﬁle, drill, chisel, sandpaper, glue and varnish. Depending on the resources available, one can also go in for an electric cutting machine, a grinding machine and a bufﬁng machine, which could also make the work easier. How to use the tools, and for what: The hacksaw blade is used for cutting the internal design and to carve outlines, the drill is

1This article is based on one by Vijaydatta Lotlikar, in the Green Aid IV book, published by the Green Heritage Eco-Club of St Francis Xavier High School, Siolim, Goa.

43 44 CHAPTER 5. WHAT YOU CAN EASILY ACHIEVE used to bore holes in the shell, the file is used to smoothen the shells and edges and also to give shape to the shell. It is also used to polish the outer layer of the shell. The chisel is used for engraving. Sand paper is used to polish the shell, glue is used to fix the different parts to make the item whole. Varnish is used to give the final shining touch and durability to the item. How to get started: To start carving and cutting the shell, select the shell according to the need and object in mind. Scrape the outer layer of the shell with a knife or a file. Draw the outline of the picture you plan to carve, paste the outline on the shell and with the help of a piercing blade, cut the shell. Shape the edges using the file, and polish the shell with sandpaper. Use glue to join the small bits and pieces to make the image whole. However, a word of caution: avoid colouring the item, as it will lose its originality. Shells have their own natural colour, based on their maturity. For instance, a well-matured coconut shell is dark brown or black. A tender coconut shell is white or ivory or cream in colour. So, while deciding the item you plan to carve, check the colour of the coconut shell.

***

Personal assets: Let me take the point further by inviting you to my home. I am glad to say that my own home is a place of pride for me today. I have not spared even my bathroom, which is adorned with articles carved by me from the coconut shell. But let me start with the blessings of the gods. So, I’ll begin describing the garbkud – the place in the Hindu tradition for the family god or goddess. In it, I have carved items used in our day-to-day religious devotion — the bell, the haldi-kumkum vessel and ﬂower holder, and oil lamp and agarbatti stand. These items, made by my own hands, arouse a sense of heightened emotion while used in prayer and makes me feel closer to the deities. 45

I have also designed and carved pendants, necklaces, rings, earrings, hair-clips and many more items of coconut jewellery. Sure, gold may be a sign of prosperity but jewellery carved from the coconut shell is bound to draw the attention of any lover of beauty. It is light weight, durable and surprisingly also as fragile as glass. So please handle it with love and care.

As I have a look around my house, my eyes seldom escape the table fully occupied by this art out of wastes. My little sitting- room is adorned with ﬂower-pots, a teapoy (three-legged table), a telephone stand, a stereo-deck stand. I also have used the coconut shell for casings. Casings for a wall clock, door-bell, telephone and even for my TV. Even our TV’s remote has not been spared.

The watch made out of coconut-shell has never failed to jolt me from my deep slumber, everyday, taking me to the bathroom to freshen-up. Here I have a toothbrush waiting for me, again exclusively made of coconut and its shell.

Soap sits in a case also carved out of coconut shell. You will have to take my word for it that I’ve made water jugs, milk-jugs, tea pots, cups, saucers, plates, forks and spoons too. So also ice-cream cups and wine-servers. By the way, liquor is served in small glasses after the litany in Christian house, while the traditional kotti (coconut shell) cups was forgotten by Goans. I’ve brought this back, although with a new look. 46 CHAPTER 5. WHAT YOU CAN EASILY ACHIEVE

Coconut Shell, Fibre and Stem Craft of Kerala: Coconut trees grow all over Kerala, and the coconut is a fruit which is used in its entirety. From the shell, products like bowls, vases, tea pots and hookas are crafted. Lamp stands encased in brass and smaller coconut shell articles are also made in Trivandrum, Attingal and Neyyatinkara, while larger items are made in Quilandy in Kozhikode district in north Kerala. Often hookas and large vases are also made by combining coconut shells with brass bindings. Coconut fibre is cleaned, smoothened and made into dolls and toys with beads and coloured threads to give it a decorative appearance. The process followed by the artisan to make a cup, for instance, is to rub the outer surface of the shell with steel-wool and then smoothen the inner part with a chisel. A circular base and handle made with shell are attached to the cup with screws. The first coat of polish is boot polish, and then a final coat of French polish. http://www.craftandartisans.com/coconut- shell-fibre-stem-craft-of-kerala.html

Music and dance is part of every Goan, and the coconut shell goes with them too. When netted tightly with beads around it, the coconut shell if rotated gives out a melodious sound. The shell is also used in folk-dances called the ‘koteache fugdi’. Two halves of the shell are struck against each other in rhythm, echoing the beautiful beats of the music.

***

Inspired with the concept of practical-oriented curriculum, I plan to organise exhibitions of my products in schools, conduct workshops for students and teachers, select students who show an interest and give them individual attention and training, and focus on further research in this ﬁeld. 47

This cannot be done alone, and needs the cooperation of the education department and others. It is best to catch imaginative minds young, and introduce such initiatives from Std V onwards. Such a subject could be treated on par with optional subjects like work-experience, art, craft and music. In this manner, it would not be a strain on the management funds. Having a syllabus to match the cognitive and motor development of the child would help.

***

Art of carving: Kalpvirksha art, turning an unassuming coconut shell into a piece of beauty, needs reasoning, precision and aesthetics. One must select a coconut shell accordingly. The final article might be a jewellery set, a cup, a jug or an ice-cream cup, and the shell needs to be selected keeping this in mind. For instance, to make an ice cream cup, select a medium- sized coconut shell, just to hold the right amount of ice-cream. The shell should be round and full, having no ‘eyes’ (holes) in it. Cut the shell into a precise round shape, to the required size, with a smooth surface. This is done with a file. To start, use a rough file, and then a smooth one. Polish the coconut shell with sandpaper from both inside and out. Your ice-cream cup needs a base. For this select a small shell and cut it to form a ring shape. File and polish the same, using glue paste the ring shape shell serving as the actual cup. An artistic design on the coconut shell serving as the cup would add to its beauty. Varnish the outer layer, or apply coconut oil, to give a natural colour to the shell. As casing material: Eco-unfriendly plastics can be replaced, with coconut shell as casing material in electric and electronic appliances. Coconut shell can be cut and shaped depending on the items. I’ve used it for door bells, musical alarms and emergency lights. Carving, and coconut as a base for it: Carving expresses thoughts and feelings to the world – whether on a small grain 48 CHAPTER 5. WHAT YOU CAN EASILY ACHIEVE of rice, on a large marble stone, or a religious shrine. Coconut’s shell serves as the best base for carving, and carrying out the imagination of the craftsman. Replicas of leaders, gods and goddesses can be carved on coconut shell. Coconut shell powder: Can you believe that buttons and beads are made of coconut shell powder? Powder is left behind during cutting and carving. It is soft, and has stiff bonding properties. Articles made of it are hard, durable, retain their natural colour, and can be easily shaped as per one’s choice or imagination. To maintain its uniformity and smoothness, it needs to be passed through a sieve. To get the shapes one desires, just roll the powder mixed with glue in a semi-moist state on the palm of one’s hand. For large-scale production, however, the mixture can be pressed under metallic moulds and dried. Coconut shell powder can help replace non-biodegradable plastic pens. One has to just roll over a metal wire glue-mixed coconut powder and dry it. The metal wire is then pulled out on drying, and a refill is inserted into the passage vacated by the wire. Thus, ball pens of any shape and size can be made.

References:

The New Illustrated Everyman’s Encyclopedia. Handbook of Agriculture (ICAR, New Delhi) Coconut Research and Development: N. M. Nayer. The World Book Encyclopedia. Coconut – Fruit with Medicinal Properties: Dr Indurekha Tripa- thy. Handbook of Indian Agriculture: Vikas Singhal Encyclopædia Americana. 6. Getting started

NTHISCHAPTER, let’s get down to some finer details. As I noted already, all you need are some tools like a hacksaw blade, a piercing blade, a file drill, chisel, sand-paper, glue and varnish. Depending on one’s pocket, you can also go in for an electric cutting machine, grinding machine, and a buffing machine, which would make the work easier. Working with coconut shells can be a learning experience.

Why coconut craft

With coconut craft you can make the user aware of the harmful effects of plastics. You can encourage others to make use of non-exhaustible and renewable natural resources. Likewise, you can bring out the hidden talents and interests of students. Deploying coconut craft, one can motivate students to pick up a hobby or even a career. The coconut-shell is eco-friendly and available free of cost. It is also easy to work with, durable, beautiful, and a household item. So, why not? Why throw away the coconut shell after you’ve used the kernel?

The coconut shell

On breaking the coconut, two half shells are obtained. One of the halves has three spots on it, called ‘eyes’. Out of the three eyes, one which is usually bigger in size than the other two, appears like the mouth of a human face. This eye is made of a

49 50 CHAPTER 6. GETTING STARTED soft membrane and, on drying, breaks off. The other half is an entire semi-spherical and appears like a cup. To get equal and uniform cut shells, one should break the shell using a sharp tool like a chopper (called the koito in Goa) or a motorised cutting machine. Some articles require a whole coconut to work with. For this, special mechanised round cutting machines have been designed by me. This cuts the required part of the shell through which the kernel can be removed with the help of a sharp too like a knife. RARE COCONUT: Some tens of thousands of coconut probably passed through my hands over the past 20 years. But, during all this time, I have found only a very few unusual coconuts. That is, a coconut with just two ‘eyes’. Till now, I could ﬁnd only three such coconuts. Some believe that a coconut with two-eyes are auspicious, or brings good luck to those who keep them in the house! I think such a coconut may show up one in a few thousands. I was also told that a coconut with one ‘eye’ also occurs. But so far, I’ve not personally seen any such coconut, and hope to see it in the future. However, there are some amazing online exhibits, for instance at Dr Roland Bourdeix’s Coconut Freaks blog: http://coconutfreaks.blogspot.com/

Durability of the shell craft

Due to the uniqueness of the shell, and its content, articles made from coconut shell have a very long life. These articles can remain for over a hundred years. Termites and other insects do not attack them. But one should protect them from rats.

Selection of the shell

One should take care while selecting a shell to work on. The coconut shell does not get spoilt, nor does it rot, if it is kept for 51 many days or years. Neither does it get spoilt if it comes in contact with water or other chemicals. If the shell is dumped for a long period, it may catch fungus on the outer ﬁbre or the inner side. But the hard portion of the shell remains unaffected. Shells should be protected from direct sunlight. Strong direct sunlight may lead the shell to develop cracks, which makes it useless to work with. While selecting the coconut shell, the following points should be kept in mind:

· Shape of the shell: Select the shell of a required size, thickness and shade needed to complete the article. Irregularly shaped shells cannot be used to make symmetrical objects. · Uncracked shells: Check that the shell does not have cracks developed either due to direct sunlight or due to a wrong way of breaking. This can be tested by a sound-test. An iron nail, or any iron piece, is struck on the shell. A good, uncracked shell will give a clear deep sound, whereas a cracked shell will give a distorted sound. One could also test a shell by dropping it on a cement floor, and judging by the sound-test. Very often, it is seen that the cracks are identified only when the shell is polished to the final stage. This means the entire effort goes in vain. · Oil-free shell: Selected shells should not have oil-marks on them. Often, very dry coconut, or copra, releases oil inside the shell itself. This is easily absorbed by the shell. This oil mark remains for a long period and spoils the look of the craft. Besides, it is noticed that such shells do not join firmly and there is a chance of the joints being separated.

7. Using the tools

Sand-papering, ﬁling to remove pith and attached ﬁbre, and boring.

OWDOES one use the tools, and for what purpose? Get a H better idea by going through the pages of this chapter. The hacksaw blade is used for cutting the shell. Piercing blades are used for cutting internal designs and cutting out-lines. The drill is used to bore holes in the shell, when needed. Likewise, the file is used to smoothen the shells and edges, and also give shape to the shell. It is also used to polish the outer layer of the shell. The chisel is used for engraving. Sand-paper is used to polish the shell. Glue goes to fix the different parts together, and convert them into a whole item. Varnish gives the fine shining touch, and durability to the item.

Getting started

Now, how will you start the carving and cutting of the shell? Select a shell according to your need. Scrape the outer layer of the shell with a knife or a file. Draw the outline of the picture you plan to carve onto the image, and paste the outline on the shell. Then, with the help of a piercing blade, cut the shell. Smoothen the edges using the file, and polish the shell with sand-paper. Use glue to join together the small bits, and pieces, to make the image a whole. A word of caution though: as a general rule, avoid colouring the coconut item, as it would lose its originality. Coconut shells have their own natural colour, based on maturity. So, while deciding the item you plan to carve, first check the colour of the coconut shell, and select a suitable one. Ivory

53 54 CHAPTER 7. USING THE TOOLS colour veins on the coconut shell are a ready design you can opt to keep and even highlight as an optional extra. If you don’t need it, just scrape them all away.

Some tools

Hand drill: A hand drill is a manual tool that converts and am- plifies circular motion of the crank into circular motion of a drill chuck. Though it has been replaced in most applications by power drills, the hand drill is used by many woodworkers. To safely use a hand drill, loosen the chuck and insert the appropriate drill bit, then tighten the chuck. Most hand drills require a special tool to firmly tighten the chuck. Place the bit’s tip where you want to cut a hole, making sure the bit is at the same angle as the desired hole. Turn the cranking handle to rotate the bit and drill the hole. With smaller drill bits, be careful not to apply excess pressure on the handle or the bit may bend or break. Hand drills require little maintenance, but can be damaged by improper use, such as using the wrong drill bit or placing excess pressure on the tool. For optimum efficiency, periodically place a drop of light oil on the crank pinions and in the chuck gear.1 Files: Files, like those for fingernails, shave down and remove excess wood. Files are handy for smoothing out rough surfaces.2 Files are planing implements for making plane surfaces upon pieces of work which have been roughly planed with a planing machine.3

· Rough ﬂat ﬁle

· Round ﬁle

1http://home.howstuffworks.com/hand-drill.htm 2http://home.howstuffworks.com/hand-drill.htm 3http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/mechanics/Construction- Tools/Files.html 55

· Half-round ﬁle

· Smooth ﬁle

Carving chisels: A chisel is a tool with a characteristically shaped cutting edge (such that wood chisels have lent part of their name to a particular grind) of blade on its end, for carving or cutting a hard material such as wood, stone, or metal. The handle and blade of some types of chisel are made of metal or wood with a sharp edge in it. In use, the chisel is forced into the material to cut the material. The driving force may be manually applied or applied using a mallet or hammer. In industrial use, a hydraulic ram or falling weight (’trip hammer’) drives the chisel into the material to be cut. A gouge, one type of chisel, is used, particularly in wood- working, wood turning and sculpture, to carve small pieces from the material. Gouges are most often used in creating concave surfaces. A gouge typically has a ‘U’-shaped cross-section. Chisels have a wide variety of uses. Many types of chisels have been devised, each specially suited to its intended use. Different types of chisels may be constructed quite differently, in terms of blade width or length, as well as shape and hardness of blade. They may have wooden handles attached or may be made entirely of one piece of metal. Carving chisels are used for intricate designs and sculpting; cutting edges are many; such as gouge, skew, parting, straight, paring, and V-groove. Mortice chisel: Thick, rigid blade with straight cutting edge and square sides to make mortises and similar joints. Lock mortice chisel: Lock mortise chisels, which are sometimes called ‘swan neck chisels’ are used to clean and square up the bottom of blind mortises. This is simply one of those tools that make the job go faster and easier. Most important it helps preserve the cutting edge of your mortise chisels from the scraping action you would otherwise have to do. This is also the tool 56 CHAPTER 7. USING THE TOOLS that you would for carefully clearing deep, narrow, recesses when setting locks and other hardware into furniture (hence the name).4 Carving gouge: Wood carving gouges are ‘U’ shaped tools used to cut furrows in wood. Both the width and the depth (sweep) of the gouge’s cutting edge are important factors to consider when choosing the right gouge for you.5 Saws: Any of various tools, either hand-operated or power- driven, having a thin metal blade or disk with a sharp, usually toothed edge, used for cutting wood, metal, or other hard materials. Coping saw: A handsaw with a U-shaped frame, used for cutting curves in wood Fret saw: A long, narrow-bladed saw with fine teeth, used in making curved cuts in thin wood or metal. Hack saw: Used with one hand for cutting metal. Mini saw: Designed for cutting or moulding, the Mini Saw Guide System includes an aluminum guide with 45- and 90- degree stops for cross-cuts and miters, a dummy blade insert for accurate positioning, and a sliding guide for use. Metal mould (also mold): In fine arts, a mould is a shaped cavity used to give a definite form to fluid or plastic material. Table vice: A vise (or vice) is a clamping device, usually con- sisting of two jaws closed or opened by a screw or lever, used in carpentry or metalworking to hold a piece in position.

Cutting the shell

A shell is marked with a chalk or a pencil, with the desired design or a line. Using a hacksaw blade, it is cut on the marking.

4http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/indextool.mvc?prodid=EE-500- 21.XX 5http://www.sculpturehouse.com/wood_carving_gouges.aspx 57

Tools (from top, left to right): Scraper, ﬁle, (left) set of microﬁles, adhesives, sandpapers, half-round and triangular chisel, piercing blade with frame, a set of drill-bits, hacksaw blade and a hand-drill.

Cleaning the husk (katoh) and ridges (shiroh)

Three prominent ridges are found on the coconut shell. They are seen projecting outside the shell. These ridges are hard. To get a uniform shape, these lines need to be removed. A metal file (or a carpenter’s file) can be used for the purpose. Sometimes this can be done by rubbing the coconut on a rough cement wall or floor, or a very rough sand-paper (Number 35 or 60). The same paper can be used to remove the attached husk (katoh) on the outer shell. The inner side of the shell can be cleaned too. This can be removed by a angled hand-scraper and the smoothening with sand-paper.

Mechanised tools

Specialised mechanised tools to work on the coconut have been used by me. This helps to reduce the drudgery and and enhance productivity. However, these tools are not explained or elaborated on in this book, as mishandling could cause problems. These machines are best used only after taking the proper training.

Shaping the shell

For shaping the coconut shell, the tools used are

· rough ﬁle

· round ﬁle

· semi-round ﬁle 58 CHAPTER 7. USING THE TOOLS

· triangular ﬁle

· sandpaper, numbers 60 and 120

Polishing: For polishing, the tools required are smooth-files (i) round file (ii) half-round file (iii) triangular file (iv) flat file (v) sandpaper, number 220 and 400. Micro finishing: Items are smoothened and polished to such an extent that it gives a matt or glossy finish. For this, sand-paper number 600 and polish-paper is used. Glossy-finish: To get a glossy finish on the coconut, shells should be further rubbed with leather and a cotton-piece. Even glass pebbles can be used to obtain a glossy finish.

Assembling

Assembling means joining the different pieces to make a whole article. Two or more parts are shaped so well, that they ﬁt on one another, leaving the minimum gap. These parts are joined together using water-resistant adhesives, preferably Araldite® (which is a strong epoxy resin best known as a glue) or Shell-Fix. Shell-ﬁx is an adhesive created by me, which gives a good result, and is available at my workshop. It should be allowed to set for 10 to 12 hours, without disturbance.

Varnishing

All coconut-related handicrafts do not require varnishing. Some do. For instance, candle stands, agarbatti stands, or articles kept outdoors — like lampshades and chandeliers, and the like. Varnishing gives some heat-resistance and prevents the shell from developing a crack. For beginning too, it also is easy to create a craft with varnishing, as it takes less time for cleaning the shell. Since it gives a shiny appearance, a lot of cleaning is not required. 59

Items made should be kept in the direct sun for ﬁve to ten minutes. Then one or two layers of varnish should be applied, and again kept for drying for another ﬁve to ten minutes. After this, the article is ready. Articles made for consumption of food or liquid should not be varnished.

Patterns

What is a pattern? It’s a decorative design, as for wallpaper, china, or textile fabrics, etc.6 A pattern, from the French patron, is a type of theme of recur- ring events of or objects, sometimes referred to as elements of a set. These elements repeat in a predictable manner. It can be a template or model which can be used to generate things or parts of a thing, especially if the things that are created have enough in common for the underlying pattern to be inferred, in which case the things are said to exhibit the unique pattern. Pattern matching is the act of checking for the presence of the constituents of a pattern, whereas the detecting for underlying patterns is referred to as pattern recognition. The question of how a pattern emerges is accomplished through the work of the scientific field of pattern formation. The most basic patterns are based on repetition and period- icity. A single template, or cell, is combined with duplicates without change or modification. For example, simple harmonic oscillators produce repeated patterns of movement.7

Advantages of using coconut

The coconut shell material has a number of advantages. Lignin is the major component of the shell. Cellulose, which is at the centre of the shell, is soft and can be removed.

6http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pattern 7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattern 60 CHAPTER 7. USING THE TOOLS

Hence, the hard lignin, and its less porous nature, gives a good ﬁnish to the craft after polishing. There is a lot of scope to use coconut craft even as utility articles in our kitchen. It is eco-friendly, comes in a convenient shape, is hygienic and easy to clean. In fact, coconut utensils have been used in the Goan kitchen since time immemorial. For instance, the traditional spoon called the doulo. Cups, saucers, kettles, bowls, spoons, ladles, frying-spoons, ice-cream cups, soup bowls, dry-fruit bowls ... almost every item required in our kitchen can be made of the coconut shell. These items are washable and reusable. Curds set very well in a curd-bowl made of the coconut shell. This can be also kept in the refrigerator.

DustGuard-1899

I have noticed that people do not show a deep interest in coconut shell craft as an industry, sometimes due to the health problems they anticipate. This is a mask to be worn while cleaning the shell. While doing this work, fine dust could enter the respiratory system, and eyes, which may cause problems in the long run. I tried various means – like an air-filter mask, a cloth, a transparent screen – but could not get a satisfactory protection for the coconut craft worker. Masks required for such a purpose are not available in the market too. As a means of minimising this risk, after giving a long thought to this subject, on September 18, 2009, which happens to be my birthday, I finally succeded in making a mask of the required design, and named it as DustGuard-1899.This is specially designed to cover the entire face, with a transparent acrylic sheet on its front. It is made from plastic and is light-weight. Two hose 61 pipes are fitted to it, one as the inlet for fresh air, and the other as outlet, connected to a micro exhaust fan. The bottom side is fitted with cloth, which can be tied from the outside, so that dust does not enter from the opening at the neck. See picture.

8. Art of carving

ARVINGEXPRESSES the thoughts and feelings of those who C chip away with a chisel. It may be on a small grain of rice, or a large marble stone. The art of turning a simple, unassuming coconut shell into a piece of beauty involves a sense of reasoning, precision and aesthetic beauty. Keep in mind the picture of the ﬁnal article to be made. It may be a cup, a jug, a jewellery set, or just an ice-cream cup. Depending on this, select a coconut shell accordingly, as pointed out earlier.

Cutting the coconut shell with a piercing blade.

For instance, to make an ice-cream cup, select a medium sized coconut shell, just to hold the right amount of delicious ice-cream. The shell should be round and full, and having no ‘eyes’ (holes) on it. In other words, choose the bottom-half of the shell. Cut the shell to a precise round shape, to the required size. Having a smooth surface is a pre-requisite of this art, and this is achieved with the ﬁle. To begin, use a rough ﬁle. Then a smooth one. For a smooth surface, polish the coconut shell with a sand-paper, both from inside as well as the outside of the shell. Your ice-cream cup needs a base. For this, select a small shell and cut it to form a ring shape. File and polish the same, using glue. Paste the ring shape shell to the base of the polished medium-sized coconut shell serving as the actual cup. An artistic design on the coconut shell serving as the cup will add to the beauty of the colourful ice-cream served. Varnish

63 64 CHAPTER 8. ART OF CARVING added on the outer layer, or even applying coconut oil, will lend a natural colour to the shell.

Coconut shell as a casing material: Plastic, a non-biodegradable item of daily use, has been a cause for concern due to its toxic and polluting factors.

In my attempt to replace plastic with the coconut shell, I came upon an innovative idea of replacing plastic used as a casing material in electrical and electronic appliances with that of coconut shell.

The shell can be cut and shaped, depending upon the item. In my quest and love for modiﬁcation, I have made casing for door-bells, musical alarms, emergency lights and more.

My telephone, with a slight modiﬁcation in its circuit, is ﬁtted in a coconut shell. Being beautiful and a rare item, that is unavailable in the market, it prompts the buyer to own it notwithstanding its higher cost.

Coconut shell powder: Would you believe that buttons and beads can be made from coconut shell powder?

Powder left behind from cutting and carving is soft and has stiff bonding properties. Articles made of it are hard, durable and retain their natural colour, that can be shaped to one’s imagination and choice.

To maintain its uniformity and smoothness, it is passed through a sieve. For shapes needed, just roll the powder mixed with glue in a semi-moist state on the palm of one’s hands. For large scale production though, the mixture can be pressed under metallic moulds, and dried. 65

Coconut Shell, Fibre & Stem Craft of Goa: Goa produces beautiful, decorative and utility items made out of coconut fibre. Apart from consuming the coconut at mealtime, the coconut has done wonders in helping local artists earn a livelihood. Artists prepare decorative or utility items from the shells and its fibre. Brooms are well prepared and have a good life span and don’t produce any dust. Locals have been using spoons or the traditional dovlo and other vessels made out of shells .These are safe to use. Boats and outriggers from the coconut tree are also prepared, and this involves lot of manual labour and skilled art. Today there is great demand of fashionable coconut jewellery along with decorative items such as masks, bags, candle stands, purses etc. http://www.craftandartisans.com/coconut-shell- fibre-stem-craft-of-goa.html

One item of universal demand is the pen. Coconut shell powder can replace present-day non-biodegradable plastic. You just have to roll over a metal wire glue-mixed coconut powder and dry it. On drying, the metal wire then is pulled out. A refill is inserted into the passage caused by the wire. One can thus make ball pens of various shapes and sizes. Simple items are made using simple tools like the hacksaw blade and various files. The desired shape could be given using these tools, as the liking of the customer and the need for new design makes one develop new techniques. I’ve come up with micro-cutting techniques. This allows for fine cutting – of even a one millimetre line. For this, piercing blades are used. Blade numbers start from .02 mm to .07 mm. These are as thin as a single strand of hair. Very intricate work — like creating earrings, necklaces, intricate crosses — has been done using the above technique. Engraving: Is one type of carving. The image of the chalice on the back cover of this book employs an engraving technique. Once the shell is polished, to get a smooth surface, the required 66 CHAPTER 8. ART OF CARVING design can be engraved on it. This mean the removal of un- wanted shell pieces using small micro-chisels. 9. Other techniques

Jewellery

MONGTHEITEMS of jewellery that can be produced from A the coconut shell are: earrings, pendants, necklaces, bangles, rings, anklets, broaches, tie-pins, and others. Such works of coconut are appreciated by college students and other fashion-conscious sections. The advantage of such jewellery is it is very light and durable, and also has a unique and attractive look. Foreigners appreciate such craft too, more so because it is easy to carry, it is not available in the Western world, and has a very ethnic look to it. Besides, there are a plethora of designs and it is relatively inexpensive. On the request of customers, coconut-shell based jewellery can also be made with pure silver and gold hooks or press-locks. I have introduced a technique, where instead of making a hole into a jewellery item and inserting a ring into it, a vertical hole is crafted into the product itself, and a metal wire is ﬁxed into it, thus making the craft more beautiful. Earrings: Polished coconut shell is cut to the desired design, using a piercing blade. Then the edges are smoothened. The coconut shell is a very good material for the manufacture of jewellery – being light-weight, eco-friendly and not causing any reaction on the skin. It can be polished to get a mirror-ﬁnish, and is also long-lasting. As a gold-smith, I tried to use the concept of gold-making techniques and designing in coconut-shell jewellery. Any type of intricate jewellery can be made from the above medium. An innovative technique is used in ear-ring making to make the jewellery beautiful and to give a total exposure (the entire

67 68 CHAPTER 9. OTHER TECHNIQUES craft is visible, whereas if hooks etc are used, the show dimin- ishes). Vertical bore-hook: Generally, earrings are suspended by a ring-and-hook. This ring is passed into a small hole on the top, from which a hook is fixed. This does not lend a very good look to the jewellery. In the vertical bore-hook technique, a fine hole is bored, using a very fine drill-bit, on the top (head) of the item. A metal hook is inserted into it, and filled with adhesive. This hook is inserted through it. This gives a perfect look, and the entire handicraft item becomes visible. Usually, the hooks used for such jewellery are either brass, coated with silver, or pure silver. On request, gold can be also used. This same technique is also used in necklaces and other fine jewellery. Centre-bore stud: Some ear-rings like ‘tops’ or fixed-earrings require a stud and a clamp. Here, the stud is bored in the centre of the article and fixed with adhesive. (See diagram.) Magnetic-stud earring: The latest trend is to use magnetic earrings. This needs no hook to be pierced in the ear. Young men also wear such fashion accessories. A very powerful magnet, with chromium plating, is fixed at the back of the article, and another piece of the same magnet, with the opposite pole, is used as a lock. This magnet is so powerful that it holds the earring in the right position. The same technique can be used for broaches, tie-pins, sari- pins, etcetera.

Bangles and kada or kara

Coconut-shell bangles are very light-weight, and comfortable to use as it is well cleaned and polished on either side. It is made of a single-piece, without any joints, in numerous designs or thickness. Some men wear a single bangle on the arm or wrist called as kada or kara. This can be made of coconut too. 69

Carving and engraving is also possible on the shell. Some- times, tender-coconut (ivory in colour) designs are stuck on the matured dark-brown shell, to lend a unique look. Bangles do not just add beauty to those who wear it, but one feels close to nature. Its natural touch helps to feel cooler, specially during a hot summer. I have noticed the craze among boys to wearing a kada or kara. This naturally lends a feel-good effect.

Key chains

Key chains are a need for almost everyone, from school-going children to senior citizens. The coconut shell lends itself perfectly well to creating a variety of key chain designs, which are economical, long-lasting, beautiful and overall, very useful. The key chain remains in contact with the human body, hand or palm, for most of the time. Cheap key chains made from either plastic or synthetic ﬁbres or alloys may be harmful. On the contrary, the key chain made of coconut shell is a good solution to the nature-lover. When held in the palm, it gives a cooling effect. Some of these advantages of articles made by the coconut- shell articles, are, in fact, pointed out to us by visitors who land at our exhibitions in different place. One can indeed agree with their experiences.

Crockery, or dish-ware

Dishware is the general term for the dishes used in serving, and eating food, including plates and bowls. In British English the term crockery is used. I emphase on innovative and quality products. Articles that are produced should have utility value. These should be long- lasting and affordable. Crockery is used in every house, and there are new trends in using eco-friendly crockery. 70 CHAPTER 9. OTHER TECHNIQUES

Crockery includes includes kettles, cups, bowls, spoons, mugs. All the item can easily be made from a single entire coconut shell. Keeping in mind the needs of hygiene, and the risks of haz- ardous chemical glues, care is to be taken that the latter does not come in contact with the user. The shell is well cleaned from either side, and the edges are smoothened. Generally, an article of this nature made by some manufacturers in Goa and other States shows some faults after being used for awhile. As these articles are used for holding liquids – either cold or hot – the joints outside the shell, at the base or the handle, loosens, and the part gets separated, rendering the item useless. I have applied a technique called the ‘interlocking’ technique, where two pieces are glued and then interlocking is done by making a hole at a minimum of two places across, and tightly inserting a hard-wood piece through it. This grips the two parts ﬁrmly, and the item can be used even to handle boiling water, tea, coffee or soups. A similar technique is used in spoons too.

Spoons

Many varieties of spoons can be made from the coconut shell, including spoons for salt and pepper (tiny ones) and masala, spoons for ice-cream, table-spoons, the larger traditional Goan dovlos, spoons for frying, among others. Till now, I have designed over 80 different types of spoons. Some spoons are used specially for mixing medicines, and serving medicines, since the coconut is considered hygienic. Coconut spoons are used specially for pickles and wet- masalas, since it does not react with the acidic content of the same. Spoons are also made with wood or bamboo as its handle; these can be used to deal with cold and hot substances. They are well ﬁxed using an inter-locking system of hard-wood. 71

Cocollage

HAT IS cocollage? It is the coconut equivalent of a collage. W A colleage is itself a picture made by sticking pieces of coloured paper or cloth onto the paper. It is a new technique in making coconut-shell artifacts. This emerged from my work after studying the different aspects of the coconut shell. Many pieces of coconut shell are used to create a cocollage. Using this method, different types of articles can be made. For instance, pots, corner pieces, installations, etc. One example of a cocollage is a large pot, of size approx five feet. It has been created by this technique, using coconut shell. Using this technique, one can create a range of items, of any size. Officials in Goa are open to training youth in this field, and there is considerable demand in the cities and the hotels. Unlike other crafts, this is easy to create. Once a design is created, the items can mass produced as well. The process involved is very simple:

· Selection of shell of required curvature, thickness and shade.

· Removal of ﬁrmly-stuck pith and ﬁbre.

· Smoothening the shell and polishing.

· Cutting into required shape, pieces of required size.

· Edging – smoothening the edges.

· Joining the pieces to give a required shape.

· Filing.

· Varnishing.

A variety of artifacts can be made using this technique, specially huge pots, showpieces or even statues. I have also developed an 72 CHAPTER 9. OTHER TECHNIQUES electrical motor-run machine, for cutting, cleaning and edging the shell, which is easy to use. Articles made by the above technique are beautiful, have an ethnic look, are durable, and light-weight.

Coco-met

The natural, circular or oval shape of the coconut – and the size of the shell – offers a beautiful aesthetic look on cleaning and polishing. This encouraged me to take one step forward, in combining different metals with the coconut shell. This method of combining different metals with the coconut shell has been named by me as coco-met (a mix of coconut and metal). Metals like bronze and stainless-steel goes well together with the coconut. Cups, kettles and bowls made of coconut can be decorated with these metals. Traditional hookas have been decorated with brass. These can also be made from the coconut shell. Stainless steel gives a very good look on combining with the shell. Valuable articles like table-lamps and pedastal lamps can attract customers. This technique can be also used in many other kinds of interior decorations. An elegant looking balustrade for staircases can be made with coconut shells forming part of it. This can be made for the local and foreign markets.

Coco-doors, etcetera

Everyone likes to have a beautiful interior and rooms in their homes. Decorations that are different are valued more. Doors are among the most attractive part of our room. Coco-doors add beauty and can be made from elegant coconut wood for its frame, and a cocollage (coconut collage) using coconut-shell rounds or triangular pieces. It can be designed with either mature or tender coconut shell cuttings. 73

Windows and photo frames can also be made using the same technique. In Goa, not much work has been done on the use of coconut wood (except for roof-beams and other rough utility items). Some of the coconut trees, which are over a hundred years of age, offer very good quality wood for making craft articles – including showpieces, lamps, or even furniture, doors and windows, decorative articles, spoons, cups, mugs, walking sticks and the like. Coconut wood of this kind can be very tough.

Barren nut craft

Articles are made from the entire coconut, using the husk of the coconut too. The husk is carved in the shape of the required design. For this, it is preferable to use the sterile nut, called the vanz in Goa. The nut is smaller, and the ﬁbre is more, making it suitable for such crafts. If the nut is bigger and ﬁbre is less, you cannot create the required design. To create larger articles of the barren nut craft, we use a special variety of the nut called the xellavno, which is larger in size. These are specially available in the Calangute variety of coconuts in Goa. This craft is called ‘barren nut’ craft, because the inside of the coconut may or may not contain copra within it. In the case a vanz — which is a kind of deformity – there is no copra inside. The external husk develops, but the coconut doesn’t. If the nut is not barren, the copra is kept inside, and will not have any adverse effect. In some cases, the copra is removed. See photos included in the glossy section of this book.

Coco-powder (dust) based products

Nothing is wasted when it comes to the coconut. One should have the vision to turn left-overs into some other art form. While 74 CHAPTER 9. OTHER TECHNIQUES cleaning the coconut shell, a lot of shell-dust or powder is left behind.

This powder or dust tends to be simply thrown out or burnt. But, one had to think of using this dust, and ﬁnally this powder turned out to be a very precious material.

Earlier on, when we had just started our craft, shell powder was only used as a ﬁller in cavities or gaps that remained in the artifacts. Then came the concept of making beads and other such articles, jewellery, rosaries, etc. Ball-pens are made out of it too.

Besides, small statues and images can be made from coconut shell powder. Coconut shell powder is widely used in the manufacture of mosquito-repellent coils. It contains shellac, which burns with a thick smoke. Our ancestors used burnt coconut shell with incense (natural plant-based dhoop), garlic peels and black pepper, believing this kept away germs and insects. 75

Coconut shell comes with some very good properties. It is made of a signiﬁcant amount of lignin, unlike material like wood and bamboo – which contains a larger percentage of cellulose. More lignin means if liquid (like water) is added to the shell, it doesn’t absorb the water and get soaked and swollen. This makes it easier to create utility items such as cups, saucers, teapots from the coconut. A cup of bamboo, for instance, cannot be thus used. This composition also makes the product hygienic. Curry-spoons and ladles made of coconut are used in Goa till these times. Says the WiseGeek.com site: “Lignin ... plays a number of important roles in plant biology, and it also has an assortment of industrial applications, making it a coveted product among certain manufacturers.”

Coconut shell compound(dry basis)

Compound Percent Cellulose 33.61 Lignin 36.51 Pentosans 29.27 Ash 0.61

Source: Jasper Guy Woodroof (1979). “Coconuts: Production, Processing, Products". 2nd ed. AVI Publishing Co. Inc.

Dhoopbatti

My mind could not stop to try to use this concept too, and I planned to manufacture dhoopbatti, using the same idea. But bonding was a difficulty facing me. It took me six years, but I 76 CHAPTER 9. OTHER TECHNIQUES managed to finally formulate the doopbhatti, cent-per-cent made of natural products, and safe to use. Called dhoop in Marathi (salai or loban in Hindi, and sallaki or kundaru in Sanskrit), the dhoop is considered a herbal healer. It’s family name is Burseraceae and it’s Latin name is Boswellia glabra/serrata. This plant is found in dry hills throughout central and north- ern India. It is used extensively all over the world. Dhoop is a very useful ingredient in home remedies and can be used in conjunction with other medicines in the early stage of a disease. According to the Santulan Ayurved Collection, consuming a little dhoop with warm water induces perspiration and thus reduces fever. It also acts as an expectorant in pulmonary diseases like bronchitis and so on. It has also other many other roles in traditional medicine. It has been used to fumigate a chronic wound, to fumigate to expel phlegm and give relief in a cough, and for fumigation to purify the atmosphere and help reduce mosquitoes. Kalpvriksha Kala Doopbhatti: This is the product made from the above natural substance. It works as an air-purifier in your room, besides as a natural mosquito repellent. Smoke of this dhoopbhatti can be used for drying the hair of ladies, after a bath. It spreads a pleasant fragrance in the house too.

Havanbatti

Havanam (also Havana, Havan) is the term for a sacred purifying ritual (yajna) in Hinduism that involves a fire ceremony. It is a ritual of sacrifice made to the fire god Agni. It is believed that this sacrifice will bring health, happiness, luck and prosperity. Most Hindus offer a Hanvan in their homes once in their year, anytime during the year. It is a tradition maintained from the times of our ancestors. Different plants, shrubs and natural products are burnt in these fires. Smoke produced on burning these 108 to 120 different substances is believed to create a good 77 environment. It is also believed that this sacrifice will bring health, happiness, luck and prosperity. Havanbatti by Kalpvriksha is a combination of coconut shell- powder with 108 types of substances — for example honey, local shrubs, black til (sesame seed), rose, sandalwood, and the like. It is simple to use. Along with this, we also provide a CD of mantras (sacred chants).

Cross-connection

Crosses, crosses and crosses. Right now, I have made 500 different types of crosses, each of a different shape from the other, made exclusively from coconut shell. No two crosses are the same. Some of the patterns are from the Internet, while others are traditional which I learnt after visiting different places and ready different books. Some were also adopted by me from the cemeteries, not only from Goa but also from Maharashtra (the Konkan region), Karnataka (at Bangalore) and Delhi (near Karol Bagh). Most are one-piece crosses. The smallest cross is 3 mm in size, and the biggest, 2.5 feet. The latter is an assembled cross, made from 11 coconuts – symbolising the different talukas (sub- districts) of Goa, collected by the Agricultural Department from across the State. It symbolises unity across Goa. The purpose of making this collection is that I have a lot of Catholic friends. The first person who encouraged me, to take to this coconut craft, was also a Catholic, Matilda D’Souza from Nachinola. After that, I met a number of people who encouraged my art, which included Catholics, who gave me a lot of encouragement to publicise my craft, including in the media. Journalist Joel D’Souza of Assagão was instrumental in getting my listing done in the Limca Book of Records. There also was cartoonist Alexyz Fernandes of Siolim, campaigner Roland Martins and Lilian Da Costa and others who 78 CHAPTER 9. OTHER TECHNIQUES have helped me in my time of need. Goa Sudharop1, an organisation of expats from Goa, also supported me when I needed a boost. Annette Braganca-Pinto helped me in getting information about the crosses, and finding the right names for the crosses. Exhibitions have been held at the Moira church, Siolim, at Fundaçao Oriente, and another at the Museum of Christian Art in Old Goa. When I had a programme at the Museum of Christian Art, a number of priests were invited. Some viewers have voiced their surprise that there are so many shapes of crosses in existence! One priest inquired how many years it took to create these crosses. They did not expect to hear that it took just two years to create this unique collection. CocoCross is a sign of love, faith, truth, unity and sacrifice. A touch of a cross on the forehead of a sick person is believed to have the power to sometimes make him well. Just the vision of the cross at the time of danger gives courage to believers.

Lotlikar has truly impressed with his Cross Connection. The master craftsman in him came in to the forefront with his incredible feat of carving 300 crosses on coconut shells. He comes from a tradition of jewellers and the intricate work on the crosses is adroitly accomplished with an affable disposi- tion. — Colin Savio Coelho, in Herald March 9, 2008.

All the crosses are hand-cut, smooth-ﬁnished, and can be used on the altar, or walls, in chains, on holy threads or as lapel pins, earrings, etc. Designs of the crosses have been obtained from diverse sources – books, the Internet, museums, by visiting churches in different areas of Goa and neighbouring states, cemeteries. Some new patterns are my own creations. Some of the crosses included are the Greek Cross, St An- drew’s Cross, the Tau Cross, the Celtic Cross, the Slavic or Rus- sian Cross, the Latin Cross, the Eastern Cross, the Cruciﬁx.

1http://www.goasudharop.org 79

Archbishop of Goa and Daman Filipe Neri-Ferrão inaugu- rated the exhibition at Siolim, and was impressed by the detailed work and the information on the same. When I exhibited at Moira in December 2007, the number of crosses was 250. It then grew to 300, and is currently at 500.

Tender coconut shells

The coconut shell, when tender, is soft and easy to cut and polish. On polishing, it gives a white or ivory coloured shade. This shell is usually used for decoration atop matured shell articles, or in jewellery.

Coconut crafts are mainly manufactured in South Indian states where the majority of coconut grows. The process of coconut crafts involves sketching, cutting, sanding, and buffing to create the finished product. Bowls, vases, roses, rose-water sprinklers, teapots and others are made from coconuts. Coconut shells are now carved into useful and decorative articles such as fruit-dishes, wine cups, finger bowls, ice-cream cups, lamp stands, vases, pen and pencil stands, cups and saucers. Articles like hukkas, larger vases and lampshades are also made of coconut shells with brass bindings. Crafts like table lamps, jewellery and finger bowls have become quite popular. Most-wanted coconut crafts include bowls, vases, roses, teapots , wine cups, finger bowls, ice-cream cups, saucers, pen and pencil stands, hukkas, lampshades, fruit dishes, table lamps, finger bowls, roses, jewellery, vases and teapots. http://www.indianetzone.com/1/coconut_craft.htm

10. Marketing

FTERCOMPLETING your production of handicrafts, the next A — and perhaps bigger — challenge is how to market the same. In Goa, artisans have some options to market their work through the following networks, including government agencies: GHRSSIDC Ltd: The State-owned Goa Handicrafts Rural and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Ltd currently promotes exquisite Goan handicrafts sourced from master craftsmen such as coconut shell craft (Rajesh Veluskar, Divar, and the author of this book), carved wooden items (Aristides Alvares, Neura), sea shell craft (Radhika Malik, Porvorim), brassware (Shantaram Shinde, Mapusa), terracotta, Azulejos tile paintings (Shankar Turi, Marcel), ﬁbre statues (Dilip Rane, Pernem), ba- nana ﬁbre craft, and the like. Goa’s share in India’s export handicraft market is still limited. But the corporation was quoted as saying in news reports recently that it “is striving to create a steady demand for Goan handicrafts to generate the potential to create hundreds of job opportunities as well as to preserve the traditional Goan handicrafts which have been practiced by the artisans since many generations.” The corporation is also in the process of identifying professional designers to undertake design development workshops to improve the overall quality of traditional handicrafts. Among its activities are:

· Aparant emporiums, showcasing Goan art: There are some 12 in Goa (Neuginagar, Tourist at Panjim, ISBT Panjim, airport, Vasco, Margao, Mapusa, Calangute, Udyog Bhavan

81 82 CHAPTER 10. MARKETING

in Panjim, Big Foot in Loutolim and in Canacona) and one in New Delhi.

· Aparant Maand: Annually two exhibitions are organised in the two districts of Goa. This annual mega event focuses exclusively on the work of Goan artisans, and is held over four to ﬁve days in the major cities of Goa, on a rotation basis. It contributes to popularising the handicraft items. Some 120 stalls are proposed to be given free to Goan artisans to display and sell their handicraft products over fouir to ﬁve days. Participating Goan artisans are paid DA at Rs 100 per day per head, allowing upto two artisans per stall.

· GHRSSIDC-sponsored exhibitions are held in Goa and other parts of the country.

· Overseas sales: GHRSSIDC participates in exhibitions overseas, and hopes to promote exports too.

Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) Marketing Extension Cen- tre (DC Handicrafts):

· Organises exhibitions in the state as well as other parts of the country. Allots free stall, and TA is paid to the artisan.

Directorate of Arts and Culture (Government of Goa): has been organising Kala Utsav exhibitions in Goa. Also participates in exhibitions in Udaipur (Rajasthan). DRDA: The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) has been organising the 12-day national level SARAS Fair. This exhibition-cum-sale under the brand name of SARAS (Sale of Rural Artisans of Society) has been displaying a range of products manufactured by rural artisans, craftsmen and beneﬁciaries of self-help group (SHGs) across the country. Over 200 stalls have taken part, from many states including Goa. In 2008, this event was held in Rajkot. Priority is given by the 83

DRDA to self-help groups of the BPL (below-the-poverty-line) category. Coconut Development Board, Kochi: Organises expos on coconut based products in India. It also offers a free stall, with TA/DA. GCCI: The Goa Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Women’s Wing) has been organising exhibitions in the state, as well as participating in exhibitions in other parts of the country. It also takes part in international exhibitions. Khadi Gramodyog: Organises exhibitions and has its own outlets in different parts of the country. NGOs in Goa: Some NGOs organise one or two day exhibitions at various places, which enables one to sell products. These include, in Goa: · Green Goa Works, Mapusa · Earthworm, Alto Porvorim · Green Aid Foundation · Konkan Fruit Fest (Botanical Society of Goa) Dilli Haat: Dilli Haat is a combination food plaza and craft bazaar located in the heart of Delhi, one near the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, opposite INA Market, and another at Netaji Subash Place, adjacent to Netaji Subash Place Metro Station. Dilli Haat has stalls representing each state of India, giving a complete variety of tastes available all over India. There are also stalls of crafts from all over India, and from a variety of cultural traditions of India. There are plans to open more Dilli Haats all over Delhi. Unlike the traditional weekly market, the village haat, Dilli Haat is permanent. Some shops are permanent but other sellers are rotated, usually for ﬁfteen days. Products offered may include rosewood and sandalwood carvings, embellished camel hide footwear, sophisticated fabric and drapery, gems, beads, brassware, metal crafts, and silk and wool fabrics. 84 CHAPTER 10. MARKETING

Shows promoting handicrafts and handlooms are held at the exhibition hall in the complex. To sell wares, there is an application process and spaces are allocated according to which state the seller is from. There is a nominal entrance fee to shop at Dilli Haat. Own showrooms: This is also possible, given some investment. Other possibilities include conducting private exhibitions, as part of an event; exhibiting in hotels and resorts; or even sale through the Internet. In the last case, the issue of being able to receive payments efﬁciently, and packaging and despatching the products are also to be considered.

Coconut Shell, Fibre & Stem Craft of Andaman & Nicobar: This is a versatile craft and the articles made out of coconut shells range from table lamps and ﬁnger bowls to boxes and even jewellery. Basketry and mat-weaving are traditional crafts of the Nicorbarese and are usually done by the women in their leisure time. Mats are made from coconut stems and pandanus leaves and are used for sitting, sleeping, and making the walls of huts. Very often light and dark leaves are interwoven to create intricate patterns. The mats are soft, light, cool, and have a glossy surface. http://www.craftandartisans.com/coconut- shell-ﬁbre-stem-craft-of-andaman-nicobar.html 11. Shell craft syllabus

TISNOT tough to work out a feasible syllabus that could teach I coconut craft to students of higher school or in non-formal education settings. Trainings should begin with the display of various items already made of coconut. This would help the trainees to get attracted, impressed and motivated about the possibilities of such work. It should not remain a theoretical discussion. Artist’s impression of trainees at work. From right: cutting, polishing, sand- papering, ﬁne-polishing and shaping.

There should also be a brief history given about the coconut, its typical nature, information about the plant, what it is currently used for, and other background details. A lot of information material is available on these aspects, and we are yet to tap the wide diversity of links available on the Internet, for example. The harmful effects of plastics and other non-biodegradable items should also be emphasised. Likewise, the trainees need to be told about how this can be overcome by replacing such products by coconut-shell articles. Students need to be made familiar with the properties of the coconut shell, its durability and looks. Each trainee should be practically taught to cope with the selection of a coconut shell; cleaning and polishing; cutting and carving into articles; pasting; varnishing.

Learning outcomes

On the completion of the course, the trainee should be able to: • Develop a basic understanding of coconut craft.

85 86 CHAPTER 11. SHELL CRAFT SYLLABUS

• Use basic materials and tools used in the craft, and explore them adequately.

Speciﬁc objectives

• To help pupils to learn basic coconut craft skills. • To encourage pupils to create simple coconut crafts, and be able to develop their skills further in the ﬁeld. • To give pupils practice in coconut crafts, and the tools needed to create it. • To encourage pupils to practice doing coconut craft.

Suggested topics and activities

• History, origins and distribution of the coconut tree • Coconut shell and its properties • Availability of the raw material • Tools to be used • Method of selecting the shell. • Method of cleaning the shell. • Method of cutting the shell. • Method of carving the shell. • Method of pasting the shell. • Polishing and varnishing. • Designs. • Methods for large-scale production. • Marketing facilities and scope

Some hints for teaches

• Demonstrate how to use the different tools (described both in this book and others) that help create the coconut crafts. • Guide pupils how to start correctly. • Motivate pupils to begin doing coconut-crafts, even if simple ones. 87

• Encourage pupils to see products created already in the field of coconut crafts. • Explain to pupils the kinds of coconut shells available, and resultant crafts emerging from each of these. • Divide pupils into groups. Get them to collectively create coconut crafts that are worthy of display or sale. • Help them to display their work in the classroom. • Pupils should be encouraged to collect all the crafts they create. At the end of the training, each student should be able to create 12 to 15 different types of coconut-based items. They should also be made aware about the possibility of using mechanised tools. It is also important to explain the different ways of marketing their articles, while further training — by way of specialisation — could be offered to those trainees more deeply interested. Till date, no full-fledged training centre has been opened for coconut craft in Goa. GHRSSIDC Ltd at Neogi Nagar in Panjim organises a 20-day basic training in coconut shell craft. The DRDA also organises short-term programmes. On looking at the huge response from buyers, it is clear that there is a lot of scope for this craft. Besides, the raw-material has many plus points, is biodegradable (eco-friendly) and is also freely available. Over and above, coconut shell craft depicts the culture of Goa as it has been part of the local culture since way back times. Kalpvriksha Kala has been working to developed the technology, and what is needed is a focus on creating entrepreneurs in this field. It would help to have a two-year full-fledged course on coconut shell crafts, through the government technical school or ITI centres. This can produce an effective network of entrepreneurs over time. 88 CHAPTER 11. SHELL CRAFT SYLLABUS

The Craft-House of St. Kitts in the West Indies, has however ini- tiated ways in which the utilisation of this raw material could be put to better use. The following products listed here are some items, which have been made using a little creativity and ingenuity. The process involves sketching, cutting, sanding, and buffing to create the finished product: • chokers • piggy banks (two varieties) • fish • bird feeders • turtles • cups • tea pots • powder bowls. http://www.stkittscrafthouse.com/coconut.php 12. Online craft links

· Coconut craft images: From ﬂickr.com, a whole lot of im- pressive images. Nearly half a million images show up, some obviously not related to the theme of your interest. You will also ﬁnd some from the author of this book. http://coconutcraftimages.notlong.com

· Indianetzone has a brief article. “A variety of coconut crafts like bowls, vases, roses, rose-water sprinklers, teapots and others are made from coconuts. Now-a-days, coconut shells are carved into useful and decorative articles such as fruit-dishes, wine cups, ﬁnger bowls, ice-cream cups, lamp stands, vases, pen and pencil stands, cups and saucers. Articles like hukkas, larger vases and lampshades are also made of coconut shells with brass bindings. Coconut crafts like table lamps, jewellery, ﬁnger bowls and other objects have become quite popular.” http://www.indianetzone.com/1/coconut_craft.htm

· Coconut craft and culture: Rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, hair accessories, etc. http://www.coconutjewelry.com/

· Crafts and artisans of India: Indian Coconut Fibre Stem http://www.craftandartisans.com/indian-coconut- ﬁbre-stem.html

· Plant cultures, plants and people: Leaves of coconut palms are traditionally woven together to make baskets, fans, hats and mats. The leaves have been used to thatch buildings and make brooms. The trunk of the palm can be used like wood to make furniture, household utensils and

89 90 CHAPTER 12. ONLINE CRAFT LINKS

for building. The hard coconut shell is perfectly shaped to make drinking bowls, spoons, ladles, hookah pipes, salad servers and rubber latex collecting cups. They are also carved to make decorative objects such as picture frames. http://www.plantcultures.org/plants/coconut_crafts.html · Craft House, Indonesia: Describes itself as a site contain- ing “pictures of antique furniture made of coconut sticks”. Among other things, includes links to coconut crafts, furniture, kitchen supplies and lamp shades (all of coconut): http://craft-house.smespro.com/tag/coconut-craft · Coconut shell handicraft: Coconut shell craft is a perfect gift for our loved ones. The strength and durability of usage helps them find their way into homes, offices, restaurants and hotels. In Bali crafts are made from coconut shell, coconut wood, coconut fibre and other natural materials. The product line ranges from utility products like bowls, cups, buttons and beads, goblets, spoon, forks, etc. to fashion belts, coconut bras, buckles (sarong holders), bird houses and feeders, jewellery, coconut and bamboo candles and candle holders. http://www.coconutcraft.com/ Part III

AN UNUSUAL MASTER-CRAFTSMAN

13. Calling coco shells

HECOCONUTSHELL is such a thing of beauty and utility! So T perfectly eco-friendly too. I want to throw out all my itsy bitsy kitchen plastics in favour of coconut shell spoons, stirrers, bowls, cups, scoops big and small.1 Coconut shell master craftsman from Parra, Vijaydatta Lot- likar quips, “Coconut shells are brown gold!” His stall at [a recent] Konkan Fruit Fest was attracting a lot of interest, for he has an amazing collection of coconut shell artefacts, a notch above most such artefacts in Goa. As I stared and admired his artefacts, Mr Lotlikar urged me to try out his dhoop batti i.e. incense cones. “I’ve used coconut shell dust as the binding base for my dhoop batti.” His and his family’s life revolves around coconut shells. “I started to make things about 20 years ago. At ﬁrst it was just a hobby, everybody liked the things I made, so I started selling.” Coconut shell artefacts, he says, can replace plastic artefacts in a major way in Goa, and I agree with him wholeheartedly. Except that this kind of cottage craft work has been neglected and never given any major incentive by way of coconut shell collection centres or training centres or quality control or designing inputs on the part of the government handicrafts powers-who- come-and-go. Goa, being a state where coconut trees dot the countryside everywhere, there are “plenty of coconut shells”. The fruit of the coconut is widely patronised in the people’s drinking and

1This article was written by Tara Narayan and published in the Goan Observer dated May 13-19, 2006.

93 94 CHAPTER 13. CALLING COCO SHELLS eating habits, but afterwards out goes the coconut shell without a thought to its usefulness. Heat-resistant: “In the old days in Goa,” contributed Victor Mendes, who was at the stall looking at Vijaydatta Lotlikar’s artefacts, “we used to use these empty coconut shell halves in our homes; they are called cotti. They were the most preferred utensil in the kitchen and bathroom. Stirring spoons and ladles were of cotti. Cotti is heat-resistant and can withstand boiling water! It can be washed out and re-used. As a boy, my mother used to serve desserts in coconut shell half-cotti and there were separate cotti for rice, soup, ﬁsh, curry and water.” The usage of cotti (coconut-shell) was on par with terracotta in the homes. Of course, they could be easily and economically replaced. And, so eco-friendly too! It is something to take note of in today’s plastic times. Cotti is so eco-friendly, plastic is so deadly for both Mother Earth and the human species. Mr Lotlikar’s range of cotti artefacts and handicrafts ranged from austere, smoothly polished coconut shell bowls to soap cases, spoons and ladles, pretty carved tableau work by way of pen-holders, clips, etc. Cute globes with holes all over for toothpicks too. He can make badges, trophies, mementoes, hair-clips, earrings and necklaces out of coconut shell. Goan coconut shell is thicker and tougher than the lightweight Kerala coconut shell. “Goa shell is hard. I can carve on it. The Karwar shells are also good quality.” In Goa, the large Calangute coconut shell is prized and hard to come by. With this shell, one can get large-sized cotti of course. Then, there is the really small cotti which is useful too in designing something. Now that he is into business, “I buy the shell at maybe Rs 30 per hundred shells. Before neighbours and friends used to keep their discarded coconut shells for me. Hotels too used to keep them for me at my request.” 95

Super smooth: The really good stuff has been polished super smooth using special sandpaper. “This ranges from 60 to 600 points in quality. Now, I import it. The price ranges from Rs 50- 60 per square foot to Rs 100 per square foot for superior quality. Local sandpaper is Rs 3!” Quality really depends on the painstaking polishing. Natural ﬁnish is designed by connoisseurs! But most of his economic stuff is given a veneer of lacquer. “I also run workshops to train beginners in this craft. At my home and my workshop there is only my wife, me and my son.” There is an international demand for eco-friendly coconut shell items of day-to-day utility and he gets orders sometimes from foreigners. “They want the best cotti ... 400 to 450 bowls!” Of course, there is money in this craft work utilising what is really a throw-away thing — used coconut shells, dark light brown, and with the potential to be turned into so many things of beauty to beguile the eyes. Goa really has a brown gold mine in its coconut shells! One of these days visit Vijaydatta Lotlikar’s Kalpvriksha Kala showroom in Arradi, Parra in Bardez sub-district (telephone number 2472067 and cell 9423834208). And, consider taking up coconut shell art and craft work for a profession. I’m sure there’s a future in it!

14. What the others say

Fabulous and ingenious! – Fashion designer Wendell Rodricks

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I think after God, only (Lotlikar) knows the best use of coconut tree. – Fr M Mariadass, Madurai

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Exquisite, delicate, deeply Goan art. – Author Maria Aurora Couto

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Wonderful art, especially the cross of unity. – Filomena Giese, Goa Sudharop

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An excellent display of art, and that too with coconuts! – Goa ex-Speaker Tomazinho Cardozo.

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Very original and most interesting. – Dr Sidney Pinto do Rosario.

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Exciting work, minute craftsmanship. – Maendra Alvares, Big Foot, Loutolim.

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97 98 CHAPTER 14. WHAT THE OTHERS SAY

Gold out of rubbish. – Jagdish Wagh, ex-news bureau chief, UNI.

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Great quality, good ideas. – Orijit Sen, artist.

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Excellent display, as always. – Miguel Braganza, horticulturist.

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Excellent use of throw-away material. – Mahendra Chodankar, lecturer, Goa College of Art.

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Very good. – Dean D’Cruz, architect.

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I have seen a lot of coconut work, but nothing beats this. Happy that you are working on an alternative to plastics. – Patricia Pinto, councillor, Panjim.

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Congratulations on your enterprise. Excellent. – Lira Fernandes, librarian, British Film Institute, London.

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Great work! What a wonderful thing the coconut is. – Kurt Fernandes, Toronto.

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Very beautiful work. I would love to learn too. – Adv. Ratna Prabha. 15. An artist, his work

IJAYDATTA LOTLIKAR, originally from Pilerne (Bardez), was V the first to start the coconut shell art in his family, whose ancestral profession is that of goldsmiths. Being the son of a goldsmith, he too helped his father, along with his two elder brothers. They ran a jewellery shop in Mapusa, where he developed his skill in the field and started ornament-plating with gold, which was then in much demand. In time, he completed his B.Sc (IInd Year) at Panjim, and a diploma in electronics. On the side, he found himself getting more interested in the field of coconut shell craft. It gave him pleasure, and he found the product only proved his creativity. He is a man of principles, and stays in Parra (Bardez), while he works at St Xavier’s High School in Moira, Goa. He stays with his wife and son. Lotlikar started this art way back in the early 1990s, and given the goldsmith background, was able to practice his art on coconut shells with the tools he already had. Today, this art has turned into a pride of Goa. One can get lost in admiration of the beautiful, delicate artwork that emerges from his hands. There are many different items he produces from his skilled hands – candle-sticks, statues of Hindu deities, as many as 500 different styles of crosses, necklaces, cutlery, and more. Lotlikar says he got an order from a hotel for a thousand cup- and-saucer sets. Since then, this art has influenced the hotels’ owner, who has worked to replaced China clay cutlery with this Goan art. Besides this, he has also created back-scratchers, and water bottles — which are incidentally kept cool by wrapping a glass

99 100 CHAPTER 15. AN ARTIST, HIS WORK bottle with fine ropes of coconut fibre. Lotlikar has also created toys, a small table stand, glass tops, and the like. All this fine work is done by himself and his nuclear family. He has already taken part in some 250 exhibitions, and won many prizes and rewards. One moment of pride came when he entered the Limca Book of Indian Records (2003), a spot he attained for creating the tallest coconut shell-crafted oil lamp. This has a weight of eight kilograms, it has a height of 20 x 15 inches, and costs a reasonable Rs 1800. He has done some probing and prepared agarbathis and incense sticks to protect one from mosquitoes. For this task, he involved some poor women to help in their preparation, thus helping them get a daily wage too. His work is tedious, yet Lotlikar dedicates himself to make our history more interesting for the generations to come. Lot- likar’s craft is a true wealth-from-waste hobby. The outer shell of the coconut is used for fuel, its powder is mixed in gum and used as paste for joining shell pieces. While the coconut kernel is used for food, its outer shell is dried and polished for art work. Also, the tender coconut shell art is also used as white pieces for the art when needed. His son Aniket Lotlikar has also shown an interest and developed his skills on the barren coconut (called the bondo in Goa). He has studied bio-tech and done research on pesticides for infected coconuts. Lotlikar is keen to train youth and offer courses in schools and institutions for 20 days in a year. He also makes best use of his precious time. (This profile was written by Sr Maria S Colaço, FSMA, of Jyoti Niwas, Canca-Parra.) 16. His world, a nut shell

HALL, decorated with a huge vase, a brown varnished A dondd and an elegant looking Nataraj statue, all created out of coconut shell, is what welcomes you into the house of Vi- jaydatta Lotlikar. This Limca Book of World Records record-holder has crossed all boundaries in making wealth out of waste, using just the coconut shell. Nominated by the Coconut Development Board for the Best Craftsman 2008, he received this national award from Sharad Pawar, Minister of Agriculture, on July 31, 2009. Vijaydatta Lotlikar is ﬁlled with gratitude towards Goa’s Department of Agriculture for acknowledging his works and towards the coconut tree, the kalpvriksha that provides him with the shells from which his craft unfolds. “Efforts do count. I had put in a lot of hard work to achieve this prestigious award. I studied the art and I am proud of all the craftsmen from Goa, as this award is not just presented to an individual but the whole Goan handicrafts community. Satish Tendulkar, the Director of Agriculture, played an important role in promoting coconut craft at the national level.” Lotlikar’s coconut shell craft — which included bottles, table watches, lamp shades, jewellery, purses, crosses and key chains — were displayed at the California Gift Fair, Los Angeles, by a Goan team led by Nikhil Desai, MD, Goa Handicrafts Rural and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation, in July 2009. It received a tremendous response from handicraft lovers, who thought the art form was innovative and artistic. With huge orders and assignments before him, Lotlikar steps up to every challenge in producing handmade works using his own original techniques and machinery. He gained recogni-

101 102 CHAPTER 16. HIS WORLD, A NUT SHELL tion in 2003 when he created the tallest lamp (called in Goa the samayee), standing 8.3 ft tall and 2.5 ft wide. The coconut palm, from tree to nut, is known to have various uses, and Lotlikar shows art can be one of them. Working with coconut shells — especially of the Calangute and Benaulim varieties — for the past 20 years, Lotlikar keeps his eyes open for different and distinct shells, even among the ones lying by the road-side. “In the olden days, the coconut tree was placed third after gold and silver because of its possibilities for being used as kitchenware. While the first two metals were meant for the ‘higher’ castes, coconut products like bowls, cups and ladles were necessary for the home. I urge youngsters to learn this form so that someone can follow the tradition after me,” says this humble artist, who works at St. Francis Xavier School, in Moira village in Goa. Lotlikar likes to talk about the incident that got him interested in the first place. It all started when a colleague of his presented him with a huge coconut. Since he wanted to do something innovative with it, he transformed it into a flower vase and gave it back to his surprised colleague. It was then that he realised his gift for craftsmanship. Lotlikar has created an amazing array of showpieces by em- ploying techniques like the burning method, where a certain design is burnt onto the shell; the cocollage method, where a collage is formed, using cleaned and cut coconut shells; and the engraving method. His works include a fully-operational telephone using coconut shells. He informs, “Some 95 per cent of my work are utility items – like tea pots, tea cups, bowls, ladles, etcetera. I have also designed jewellery like bangles, earrings, bracelets, and pendant sets out of coconut shells. They are a big hit with college students and foreigners.” Lotlikar doesn’t let anything go to waste and even uses shell remains to make dhumpbatti, a special fragrant mosquito- repellent used in olden times. 103

His workshop, where the assembling of coconut shells takes place, is on the top floor of his house. It is here that he keeps his huge collection of crosses crafted from coconut shells. The collection of crosses – over 500 and growing – has been exhibited at Goa’s Christian Art Museum in Old Goa and Fundaçao Oriente, the Portuguese cultural foundation whose India headquarters is at Panjim’s Latin Quarter. “I was motivated by many of my Christian friends. Even the lady who gave me my first bulk of coconut shells was a Christian. The school (where I work) also encourages me in my coconut craft; that’s why I chose this theme.” Coming from a family of goldsmiths, Lotlikar has not regrets about choosing coconuts over gold. Creating gold ornaments is a big process, and a goldsmith is just one aspect of this process. At the end of it all, everyone involved, from the smith to the dealer, wants their share of the profits, ultimately sometimes at the cost of cheating customers. “Rather than being a part of this profession and cheating my customers, I chose to use the tools and techniques of smithing for coconut shell crafts, thereby being honest to myself and my customers,” he says. Lotlikar is often helped by his wife Nilam and son Aniket. Rather than making money off his inventions by only patent- ing and marketing them, he prefers to utilise them to train youngsters and people in rural areas to try and develop this art. He makes special tools for children so that they don’t injure themselves while working on the shells. When asked if he had any plans to open his own outlet, Lotlikar answers: “I don’t want to get tied down to a certain place for the whole day, thinking about sales and production. I won’t have the freedom to think about new designs. I prefer selling my items at different stalls rather than having something which is entirely my own.” With a number of orders and assignments in hand, Lotlikar’s Kalpvriksh Kala has a worldwide clientele. [Reported by Dolcy D’Cruz. Herald, August 20, 2009, Panjim, Goa.]

17. Hobby to commerce

ORME, this all just started as a hobby. It began with one F coconut of unusual size, gifted to me by my colleague, Ms Matilda D’Souza of Nachinola. The size seemed unusually big to me at that time, being of around eight inches in diameter. But, these days, nuts of that size have become common to me. On identifying the talent latent in me, I thought of making the best use of that nut instead of just splitting the nut into two to eat the kernel. So I cut the shell with a hacksaw blade, polished it, gave it a nice shape and converted it into a vessel with a lid, which could be used to keep jewellery or any other items. This was how it all started, nearly 15 years ago, in 1993 or 1994. This item took a lot of time to create, and a lot of effort went into it. The reason being that I was then not familiar with the properties of the coconut, and how to work on it. Still, I managed to produce a craft out of it, which was well appreciated almost by whoever saw it. This gave me a boost, and led me to think, ‘Why not work on the shell from today?’ From that day, each day was a challenge. One had to do a lot of reading-up on the coconut. I had to modify some of the tools available, so that it could make working more easy. Since I am employed at a school, I thought I should make this eco-friendly material popular and build awareness on it. As Goa has a very large area under coconut plantation, this becomes all the more relevant to us. Soon after that, I made some more articles and participated in exhibitions in schools. Environment is a subject which I am always concerned about. So, I attended some more workshops

105 106 CHAPTER 17. HOBBY TO COMMERCE on it. This led to the thought, why not work more seriously on this ﬁeld? I managed to produce many articles out of the coconut shell, which are currently in day-to-day use. I also conducted exhibitions in different places, usually with the theme being ‘Coconut Shells, An Alternative to Synthetic Plastics’. For this, I got the encouragement of people like the Mapusa- based Goa Desk’s Roland Martins, who came in as a resource person and offered ideas and suggestions. Articles made at that time included soap-cases, bowls, cups, brushes, ball-pens, pen-holders, pin-holders, clips, school badges, bottles, purses and many other articles which otherwise people buy in plastic and throw away after a short-use. This only increases the plastic load on the environment. Such exhibitions in schools and colleges were well appreciated. Some students also showed an interest in learning this art. Initially it was tough to convince schools and colleges which didn’t know me. One had to go alone to convince these institutions about my motives and intent. One of my colleagues, Mario Moraes, from Margao, then teaching in St Xavier’s at Moira, would accompany me on these missions. My former headmistress Fatima Antão was kind in giving permission to make time for such work, the importance of which she quickly understood. My current headmistress Ruby Gonsalves and principal Fr Mariano Proença have both been very helpful and encouraging, to whom my sincere thanks. Another of my colleagues, English teacher Ms Barbara Pereira of Assagão, helped me in writing down my ideas and putting it across in proper shape. Soon programmes of this nature were being organised at institutions such as ITIs, polytechnics, the DIET teachers’ training college at Porvorim, the State Institute of Education also at Porvorim, Quepem Government College, St Xavier’s College at Mapusa, DMC College at Assagão, a school at Mandrem, the government-run children’s training centre in arts and crafts called the Bal Bhavan at Panjim.... 107

In all, I must have visited and spoken at over 250 such places. Appreciation came in. Later, I kept being called as a resource person at different school, by the Goa Handicrafts, and the Rural Development Agency (Government of Goa). In particular, officers like Director of Agriculture Satish Ten- dulkar gave me a lot of encouragement and help, right from the early stages. Amancio Fernandes, assistant director of agriculture, also encouraged my work. Goa Handicrafts managing directors and its chairmen over different points of time — including Vishwas Sattarkar, Damu Naik, late MLA Gurudas Gawas, then managing director Satish Borkar, managing director Nikhil Desai – are among those who have helped significantly. Earlier, I had been puzzled: Goa is blessed with so many coconut trees and raw materials (shells) is available almost for free of cost. Yet, there are hardly any such coconut-based handicrafts in Goan emporia. My experience supported the mission. Likewise, some training programmes were conducted at village level the Government agencies — GHRSSIDC, RDA, TERI, SISI. Trainees have been helped to learn to make shell-articles and market them. There is a lot of potential for doing more. My vision has been to see coconut shell craft becoming a major Goan craft. But the way we were training the students was not completely satisfactory. Tools we were using was difficult to use by students, specially women folk. Hence, I have tried to modify some of them. I managed to design simple and cheap tools, which can be easily used. Currently, my workshops held in diverse parts of Goa consists of an exhibition of artifacts, information of crafts and the coconut tree, and a demonstration. At one programme held at a higher secondary school in Siolim, one of the trainees asked me, “Sir, is it possible to manufacture coconut shell articles on a commercial level? Can one make it into his business?” I was initially confused. But the point raised was valid. Training students with the presently available tools, and the method of teaching, contained within itself a lot of restrictions. 108 CHAPTER 17. HOBBY TO COMMERCE

One can only make articles just to pass time or, at best, as a hobby. But, this question played on in my mind, and made me feel that something should be done to increase productivity. After some long hours, I have designed and developed some machines, which could hold an answer to the question from that boy. Yes, these machines are very handy, easy to install and use, and require a less effort to make items. Using them, one can set up his own cottage-industry, and give a good ﬁnish to the crafts. But more work needs to be done. The next year, in Siolim itself, I had an exhibition cum sale of coconut shell crafts at the school, to prove that this craft can be taken up as a business. This simple question motivated it, and it was very important in pushing me forward. After that, many exhibitions-cum-sales were organised in different parts of Goa and even other areas of India. In short, a young man’s question did help me. My wife, Nilam, was a modest house-wife. She was herself very much impressed by my work, and developed an interest in my craft. She has herself learnt the skill over the past decade, and now is a successful entrepreneur in coconut shell craft. She runs a business on the coconut craft, under the label of Kalpvriksha Kala, and participates in exhibitions all over. Aniket, my son, who is now 21 years old and studying, learnt the craft, and in future he too hopes to continue in the same stream. There is reason for optimism in this ﬁeld. 18. National awards 2008

ROMTHE Coconut Development Board, Government of India Min- F istry of Agriculture. Excerpted from the booklet on prize-winners featuring an outstanding performance in the coconut sector. Publica- tion No 145: BEST CRAFTSMAN (Traditional States): Vijaydatta P Lotlikar, H No 255/1, Arradi Parra, Tal Bardez, North Goa. Phone (832) 2472067 Mobile 09423834208. Email vi- [email protected] Vijaydatta P. Lotlikar (47), an artisan from the State of Goa, runs his own unit named Kalpvriksha Kala (the art of coconut shell) at Arradi, Parra, Goa, manufacturing various handicrafts of utility value like pen, pen holder, bowls, cups, kitchenware, show-pieces, lamps, etc out of coconut shell and wood. At present, he has to his credit nearly 450 different types of coconut shell handicrafts. His work exhibits keen observation and excellent craftsmanship. The production of the tallest lamp of 8.3 ft height, 2.5 ft diameter and weight of 9 kgs, made exclusively out of coconut, has fetched Lotlikar great recognition as the lamp has been entered in the Limca Book of World Records. He conducts workshops on coconut as an alternative to plastic at various places. He has conducted handicraft training programmes in schools, colleges, NGOs, etc. The handicraft items are sold in restaurants, hotels and government handicraft showrooms in Goa and Delhi. The unit is run with the supportive and enthusiastic participation of his wife Mrs Nilam Lotlikar and son Aniket Lotlikar. Both are skilled in sculpturing art on shell.

109 110 CHAPTER 18. NATIONAL AWARDS 2008

Mr Lotlikar, the recipient of the Goa Sudharop award in 2002 for promoting entrepreneurial spirit in coconut shell craft, has also received various State awards.

When opportunity comes calling: One afternoon, a tour operator visited my home. He had apparently read about me on the newspapers or viewed some TV programme focussing on my work. He had an idea of showing visitors and tourists to Goa different parts of the State, and thought of showing my craft to them too. I agreed. While discussing, he mentioned that there was much demand for masks made of wood. He said that tourists get attracted towards masks, and so asked me, “Why don’t you try something in coconut?” In reply, I told him there were limitations because of the size and shape of the coconut. But later, the same night, while in bed, I was thinking of his idea before going to sleep. Suddenly, an idea occurred: why not try. The next day, I did one piece as a mask. To make it a show-piece as well as a utility-item, I turned it into a mask-cum-key holder. It is about 4-inches in diameter. Ironically, that item has become so popular today. Whereever I go, it sells. It was like a visit from the gods.... Appendix: Coconut time line

HISEXCERPT is from a website that offers a fascinating his- T tory and information about the changing role of the coconut over time. The original text is far longer, and below are some selected pointers, which relate to the coconut in Goa, the rest of India and South Asia. See the full text and detailed references online at: http://cocos.arecaceae.com/

Modern period: Now-1968

The “Modern” period covers the 40 years that the Coconut Time Line editor has been involved with the coconut palm but, more signiﬁcantly, coincides with the decline of copra from its position as the premier source of vegetable oil in international trade.

Closest genetic relative — In this study, molecular 2004 data alone suggest that the wild progenitors of the coconut were from South America, and that coconuts did not originate in the western Paciﬁc as currently accepted. Genetic re- lationships suggest that coconut may be the only extant member of its lineage. Fossil evidence of Cocoeae fruits (2 - 45 mya, or million years ago) from Australia, New Zealand and India are used to estimate times of divergences of its relatives. Geological dates imply that the coconut was present before the advent of humans. This eliminates any action of humans in its original distribution. Gunn, B. (2004) The closest genetic relatives of the coconut (Cocos nucifera). 9th International Congress of the International Society of Ethnobiology. University of Kent at Canterbury.

111 112 APPENDIX: COCONUT TIME LINE

Domestication theory — At one time it was 1990 thought that the ancestors of modern Cocos nucifera reached the Western Pacific area by long distance dispersal along a southern route from America, with a fossil (Cocos zey- landica) in New Zealand as a remnant of such a pathway. The concept of a southern route is an unnecessary complication. An origin for the whole Cocoeae tribe in western Gondwanaland seems most compatible with the present day distribution. The tribe probably differentiated shortly before the break up of that super-continent. Members radiated and became very diverse in the Americas; some rafted on the African and Madagascar Plates, where they survive to the present day; others rafted on the Indian plate, where they are now extinct. With its ability to float the coconut became independent of plate tectonics for its dispersal. The wild type evolved by floating between the volcanic islands and atolls where these fringed the continental plates and not on the lands masses at all. Islands in the Tethys Sea could have been the ancestral home of the coconut, from where it dispersed by floating to other islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but not into the Atlantic. It would also have floated to continental coastlines but would have stood less chance of surviving competition from other plants or predation by animals until domesticated by early man. The continental coast and larger islands of Malesia was the site for such domestication long before both wild and domestic types were taken into agricultural cultivation. Harries, H.C. (1990) Malesian origin for a domestic Cocos nucifera. In P. Baas et al (eds) The Plant Diversity of Malesia 351-357

Evolution theory — The evolution, dissemination 1978 and classification of the coconut can be considered as a logical sequence. First came the natural evolution and dissemination by floating of a variety with large, long, angular, thick-husked and slow-germinating fruit. It had a theoretical 113 range anywhere between the east coast of Africa and the west coast of America, wherever currents were favourable. From this type, selection under cultivation produced a spherical-fruited variety, not necessarily larger but with increased endosperm, reduced husk thickness, earlier germination and disease resistance. Man came to rely on this coconut for food, drink, shelter and fuel, the basic necessities of life. Al- though not suited for dissemination by floating, it was taken long distances by boat, reaching initially as far west as southern India and Sri Lanka and as far east as the Samoan Islands. Subsequently, hybridisation and introgression of the two contrasting forms gave the wide range of varieties and pan- tropical distribution seen today. A classification system in which the varieties are identified by the degree of introgression (based in the first place on fruit component analysis) is described. This in turn allows a suggestion to be made concerning the location of the much-debated centre of origin for Cocos nucifera. Harries, H.C. 1978 The evolution, dissemination and classification of Cocos nucifera. Botanical Review 44: 265-320.

Agricultural period: 1967-1926

The “Agricultural” period covers the time when all the straight- forward agricultural research was done to increase copra production, beginning with the first scientific cross-pollination (in Fiji) and lasting until coconut’s own “Green Revolution” (in Jamaica) where high density planting of disease resistant dwarf varieties also involved the proper use of fertilizers and herbicides. Menon, K.P.V. & Pandalai, K.M. (1958) The coconut 1958 palm, a monograph. Indian Coconut Committee, Ernakulum. Rejuvenation of coconut palms — Build a wooden box high on the stem of a selected coconut palm, just below the crown of leaves, fill it with a mixture of coarse river sand and seasoned coir dust and keep moist. When enough roots are produced 114 APPENDIX: COCONUT TIME LINE simply cut the stem below the box, lower the rooted crown to the ground and replant in a prepared position. Davis, T.A. (1958) Indian Coconut Bulletin 12, 224-228. (see also World Crops, August 1962, pp2-6)

Strontium, particularly when in radioactive fallout 1957 from nuclear weapons’ testing, seemed a likely cul- prit for otherwise unexplainable coconut diseases. Verghese, E.J., Shankaranarayanan, M.P. & Menon, K.P.V. - (1957) A note on the strontium content of coconut leaves and soils in relation to “leaf” and “root” (wilt) diseases of coconuts in Travancore & Cochin. Indian Cocon. J., 10, 2, 25-31.

The original home and mode of dispersal of the 1929 coconut — “These observations afford satisfactory evidence that ocean-borne nuts can germinate when washed ashore on an uninhabited island and become established without the intervention of human agency, and the evidence which has been brought forward may be considered to strengthen the view that the Polynesian or East Indian Islands are the original home of the coconut palm”. Hill, A.W. Nature 124, 133-134; 151-153.

Mercantile period: 1925-1840

The “Mercantile” period spans the time when small trading schooners could collect copra or coconuts from the remotest Pa- ciﬁc island for onward shipment to Europe and North America to provide industrial raw materials, until over-production by plantations depressed the prices.

Formation of the coconut pearl – “On my last voy- 1925 age to the East Indies for purposes of study, I re- solved to endeavour to ﬁnd out something further about the cocos-pearl and if possible to solve the problem of its formation ... 115

“The normal germination process of the coco-nut begins by an enlargement of the embryo, whereby the cotyledon commen- ces to grow inwards to an absorbing organ (haustorium), and thereby comes to protrude outside the endosperm and into the central cavity. Simultaneously with this, the plumule grow out and, breaking through the membranous operculum of the germinating pore, it pushes its way out through the hard shell ... “Given that the germination, being in progress, is stopped by some cause or other, thus preventing the further development of the haustorium it is conceivable that the haustorium in this state might become encrusted by the influence of the coco-nut milk, and that from this the completely petrified cocos-pearl would gradually be formed ... a coconut without geminating pores is a very great rarity, for which reason they are regarded by the Mohammedans as sacred. The ‘klapa boeta’ is a talisman (tjimat) par excellence ... “I finally succeeded in collecting eight unopened ‘blind’ coconuts from the East Indian Archipelago ... The first ‘boetas’ which I opened produced nothing, but in the fifth I found a really beautiful pearl still attached to the kernel . . . The pearl was attached with the least trace of a stalk, being merely embedded in the endosperm and was quite easy to remove from the kernel. It lay exactly at the base of the nut, just under the spot where the germinating pores ought to have been ... “This discovery, in my opinion, warrants the inference that the cocos-pearl actually represents a calcified haustorium, which has been retained in the nut after the primary germination was checked, owing to the plumule not being able to get through the shell . . . although it still remains unexplained why the cocos-pearl consists almost entirely of calcium carbonate, while neither the cocos-kernel nor the coco-milk contains this carbonate”. Hunger, 1925 (from “The quest for the mysterious coconut pearl” by Haile, 1974)

India — Coconut research began in India in 1916, 1916 and a variety collection was started there in 1921. 116 APPENDIX: COCONUT TIME LINE

Harries, 1978

Ceylon — Ferguson considered that the Portuguese 1906 did not do much about the coconut in Ceylon (from 1517) and it was only after the arrival of the Dutch (in 1658) that there was a stimulus in planting. As late as 1740 the coast between Colombo and Kalatura remained almost unplanted. In forty years more than six times the area was covered with coconut palm than can be credited to previous kings and governors in 1260 years between AD 589 and 1840. The manufacture of coir became important under the Dutch, being supplied and exported mainly to Batavia and the Cape of Good Hope. Between 1806 and 1813 about three million coconuts, 28,000 measures of oil 3,500 cwt of copra and 20,000 cwt of coir where sent from Ceylon to India. Little or no coconut oil was sent to Europe in the first quarter of the century. In 1820 Captain Boyd, an Aberdeen navigator, took home the first cargo of coconut ever exported from Ceylon. In 1832 or 1833, Acland and Boyd established the first oil mill. Captain Stewart also took a cargo of coconut oil home in 1820. When Boyd’s cargo arrived there was difficulty persuading anyone to purchase it until it was used for lubrication in a woolen mill. Ferguson, J. (1906) The coconut palm in Ceylon: Beginning, rise and progress of its cultivation. Journal No 57 Volume XIX, Royal Asiatic Society, Ceylon Branch.

The largest company-owned [coconut] plantations 1892 in the worlds were developed by the Portuguese in Mozambique, beginning in 1892. Child, 1974

Tape worm remedy — “rediscovered” in 1985? 1882 Anon (1882-3) The coconut a remedy for tape-worm. Tropical Agriculturalist (Ceylon) 2, 308. 117

Chowhan, G.S.; Joshi, K.R.; Bhatnagar, H.N.; Khangarot, D. (1985) Treatment of tapeworm infestation by coconut (Cocos nucifera) preparations. J Assoc Physicians India 33(3) 207-209. Amazon — In 1853, A.R. Wallace, the co-discoverer 1853 of the theory of evolution, could write about the coconut palm in the Amazon region “It is in a foreign land. It ﬂourishes ... but no part of it is applied to any useful purpose, the fruit only being consumed as an occasional luxury. In the towns and larger villages where the Portuguese have settled it has been planted, but among the Indians of the interior it is still quite unknown”. Wallace, A.R. 1853 Palm trees of the Amazon. Jon van Voorst, London. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — In 1849, William J. 1849 Hooker, then Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, founded a new botanical periodical: Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany, which he also edited. Each issue featured a section of ‘Botanical Information’, short articles, sometimes illustrated, on a range of subjects that included economic botany. For instance, the following description of palm tapping practices in India, with two hand-colored litho- graphic plates, appeared in Volume 2 1850, pages 23-27, under the title, ‘Toddymen and Toddy Implements’. Johnson, D.V. (2000) Hooker’s illustrated account of coconut palm tapping in mid 19th century India. Palms & Cycads 67, 22-26.

Nautical period: 1839-1499

The “Nautical” period is named for the period when Europeans first recognised the coconut’s importance to wooden sailing ships, from providing uncontaminated drinking water to caulking leaks (thus ensuring its world wide distribution and confusing those who ask “did it float or was it carried?”), until the 19th century 118 APPENDIX: COCONUT TIME LINE iron steamships that didn’t need caulking and could distil their own fresh water. -1837 Malaya — After the establishment of the East 1819 India Company’s trading base in Singapore in 1819, coconut planting began on the south-east coast of Malaya but did not extend much until after 1837. Child, 1974 India — Roxburgh encouraged the planting of co- 1793 conuts (in the Calcutta region) about 1793 to miti- gate endemic famine. Roxburgh, W. (1795-1798) Plants on the coast of Coroman- del. cor1 t73 Cocos nucifera (Willdenow (Car. Lud.) Tractatus de Achilleis et Tanaceto 8vo. Haloe Magd. 1789. East India Company — On October 10 the Blessing 1647 was dispatched to Rajapur, Goa and Bhatkal, with orders to buy at the last-named place pepper, or failing that, arrack, coir and cowries ... EIF Vol. 8 ; 173-174 The President and Council at Surat to the President and Council at Bantam, December 1647 (O.C. 1963). Sao Tome — The same letter that spoke of coconuts 1550 in Santiago (Ramusio) mentioned sugar production in Sao Tome. It also stated that coconuts had been brought there from the coast of Africa: “... Vi anno condotto dalla costa dell’Etiopia l’albero della palma, che fa il frutto che essi chiamano cocco e qui in Italia chiamano noci d’India ...” At that time Ethiopia was any part of Africa beyond Arab influence. If the arguments against the direct introduction from East Africa are valid (Harries) then the coconuts brought to Sao Tome could only have come from the coast at Cape Verde. This is consistent with an ordinance passed by King Manuel that allowed traders going to Sao Tome to take on provisions at Beziguiche (Blake). The Portuguese base there was the island of Palma (the significance of this name in the present context must not be taken too literally since a number of towns, islands and promontories 119 have so been named). The island was purchased by the Dutch in 1617, captured by the French in 1677 and occupied occasionally by the British. Now known as Goree island it has become part of the important entrepôt of Dakar. This sequence of events has afforded an opportunity for coconuts to be taken to Dutch, French and British possessions in Africa and America from a source that was not directly con- trolled by the Portuguese. Ramusio, G.B. (1550) Navigationi et viaggi. Venice. Harries, H.C. 1977 The Cape Verde region (1499-1549): the key to coconut culture in the Western Hemisphere? Turrialba 27, 227-231. Blake, J.W. (1937) European beginnings in West Africa. Westport, Conn. Greenwood Press, 212pp. Cape Verde Islands — A letter, written by an unnamed Por- tuguese pilot, translated into Italian and published in 1550 describes gardens of oranges, lemons, pomegranates and figs each side of the Ribeiro Grande river on Santiago. This letter also makes the first mention of coconuts growing there: “... e d’alcuni anni in qua vi piantano le palme che fanno li cocchi, cioe noci d’India...” Ramusio, G.B. (1550) Navigationi et viaggi. Venice.

The Voyage and Acts of Dom Francisco [Almeida], 1505 1505 — On Tuesday, 22 July, they entered the harbour of Kilwa at noon, with a total of eight ships. Immediately on their arrival the Grand-Captain, Dom Francisco d’Almeida, sent Bona Ajuta Veneziano to summon the king. He excused himself from coming, but sent the Grand-Captain gifts instead; They were five goats, a small cow and a large number of coconuts and other fruit. There are many boats as large as a caravel of fifty tons and other smaller ones. The large ones lie aground on the shore and are dragged down to the sea when the people wish to sail them. They are built without nails: the planks are sewn together with rope made from knotted coir from the coconut palm. The same kind of rope is used for the rudder. The boats are caulked with 120 APPENDIX: COCONUT TIME LINE black pitch made from crude incense and resin. They sail from here to Sofala, 255 leagues away. The palms here do not produce dates but from some of them wine and vinegar are obtained. These come from the palm trees which do not produce coconuts. The coconuts are the size of large melons, and from the fibres inside the shell all kinds of rope are made. Inside the shell is a fruit the size of a large pineapple. It contains half a pint of milk which is very pleasant to drink. When the milk has been drunk the nut is broken and eaten; the kernel tastes like a walnut which is not fully ripe. They dry it and it yields a large quantity of oil. Source: E. Axelson, "South East Africa," 1940; pp. 231-238. Quoted in G.S.P. Freeman-Grenville, The East African Coast: Se- lected Documents (London: Rex Collings, 1974), pp. 105-112. Modern History Sourcebook: Hans Mayr The Voyage of Pedro Alvares Cabral to Brazil and India – “In con- clusion, it is the most perfect tree that is found, to our knowledge” — The Account of Priest Joseph, circa 1505. Greenlee, W.B. (1938) London, Hakluyt Society. On the return of Pedro Alvares Cabral from Brazil 1501 and India, King Manuel of Portugal wrote to Ferdi- nand and Isabella of Spain describing the voyage and paying particular attention to the nautical uses of the coconut “... and other letters written on leaves of trees which resemble palms, on which they ordinarily write. And from these trees and their fruit are made the following things: sugar, honey, oil, wine, water, vinegar, charcoal and cordage for ships, and for everything else, and matting of which they make some sails for ships and it serves them for everything they need. And the aforesaid fruit, in addition to what is thus made of it, is their chief food, particularly at sea”. Greenlee, W.B. (1938) The voyage of Pedro Alvares Cabral to Brazil and India. London, Hakluyt Society. Vasco da Gama — the account of Vasco da Gama’s 1499 voyage makes it clear that they found coconuts be- 121 fore they reached India, when they were near Malindi on the east coast of Africa: “The palm of this land yields a fruit as large as a melon; its kernel within is eaten and tastes like a mixture of gelanga [?] and hazelnut” (translated by Furtado, 1964). Vasco de Gama stopped at the Cape Verde islands on his return from India and East Africa. This was the first time coconuts reached the Atlantic Ocean. Harries, H.C. 1977 The Cape Verde region (1499-1549): the key to coconut culture in the Western Hemisphere? Turrialba 27, 227-231.

Ancient period: Before 1498 AD

The “Ancient” period is a catch-all for the mostly unrecorded but highly significant and very long time that it took for coconut to evolve (possibly originating in that part of Gondwanaland that is now South America), disseminate by floating (in the Tethys Sea), become domesticated (almost certainly in a now submerged area of Southeast Asia) and then provision the earliest human emigrations (into the Pacific and Indian Oceans)

Columbus had found no coconuts — (Nux indica) 1498 in the New World and the Portuguese had travelled the length of Africa to the Cape of Storms (Cape of Good Hope) without ﬁnding any. Vasco da Gama had to reach the Indian Ocean in 1498 before “coquos” were recognised. For “oil or butter” read coconut oil? ... there were two large candlesticks like those at the Royal palace. At the top of each of these were great iron lamps, fed with oil or butter, and each lamp had four wicks, which gave much light. These lamps they use instead of torches. Modern History Sourcebook: Vasco da Gama: Round Africa to India, 1497-1498 CE Thatcher, O.J. (ed.) The Library of Original Sources (Milwaukee: University Research Extension Co., 1907), Vol. V: 9th to 16th Centuries, pp. 26-40. 122 APPENDIX: COCONUT TIME LINE

Treen — Une couppe faicte d’une noix d’Inde. Inventar der Anne de Bretagne. Gay (1928) [Cited by Fritz (1983)]. -1530 Babur — (Mongolian, “tiger”), real name Za- 1483 hiruddin Muhammad (1483-1530), founder of the Mughal dynasty of India and its first emperor (1526-1530). A descendant of Tamerlane on his father’s side and of Genghis Khan on his mother’s, Babur wrote poetry in both Persian and his Turkic mother tongue and also wrote at length about the coconut in a volume of memoirs that has been widely translated. Beveridge, A.S. (trans.) (1922) Babur-nama in English (Mem- oirs of Babur) translated from the original Turki text. London 2 vols. Coconut palm as a source of sugar — Ibn Battuta 1343 recorded the manufacture of coconut honey in the Maldives (1343-1344) which was exported to Yemen, India and China. The same commerce was noted by Ma Huan in 1432 and Sprenger in 1500. Ibn Battuta tr. Defremery and Sanguinetti Paris 1853 II p 209 IV p113 -1332 Ibn Battuta — From Kulwa we sailed to Dha- 1330 fari [Dhofar] ...They grow also betel-trees and coco- palms, which are found only in India and the town of Dhafari ... The coco-palm is one of the strangest of trees, and looks exactly like a date-palm. The nut resembles a man’s head, for it has marks like eyes and a mouth, and the contents, when it is green, are like the brain. It has fibre like hair, out of which they make ropes, which they use instead of nails to bind their ships together and also as cables. Amongst its properties are that it strengthens the body, fattens, and adds redness to the face. If it is cut open when it is green it gives a liquid deliciously sweet and fresh. After drinking this one takes a piece of the rind as a spoon and scoops out the pulp inside the nut. This tastes like an egg that has been broiled but not quite cooked, and is 123 nourishing. I lived on it for a year and a half when I was in the Maldive islands. [The many uses of the coconut] One of its peculiarities is that oil, milk and honey are extracted from it. The honey is made in this fashion. They cut a stalk on which the fruit grows, leaving two fingers’ length, and on this they tie a small bowl, into which the sap drips. If this has been done in the morning, a servant climbs up again in the evening with two bowls, one filled with water. He pours into the other the sap that has collected, then washes the stalk, cuts off a small piece, and ties on another bowl. The same thing is repeated next morning until a good deal of the sap has been collected, when it is cooked until it thickens. It then makes an excellent honey, and the merchants of India, Yemen, and China buy it and take it to their own countries, where they manufacture sweetmeats from it. The milk is made by steeping the contents of the nut in water, which takes on the colour and taste of milk and is used along with food. To make the oil, the ripe nuts are peeled and the contents dried in the sun, then cooked in cauldrons and the oil extracted. They use it for lighting and dip bread in it, and the women put it on their hair. Ibn Battuta, Travels in Asia and Africa 1325-1354, tr. and ed. H. A. R. Gibb (London: Broadway House, 1929) pp. 113-115. Internet Medieval Source Book. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html Marco Polo — in 1271, the Venetian merchant set off 1271 on a journey to China with his father and his uncle. They crossed Asia by the main Silk Road. Polo wrote that the coconut palm was found in abundant supplies in various parts of India and on the Malabar coast. In Europe only the fruit of the palm was known. Chiovenda 1921-3 Webbia 5, 199-294 & 359-449. -600 AD Physical evidence for trade in coconut oil — 350 Potsherds found at Qasr Ibrim, Egyptian Nubia, were 124 APPENDIX: COCONUT TIME LINE shown to have absorbed oil which was assumed to have come from the locally common date or doum palms. This was seen as the first physical evidence of the exploitation of palm oil (sic) in antiquity and the use of pottery vessels in its processing. The archaeological reports overlook the difference between palm kernel oil and palm mesocarp oil but mention processing date mesocarp for palm sugar, syrup or liquor. Such processing does not release kernel oil. Likewise the doum, which is also known as the “gingerbread” palm, is used to flavor cakes and drinks, not to give oil. Coconut oil is a more likely candidate. One very obvious use for it is as a source light because it burns with a bright, clear and virtually smokeless flame. The archaeological reports consider that signs of burning on the outer surfaces of the potsherds signified processing. But if the pots had contained coconut oil then this would have been solid just when light is most needed, at night, with desert temperatures way below the melting point of coconut oil (around 25°C). The pots of solid oil would show external scorching if they were held over an open fire before decanting smaller amounts of oil into lamp vessels. Coconut oil could have been brought to Egypt by Red Sea dhows from India or Africa. Translations of the Periplus Maris Erythraei (see 1st century AD below) suggest that coconut oil was exported from the ancient town of Raphta, believed to have been situated at the mouth of the Pangani river on present-day Tanzania mainland. Copley, et al (2001a) Processing palm fruits in the Nile Valley — biomolecular evidence from Qasr Ibrim. Antiquity 75, 538-42. Copley, et al (2001b) Detection of palm fruit lipids in archaeological pottery from Qasr Ibrim, Egyptian Nubia. Proc. Roy. Soc. (B) 268(1467) 593-597.

-1000 Indian medicine — the oldest doc- BC 1400 ument on India medicine, the Susrutas Ayur-Veda (1400-1000 BC), cites coconut as a medicinal plant. Chiovenda 1921-3 Webbia 5, 199-294 & 359-449. 125

-35.4 MYBP Eocene (Cenozoic) — Australia separates 56.5 from Antarctica (50 MYBP). India collides with Asia (45 myBP). Members of the Cocoeae that rafted on the Indian plate are now extinct. An origin for Cocos in the western Indian Ocean can be supported by the link with Jubaeopsis caffra (Mar- tius), Vaoniala in Madagascar, the presence of Eocene fossil fruit, Cocos sahnii in the Indian desert (Kaul) and Cocos intertrappean- sis (Patil & Upadhye) at Mohgaonkalan and a Cocos-like stem, Palmoxylon (Cocos) sundaram (Sahni) [Palmoxylon parthasarathyi (Sauer 1967)] Kaul, K.N. (1951) A palm fruit from Kapurdi (Jodhpur, Ra- jasthan Desert) Cocos sahnii Sp. Nov. Current Science (India) 20 (5), 138. Patil, GV & Upadhye, EV 1984. Cocos like fruit from Mo- hgaonkalan and its significance towards the stratigraphy of Mohgaonkalan Intertrappean beds. In: Sharma AK (Editor) Evolutionary botany & biostratigraphy: 541-554. (Ghosh Comm. Vol.). Sahni, B. (1946) A silicified Cocos-like palm stem, Palmoxylon (Cocos) sundaram, from the Deccan Intertrappean beds. J. Indian Bot. Soc. Iyengar commemorative volume 26, pp. 361-374. -65 MYBP Cretaceous — India separates from 144.2 Gondwanaland; it is suggested that the wild type Cocos evolved by floating between the volcanic islands and atolls where these fringed the continental plates and not on the lands masses at all. Harries (1990; 2005)

Links to many current Internet sites relating to coconut http://cocos.arecaceae.com/links.html