Ignatius Pereira
Th Hindu, Mar 17, 2011
KOLLAM: A clump of weird looking hardwood trees deep inside the Kanayar forest of Kollam district and adjoining forest areas of Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu owe its survival to an Adivasi myth. In an area where poaching was rampant, these trees were spared in spite of being valuable timber if axed down.
‘Demon slayer'
The trees are known locally as ‘poothamkolli' which in Tamil means “demon slayer.” In the Kanayar forest belt they are found at elevation close to 1700 metres, right on top of the mountains.
With their twisted branches, the ‘poothamkollis' look strange, even eerie.
The forest dwellers looked upon them with awe and relied on these trees for protection from evil spirits and demons. The story goes that whenever evil befell them, the forest dwellers used to go to the ‘poothamkolli' clump praying for protection.
Their prayers were answered too, apparently. Eventually they considered the clump a sacred grove and took it upon them to protect the trees.
‘Poothamkolli' ( Poeciloneuron indicum) is a sturdy tree growing up to 35 metres and endemic to the Western Ghats, says noted botanist and environment activist N. Ravi.
Different names
Though the tree is distributed in other areas of the Western Ghats, found even in the Silent Valley, it is known by different names. In those areas these trees do not have a weird shape and are felled.
The timber is used for many purposes including boat building.
With permission from the Achencoil Divisional Forest Officer, the Kanayar ‘poothamkolli' clump can be reached through Mekkarai in Tamil Nadu after a two-hour trek from the point where the jeep track through the forest ends. One gets a creepy feeling while standing by these trees.
Unique feel
Forest Department personnel say that the elevation and the climate may have given the ‘poothamkolli' grove its unique feel.
There are about 500 trees in the grove.
Protected
“The grove is precious to the Kanayar range and the trees are now protected by the Forest Department,” Achencoil DFO Doney Varghese says.
Th Hindu, Mar 17, 2011
KOLLAM: A clump of weird looking hardwood trees deep inside the Kanayar forest of Kollam district and adjoining forest areas of Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu owe its survival to an Adivasi myth. In an area where poaching was rampant, these trees were spared in spite of being valuable timber if axed down.
‘Demon slayer'
The trees are known locally as ‘poothamkolli' which in Tamil means “demon slayer.” In the Kanayar forest belt they are found at elevation close to 1700 metres, right on top of the mountains.
With their twisted branches, the ‘poothamkollis' look strange, even eerie.
The forest dwellers looked upon them with awe and relied on these trees for protection from evil spirits and demons. The story goes that whenever evil befell them, the forest dwellers used to go to the ‘poothamkolli' clump praying for protection.
Their prayers were answered too, apparently. Eventually they considered the clump a sacred grove and took it upon them to protect the trees.
‘Poothamkolli' ( Poeciloneuron indicum) is a sturdy tree growing up to 35 metres and endemic to the Western Ghats, says noted botanist and environment activist N. Ravi.
Different names
Though the tree is distributed in other areas of the Western Ghats, found even in the Silent Valley, it is known by different names. In those areas these trees do not have a weird shape and are felled.
The timber is used for many purposes including boat building.
With permission from the Achencoil Divisional Forest Officer, the Kanayar ‘poothamkolli' clump can be reached through Mekkarai in Tamil Nadu after a two-hour trek from the point where the jeep track through the forest ends. One gets a creepy feeling while standing by these trees.
Unique feel
Forest Department personnel say that the elevation and the climate may have given the ‘poothamkolli' grove its unique feel.
There are about 500 trees in the grove.
Protected
“The grove is precious to the Kanayar range and the trees are now protected by the Forest Department,” Achencoil DFO Doney Varghese says.
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