When you step into the Nilambur Teak Museum, the first sight that greets one is the lateral routes of a 55-year-old teak tree placed in the portico. It is eye-catching and breathtaking. Once inside, you can see a replica of the Kannimara Teak, the oldest naturally growing teak tree, which is still there at the Parambikulam Wild Life Sanctuary at Palakkad, and the life-size replica of the trunk of the largest known teak tree growing in the Malayattoor forest division. Besides, there is a model of a giant tree which is present at the nearby Conolly’s Plot, the oldest teak plantation in the world.
The museum was set up in 1995 by the Kerala Forest Research Institute. Don’t be surprised to see several teak poles arranged side by side inside the museum. “Of different sizes and qualities, they were collected during the ‘thinning’ process in plantations and have been displayed to show the visitors a glimpse of the process,” says Sani Lookose, the curator. “The collection of foliage, flowers, fruits and bark will give an idea of the various characteristics of teak.”
One major highlight is the stump of a 480-year-old teak tree brought from the Nagarampara forest range in Kottayam. “The annual rings that indicate the age of a teak tree is visible on the stump,” says the curator. “It helps the researchers and students to study the life span.” More than 50 varieties of butterflies, 100 moths and 135 insects are also on display.
There is a learning process as you move through the museum. The various methods of seed-grading, pre-sowing treatment, preparation of stumps, vegetative propagation of teak, and the rotation cycle from seed to mature tree are also shown.
There is also a painting gallery and photographs that portray the tree-felling operations, taxonomical developments of teak in different seasons, apart from the collection of instruments used for wood harvesting. There are portraits of H V Conolly, Chanthu Menon, and T F Bourdillion who played key roles in establishing teak plantations in India. The museum also has a world-class library on teak and a mini auditorium for audio-visual presentations on environmental protection and conservation. It also possesses a Bio Resources Nature Park with shrubs, trees and bamboos.
The museum is a popular tourist spot. More than 15,000 visitors throng it every month. But during the summer vacation months of April and May, the number goes up to a daily average of 6,000, say officials.