Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Heritage Initiative under the aegis of Aranmula Heritage Trust has proposed to revive the traditional industries that have been destroyed across the state in the recent floods. As per a survey, palliyodams, the unique snake boats of Aranmula, suffered a loss of over Rs 4 crore and 25 families which produce Aranmula Kannadi (Aranmula metal mirror) have been left jobless now.
Just two weeks before the floods hit Kerala, Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan had mooted a heritage university at Aranmula during a seminar held there. He rued that he was branded as the 'culprit' behind the scrapping of Aranmula airport. So he approached M. G. Sasibhooshan, noted historian, M. Velayudhan Nair, former professor at the National Museum Institute in New Delhi, Prof. C. I. Issac, member of Indian Council of Historical Research and K.K. Muhammed, former director of the Archaeological Survey of India, to explore the possibility of setting up a national heritage university on 25 acres at Aranmula.
R. S. Nair, former executive director, Leela Group, who is the executive director of the Kerala Heritage Initiative, told DC that the 25 families which produce Aranmula Kannadi were in a desperate situation.
"The metal frames and the moulds of the Aranmula Kannadi have been damaged in the floods. For five days, they were submerged in the flood waters. Similarly, 37 palliyodams out of 52 have been severely damaged with just two senior carpenters to repair it. Each 120-feet-long palliyodam will require about Rs 1.5 crore for repair and maintenance," said Nair.
Several volunteers of NGOs and quasi -government organisations are currently undertaking a survey and documentation on the damage suffered by cultural institutions, including churches and temples. St. Mary's Church at Vallamkulam at Kaviyoor, Niranam Church, Chengannur Sakthikulangara Temple, Aranmula Ganapathi temple, Parali Temple in Palakkad and Kottiyoor temple in Kannur have been destroyed.
Sasibhooshan told DC that five-decades-old digital archives have been lost in the floods. "We need a permanent solution to protect and conserve our rich heritage forms and cultural institutions. The floods have come as an eye-opener," he said.
