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Palmyra tapping is one of the ancient occupations of a section of people in Tamilnadu, India. The phrases Kallundu kalithungal meaning good sleep after drank toddy and Kallunda Manthipool meaning just like a monkey which drank toddy in ancient Tamil literatures denote the ages of this occupation. This Occupation is highly dangerous and warrants heavy physical work
flat bottomed vessel made of alloy metal. If the boiling process is delayed for another one hour, the juice will not be suitable for Karuppatti preparation. Hence the process of Karuppatti preparation should start immediately after the juices are collected
Table 1
Various Gears
Apart from the above mentioned aids, a palmyra tapper will have a round rope called Thalainar. This rope is made out of the palmyra leaf rachis peel. A strong leaf rachis peel will
be chosen and its two ends are tied with one another to form a ring. It is kept between the two toes with the trunk of the palmyra tree in between the toes while claim and returning from the crown of the palm tree. This rope helps the tapper to claim the trees easily. A tappers arsenal also contain two sickles, one sickle is for slicing the floral rachis which is less thicker than the other sickle which is used for cutting the palmyra leaf rachis etc. In the ground, a tapper will carry along with him a T shaped wooden instrument called as Murukuthadi. It is a multipurpose instrument. It is used for carrying two palm juice pots at a time hanging the pots one at each end. It is also used as a base wood for sharpening the sickles. The pointed bottom end of T is used for killing snake and other trouble creating creatures on the way of the palmyra tapper. The height of the Murukuthadi will be about 1.25 mt. Before claiming a palmyra tree, the tapper will keep the Murukuthadi in the bottom trunk of the tree with the pointed T in the
Fig1 Woman boiling the palmyra juice. Boiling palmyra juice is a hazardous activity. She is forced to inhale a lot of smoke generated in the heating process. Fig 2 The solid Karuppatti in coconut shells
hour to 1.5 hours. The women involved in this work should be familiar with the end point or the viscosity for Karuppatti formation; otherwise all the juice will go waste. The collected juice will be boiled immediately; otherwise also, the juice will not yield quality karuppatti. By boiling 45 liters of palm juice, 10 kilogram of karuppatti may be got. During the peak summer months of May and June (tamil months of Vaikasi and Aani) while the dry air from west to east blow, the
yield of karuppatti may be more (around 12Kg/45 lits.). The viscous fluid at boiling the palmyra juice will be poured in cleaned coconut fruit half shells. The fluid will become a solid after solidification. The solid material is called Karuppatti which is sweet in taste. Karuppatti is used in lieu of sugar in coffee and many other sweet preparations. It is mostly used in Sidda medicine preparations.
Marketing Karuppatti:
Palmyra juice (Pathaneer) as such is sold in the areas where karuppatti making is not practiced. Only in villages one can get unadulterated pathaneer. In the cities it is adulterated. In the Vembar area, the juice is used for Karuppatti making. The cost of Palmyra juice at present is Rs.40/lit. The Karuppatti is sold to Karuppatti shop owners who are involved exclusively in Karuppatti trade in Vembar region. The cost of Karuppatti at present is Rs.80/Kg. But the cost will increase after the Pathaneer season (after August) is over. During the recent past years the cost has gone up to Rs.140/Kg. As also the cost has gone down to Rs.30/Kg during the Pathaneer season of the recent past years. If a palmyra taper got any loan from the merchant, he has to sell the product only to the loanee. He will deduct interest for his loan amount which at present is Rs.2/month per Rs.100. The interest was Rs.5/month per Rs.100 prior to 2006 when Miss. Jayalalitha was the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu. She has brought in an act to penalize the person who collects high interest. Due to the act the traders have decreased the rate of interest to Rs.2 as at present. Now Peoples Action for Development (PAD) is giving loan facilities (MED Loan) to the Palmyra tapers. Due to this facility the palmyra tapers are standing on their own legs, selling their product to any merchant of their choice and also at the season when the product fetch higher price.
burying in the ground. The seeds should be watered at least for a month. The germinated and grown seedling approximately after 3 months is dug out. The hard seed at the plumular end will hold the partly digested loose endosperm which is also edible. The fleshy bottom portion (radicular end) is called as Kilangu which is boiled/heated and eaten. The cost of a Kilangu at present is Rs.1. Eating Kilangu is considered to give aphrodisiac effect.
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Funeral assistance Education assistance a To study up to X standard (only for Ladies) b To Passed X standard (only for Ladies) c To Passed XI standard d To study XII Standard (only for Ladies) e To study XII Standard f Regular Bachelor degree course To study staying in a Hostel g Regular Post graduate degree course To study staying in a Hostel h Professional degree course To study staying in a Hostel i Professional Post graduate degree course To study staying in a Hostel j ITI or Polytechnic course To study staying in a Hostel Marriage assistance Maternity assistance To purchase spectacles Old age pension
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To register as a Palmyra tapper, a man has to have completed 18 yrs of age and should not have completed 60 yrs of age. No charges for renewal. Registration should be renewed once in two years. If identity card is lost, a duplicate one can be got from the Sub-inspector of the Industrial worker welfare Board. Change of address should be intimated to the board whenever change of residence occurs.
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