Screw pine is a word that is commonly known for Pandan or Pandanus. It belongs to Pandanacea family. The leaves are sword like, thin and long, prickly margins, spiral arrangements and aerial roots, with a rough green surface. The screw pine is a monocot and flowering plant. It is just commonly called as Screw pine. It grows side by rivers and streams. It helps to protect the water bodies and prevent soil erosion. The fleshy green plant is peeled into thin strips are dried in the sun and then diagonally plated to create mats and more products.
Screw pine craft at Thrissur – Thrissur a revenue district of Kerala is situated in the central part of the state. The place for its rich cultural heritage is called as cultural capital of Kerala. Talking of industries, Thrissur is well known for the power loom industry and textile mills. The coir industry offers employment for many. Likewise there are NGOs who have got support from government and help people to work using natural resource. One such NGO is Kottapuram Integrated Development Society (KIDS). It coordinates and is working hard to develop communities, especially the poor and sidelined, by integrating all the elements and resources of the community. It was established in the year 1987. The organization is successfully working from 27yrs and its main focus is to empower women. They train artisans and help them come up with their own designs for the products simultaneously working on needed products. They use screw pine and water hyacinth. Products required for office and houses are produced. There are more than fifty varieties of products that are produced. There are 3 outlets in Kerala, Kodangallur, Mattancherry and Calicut where the marketing of these products takes place. There are 350 artisans who work all together. There are 11 centers. People who join this organization get an identity card that helps them with their children’s education and health. The main noted department is natural fibers. Around twenty to twenty-five women and physically challenged folks are given an opportunity to work under this organization.
Screw pine is a core natural resource of Trissur from which the people of screw pine growing region make use of the plant to enrich their living. The natural resources are collected from the people and processed. There are so many products that can be produced from screw pine leaves and the roots are also used to make paintbrushes. The leaves are very widely used in producing variety of products. The leaves are hand weaved and the products are very suitable to use, as they are eco-friendly and the dye colors what goes in coloring the leaves contain chemicals in very small amount and which doesn’t affect the environmental protection.
