: Couple Uses Bamboo Products To End Village’s Agrarian Crisis, Uplift 200 Artisans #IndiaNEWS #Empowerment Jewellery, lampshades, pens, flower pots, sculptures, cloth hangers, storage containers,

Couple Uses Bamboo Products To End Village’s Agrarian Crisis, Uplift 200 Artisans #IndiaNEWS #Empowerment
Jewellery, lampshades, pens, flower pots, sculptures, cloth hangers, storage containers, musical instruments, decorative items, houseboats, bottles, face masks — you name it, and the highly talented craftsmen of Thrikkaipetta village in north Kerala’s Wayanad district will make it for you.

Officially known as the ‘Heritage Village of Bamboo’, Thrikkaipetta is situated atop Manukkunu Hills. The village is an ornithologist’s paradise, with an abundance of 140 bird species and plantations like areca nut, coffee, pepper, tea and more.
However, it is the humble bamboo plantations that have put this place with a population of little over 20,000 on the global eco-tourism map.
People not just from across India but also the world travel to Thrikkaipetta for multiple reasons, ranging from learning how to make bamboo products, staying in picturesque bamboo cottages, or simply shopping for indiginous products (which are also available online).
But it’s pertinent to note that while the village is now a flourishing region booming with livelihood opportunities, it was once reeling under a severe agrarian crisis and farmer suicides.
But things changed 1996 onwards, when Sivarajan T and his wife Sreelatha formed the Uravu Indigenous Science and Technology Study Centre (UISTSC) to uplift farmers through bamboo plantations and promote traditional sustainable handicrafts.
“When I moved here from Kozhikode in 1996, I noticed that the traditional practice of bamboo products had been slowly disappearing. Plastic items were rapidly penetrating Indian households at the time, and we began Uravu in such circumstances. Bamboo is good for the environment, as it helps preserve soil, grows fast, and is termite-resistant. It is the green gold material of the 21st century,�? Sivaranjan tells The Better India.
Dr Abdullakutty AK with visitors in Uravu
Other founding members are Dirar from Thrissur, Anthony CP from Kozhikode, Girija and Sreelatha from Wayanad. Later Baburaj, Dr Abdullakutty AK, Surendran, and Tony Paul, among others, who are core committee members.
The non-profit organisation launched its operations by training eight families, and presently, close to 200 families are directly earning through Uravu. From weaving baskets to building houses from bamboo, the upward trajectory of this village is praiseworthy.
Building Uravu, one artisan at a time

The core members of the organisation involved private and government entities from the very beginning to provide funds, training and resources for the project. Initially, finding skilled artisans was a challenge, so Uravu brought in several experts to impart training.
Bhimrao Chaple, master craftsman from Maharashtra, and his guru Vinu Kale, another legendary bamboo enthusiast, arrived here in 1997.