This maker of ‘Kathirkula’, the symbol of prosperity, to call it a day

Veteran artisan plans to retire after the ongoing Sargaalaya International Art and Craft festival at Iringal

A bunch of paddy (‘Kathirkula’) tied together using a rope of hay hanging at the entrance to the house is considered auspicious and a symbol of prosperity across Kerala.

P. Balan Panikkar from Parassinikadavu in Kannur is a master of making the perfect Kathirkula for every home that may last for generations, if not disturbed. But the veteran is planning to quit what he considers a ‘true craft’ for obvious reasons — age and inability to earn from it.

Mr. Panikkar is a well-known figure in folk circles in the State. But it is not the Kathirkula that he is famous for. He is an ‘Aashan’ (master trainer) of ‘Poorakkali’, a semi-martial folk art form and is a winner of the Kerala Folklore Academy Award for it in 2015. His family has been in the profession for generations, and the ‘Panikkar’ title was bestowed on him in honour of his profession.

“As the son of an agricultural labourer, I learnt how to make the Kathirkula all by myself. I am proud that I played a role in popularising it, especially since there was a time when the people of lower castes and the non-ruling class were not allowed to decorate their houses with it,” said Mr. Panikkar.

He uses different varieties of paddy to make the bunch. However, the ones made using ‘Mallinellu’, with the seeds similar to coriander, are the most popular, and he uses them mainly for the costliest bunches that cost around ₹1,500.

Panikkar is a regular at the Sargaalaya International Arts and Crafts Festival at Iringal. Yet, this will be his last season at the festival as he is planning to retire. “Though totally handmade over a long and patient process, the paddy bunches do not earn me enough money, at least not befitting the effort put into it. Hence, I am calling it quits,” the septuagenarian artisan said, not hiding the apprehension that the craft might die down with him as there were not many who practice it now.