They symbolise remnants of our moth-eaten tradition. Once a source of decades-old wisdom, thaliyola granthams (pre-treated palm leaves on which scripts were imprinted) have long faded from our lives. But, its richness and immense cultural significance have prompted Rajesh Kumar of Palm Leaf Innovations to give thaliyola granthams a new lease of life.
His quest to replicate the scripts of yore finally bore fruit with Palm Life Innovations coming out with thaliyola granthas of Hindu scriptures like Vishnu Sahasranamam, Jnanappana and Harinamakeerthanam, which are exhibited at H&C Stores near Durbar Hall Ground in Kochi.
“I took first step in this regard two years ago when I published a modern version of thaliyola grantha-look alike in a special paper using modern technology. In an art card paper of 300 GSM, the texture of thaliyola was printed on which the scriptures were recreated. That was a huge hit and they are still going for reprints. That kept me thinking why I shouldn’t do the same on thaliyola itself,” says Rajesh Kumar. He threw himself into research visiting manuscript libraries and Malayalam varsities but there was none who knew how to make a thaliyola grantha. “There was a lot of thaliyolas and theoretical matter on it available, but not anyone who knew how to create it. But, I was undeterred and learnt it myself,” says Rajesh.Then, he embarked on a journey to the interiors of Idukki and Palakkad in search of ‘Kudappanas’, the leaf of which is used for the process. “Any other palm leaf (like karimbana) would not stand the treatment. The palm leaf is treated in a special medicinal mix, boiled and dried in shadow. The script is then impressed on the processed leaf using a special printing technique,” says Rajesh Kumar.
The leaves are tied together with a thick string and enclosed in a box made of teakwood. A ‘narayam’ (a writing instrument used in the ancient era) is also given with the thaliyola grantha. “We provide a narayam made of brass. However, it is very hard to write with narayam if you are not well practiced in it,” he adds.According to him, the process is so painstaking that it takes almost three months to get it done and the copies are only customised. “The complexity of the process is one reason why the thaliyola granthas are custom-made. We ask for a time period of two to three months for each copy,” says Rajesh.
Each grantha is priced at over `8,000 and Rajesh says the intensive manual labour incurred is one reason for the price. “The making of thaliyola granthas is not mechanised. I do it myself because it needs utmost precision. Sometimes, the thaliyola may tear off at the final stage. Naturally, so much time and effort goes into it,” says Rajesh.