KANNIYAKUMARI: In the picturesque village of Thovalai, nestled in the Kanniyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, the fragrance of flowers blends with the rich heritage of a unique traditional craft — the Thovalai Maanikka Maalai. While this beautiful floral art recently gained wider recognition by securing the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, it has been the lifeline of Palani Pandaram family for generations, who have kept it alive for over a century.
One of the leading torchbearers of this timeless craft is 40-year-old M T Vanitha Sree, a woman who is not only preserving her family’s tradition but also expanding it to benefit others. Thovalai is well-known for its vibrant flowers, and Vanitha, along with her family, has been making these exquisite garlands for decades. Every day, she, along with her father M Muthumperumal and mother M Tamilarasi, meticulously crafts the Maanikka Maalai to be sent to the renowned Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala — a link that has existed for around 146 years.
Despite having a modern educational background with a B.Tech and MBA degree, Vanitha remains closely attached to this heritage art. She also worked as a software quality testing engineer for six years. She not only makes the Maanikka Maalai daily but also teaches it to local women, providing them with a way to earn from home. She also travelled to Rajasthan to instruct foreign tourists and Kolkata to teach floral art to students and others. Her uncle, S Sutalaiyanti, 56, shares the same mission, teaching men and women in the nearby village of Chenbagaramanputhur.
“The process of making the Maanikka Maalai is an art form in itself,” says Vanitha. “It involves a lot of patience, aesthetics, and geometric alignment.” She explains that garlands can vary in size — from simple one-foot length to elaborate 24-foot garlands used for special occasions. The designs are first sketched, and flowers are counted and arranged with precision before being knotted together, making each piece a work of intricate craftsmanship.
This art form’s origins can be traced back to Vanitha’s ancestor, Palani Pandaram, who invented this technique. Working in the Kanji Parai area, he was inspired by the coconut basket weaving technique. Experimenting with local flowers, he discovered that oleander flowers worked best for the folding style, using natural chamba fibre — found abundantly in the ponds of the area — to tie them together. This gave the garland a gemstone-like appearance, earning it the name “Maanikka Maalai” or “gemstone garland.”
According to the GI journal, the Travancore kings had a fondness for gemstones and intricate jewellery. During his reign, Chithira Thirunal Maharaja was once gifted a uniquely folded flower garland by a woman from Thovalai. Impressed by its craftsmanship, the king remarked that the flowers resembled gemstones, especially rubies. This earned the garland its name “Maanikka Maalai” — meaning gemstone garland. The art form was pioneered by Palani Pandaram of Thovalai, who was inspired by coconut basket weaving.
After experimenting with various flowers, he found oleander flowers ideal for the folding technique and used chamba fibre, abundant in local ponds, to tie them. He crafted multi-row garlands, joining them with coconut sticks, creating a signature mat-shaped garland, initially in white, later adding red and green using oleander and nochi leaves. For over five generations, his family has continued the tradition. Today, Vanitha, who learned the craft at 12 from her father, carries forward this legacy with remarkable skill and dedication.
The significance of the Thovalai Maanikka Maalai reached global attention when Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced it as a symbol of Tamil Nadu’s cultural heritage during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Mamallapuram. Vanitha herself demonstrated the art of making this garland before the dignitaries.
Vanitha believes this craft deserves greater recognition. “Just like sculpture or painting, this flower art should be taught in government art colleges,” she says. Her efforts to teach this art are purely driven by passion, as she does not charge any fees from learners. Many women like K Thanam, 38, and K Panimalar from Thovalai have been learning from her. “Vanitha teaches us wholeheartedly, ensuring this beautiful tradition doesn’t die,” says Thanam.
The influence of Vanitha and her family extends to nearby villages as well. Farmers like N Rakkisamuthu from Chenbagaramanputhur praise Sutalaiyanti for teaching the garland-making craft to young people, helping them earn a living while preserving a unique cultural identity.
(Edited by Subhalakshmi PR)