Design Resource
Coir Bird Nest - Alleppey, Kerala
Coir Fiber Handicraft
by
Prof. Bibhudutta Baral and Sandhya B.
Introduction
The Coir bird nest is one of the noted products that is manufactured at Alleppey. Kerala on the first hand is famous for coconuts and the fiber that is got from coconuts is processed to convert them into natural and eco-friendly, which are already to products such as doormats, mattresses, and brushes and more. It is a land that is called God’s own country for the lushness and the beauty of the place itself, it also literally means the land of coconut trees. (Nalikeram-coconut and Nilam-land).
Alleppey or Allapuzha (Malayam) is a city center where a lot of coir processing is witnessed. There are traditional industries founded on coir and coir products, marine products, handlooms and other types of handicrafts that have been active from early times. The first Indian coil factory is said to have been set up at Alleppey in 1859 and the central coir research institute was established in 1959. The history of Coir and its association with the state of Kerala dates back to the 19th Century. Coir is one of the traditional industries of Kerala and has given employment to a lot of people over the years. Coconut husks are beaten into fiber to make beautiful mats and other products, people have keenly taken part in the production of coir and both men and women are seen working actively. The women are mainly involved in the yarn spinning section and the coir industry is said to be the largest cottage industry in the state of Kerala employing close to a million people. It is a natural fiber taken out from the husk of the coconut. And then beaten and processed using it as a variety of products. One such product that is made and widely sold is a coir bird nest. It is used as decoration for the gardens or simply hung on the open balcony to attract birds and sometimes they are also used as feeders.
The nest is a very interesting thing if one observes. With simple strands of coir, leaves, threads or twigs they get built to form an amazing structure. It becomes a home in which bird can lay their eggs, raise the young or stay at rest. The nests are built in various shapes and forms while some are hollow bowls others are oval with a small opening at the top. The smallest nest is that of a hummingbird which measures a mere 2cms. Not all species build some dig a burrow, make a depression in the sand and so on. Although they are majorly used for breeding, they are also used for roosting. Some build nests that are meant only for roosting. The sight of these nests is energizing and craftsmen have tried to recreate the nests from the coir and have been successful.
A lot of demand is seen for these products both nationally and internationally. And this business of coir bird nest runs successfully. As the technology increases production new uses for coir fiber are actively promoted. The use of coir products is recommended as they are eco-friendly, degradable and natural fiber.
