Honour for two veteran craftsmen of a vanishing trade in Keralam’s Malappuram

Re-Echo felicitating Moideenkutty and Mohammedkutty at Tirunavaya in Keralam’s Malappuram. | Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN

Before machines took over timber sawing, two men and a long saw could turn a giant tree into planks for houses and granaries. The work demanded strength, skill and perfect coordination.

Once a familiar sight in villages across Keralam, this traditional craft is fading from memory. Re-Echo, a cultural organisation based at Tirunavaya in Malappuram, honoured two veteran sawyers to recognise their contribution and preserve the memory of a vanishing trade.

Both men, known as Kunhapputty, began working as timber sawyers at the age of 14. One is Moideenkutty from Karathur, and the other Mohammedkutty from Thekkan Kuttoor. They began their careers earning just four annas a day, equivalent to 25 paise.

In those days, large trees in forests, remote villages and hilltops had to be cut and shaped where they stood. With no vehicles to transport the timber, workers relied on handcarts to move it along rough roads to Kuttippuram railway station. From there, railway wagons carried the timber to markets in Chennai.