KANNIYAKUMARI: Years ago, on a hot summer day in a tiny village in Kanniyakumari, a 14-year-old boy stood before a towering palmyra as sweat rolled down his chin. With a thick belt encircling his hip, the boy climbed up the palm tree in minutes. The boy was being trained by his father to become a palm climber, a job that had sustained their family for decades.
S Anbaian of Pottavilai village, Nediyancode near Swamiyarmadam was the young kid who effortlessly climbed the tree under the guidance of his father. Cut to 2024, the dwindling number of palmyra, Tamil Nadu’s state tree, has affected the prospects of many such palm climbers in Kanniyakumari. But when his age caught up with him, Anbaian, now 67, replaced his climbing tools with a pen to narrate the stories of climbers like him and preserve the knowledge of palm products for future generations.
Looking back at his journey, Anbaian told TNIE that he had to drop out of school after Class 7 due to financial troubles. His father, A Sangili Nadar, was also a palm climber, and the family depended on the income from palm products to survive.
For the next 25 years, Anbaian mastered the art of palm climbing, collecting pathaneer (sweet sap), and producing various palm products, all while witnessing the decline of palm trees in his region. All these years of deep connection to the trees led him to his new role: documenting the life of palm climbers and the vital role of palm products.
In a book titled ‘Panaiyodu Uravaadu’, Anbaian documents the process of growing palms from seeds, tapping them for sap, and making traditional products like karuppatti and panam karkandu. Usually, climbers, armed with tools and containers, scale the towering trees using a sturdy belt made of palm fiber for support.
Once at the top, they make small incisions in the tree’s flower stalk to extract the sap, which is then collected in containers. The sap, or pathaneer, is not only consumed fresh but is also boiled to make karuppatti and panam karkandu.
In his book, Anbaian also highlights the various uses of palm leaves in crafting items such as hats and mats. Anbaian hopes his book will inspire younger generations to revive the tradition and recognise the economic and health benefits of palm-based products.
“Palm products are not just food, but medicine. Our ancestors lived healthy lives when palm climbing and its products were part of daily life. Now, these treasures are part of our forgotten past,” he said.
In order to raise awareness, Anbaian organised a group of workers, training them on palm tree climbing and production of value-added products from palm. He also involved in sending palm seeds to other states.
Eventually, as the number of palm trees started dwindling, others such as farm workers also joined the group, which helped them get loans to raise crops.
However, Anbaian’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. His book, a first-of-its-kind narrative by a palm climber in Kanniyakumari, has been praised by Elaikal Literary Association secretary D Dhinakar and Kanniyakumari-based writer Kumaraselva.
“Though researchers have written about palms and their products, Anbaian’s firsthand account offers insights into the life of palm climbers,” Dhinakar said.
“He was able to document details about palm trees he gathered during his time as a climber,” said Kumaraselva. “He taught me how to climb and extract pathaneer,” said R Robert Singh, a young climber. “Now I climb 15 trees a day and produce palm products for my livelihood.”
As Kanniyakumari and other regions of the state invest in planting more palm saplings, Anbaian is hopeful that the trees will once again flourish.
(Edited by Adarsh TR)