THOOTHUKUDI: It's again that time of year with jingle bells chiming and Christmas carols filling the chilly December air. Several households have already hung bright-coloured stars and decked up the nativity scene in front of their homes. Though the ecological concerns department of the CSI diocese is busy supplying palm leaf stars, the lack of awareness about them and their high cost is playing spoilsport.
A few handicraft artisans in the district prepare diverse products using palm leaves and they have good demand among the public. Tender palm leaves are used to make stars of different sizes. Most of the production is based on prior orders.
The palm leaf stars gained momentum only after the call to ban plastic products and explore alternative materials. A star can be made of six colours. A normal-size star costs at least Rs 500 and large ones may cost up to Rs 800.
However, it failed to garner significant attention from the general public due to its high cost and limited designs, said palm leaf artisans. A Nagaraj of Pudukottai told TNIE that he makes a variety of palm leaf articles, toys and decorations for all festivals.
"These stars had a good impact during Christmas a few years ago. I used to get good orders, but it's been lacklustre this year. Creating one star is a day-long process. Dyeing the leaves too consumes time, which adds up to its price," Nagaraj said.
A palm products seller, Diana of Sethukuvaithan, said though she received many inquiries about palm leaf stars, not even a single order materialised. "People hesitate to buy them after hearing the cost, which is almost twice that of the plastic stars," she said.
CSI Thoothukudi Nazareth Diocese has been encouraging the use of palm leaf stars to foster environmentally-friendly celebrations, said Rev H. John Samuel, Associate Director, Department of Ecological Concerns and Nazareth Church priest.
Observing that the preference for palm stars had declined among the public, Samuel said plastic stars are available in several hues and they are affordable. But, the public is yet to recognise its harmful impact on nature, he said.
The priest appealed to the state government and the district administration to take steps to promote palm leaf stars, so that it will enrich the livelihood of artisans and discourage the use of plastic stars.