Kadayilmudumbu Residents’ Welfare Association (KRWA) of Kodunganoor ward at Vattiyoorkkavu in Thiruvananthapuram has been setting an example for residents’ associations. After being chosen as the best residents’ association indulging in farming activities at the Kerala State Farm Awards 2023, the Association has now taken up the propagation of rare trees, especially perennial ones.
Kunthirikkam saplings | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Association is currently giving away saplings of boswellia sacra or Frankincense from which frankincense or kunthirikkam is obtained. “We have already distributed over 150 saplings,” says Sijukumar PN, secretary of the Association. “Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was the first to receive the sapling. Members of the Legislative Assembly, ward councillors, government and non-government institutions, educational institutions, churches, temples and individuals have also collected the sapling from us.”
Kunthirikkam sapling being given away to Palayam Juma Masjid | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Kunthirikkam is a hardened gum-like material found in the trunk of Frankincense trees. The resin oozes out of the trunk from incisions made on it. It can be used in resin form or in essential oils. Kunthirikkam is integral to religious ceremonies. It is also an ingredient in soaps and perfumes.
Widely cultivated in Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and parts of Maharashtra, the tree is not commonly grown in Kerala. “I got the seeds from Maharashtra,” says Sijukumar, who retired from the Indian Army two years ago. Post retirement, he has been spearheading agricultural activities in the ward.
Kunthirikkam being planted on University College campus | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
“A kunthirikkam seed sprouts within 45 days. It does not need special care. The resin can be obtained after six years. The tree lives for hundreds of years,” says Sijukumar.
Word got around about the saplings when a message was posted in the WhatsApp group of residents’ associations in the district. The saplings are being given free of cost.
The Association plans to distribute saplings of Rudraksha (Eleocarpus ganitrus), which bears rudraksha or prayer beads. It takes five or six years for the tree to bear the fruit. They also plan to propagate sandalwood trees, especially with the government promoting it as a crop and providing subsidy for cultivating it.
“We opted to grow these perennials so that the coming generations would get to see and know about them,” Sijukumar adds.
KRWA, formed in 2003, has over 170 families as members. It won the State award for growing vegetables and crops in vacant plots in the ward. Cultivation is being carried out in nearly two acres spread across seven plots. This is in addition to homestead cultivation.
Published - February 12, 2025 01:21 pm IST
