Thiruvananthapuram: ‘Pathemari’ or the flat boats made in Kerala had been a thriving industry till the 1970s. These boats plied through the Arabian Sea since ancient times, when the sea trade was thriving on the coast of Kerala.
The Pathemari or Urus, made from wood with a unique design, fell from demand when big ships were used for trade through cargo and people began to use aircrafts to travel over the seas. These wooden boats are man-made and rely on traditional and indigenous building techniques.
Though the demand for Pathemari boats had declined the art of creating these beautiful boats still remain in the hands of a few master craftsmen in Kerala.
One such gifted craftsman is Chirayil Sadhasivan, a resident of Kannur. He has constructed around ten Pathemari boats on order, which includes orders from Gulf countries. He also created a model of the Pathemari in the ‘Ente Keralam’ program by the Chief Minister.
Sadhasivan has a strong belief that these Pathemari boats can be the king of the waterways in Kerala. He says that the construction of Pathemari boats can boost several industries and create more employment in tourism, travel etc.
(Chirayil Sadhasivan)
With this strong conviction he had petitioned the Tourism Department in Kerala for a small piece of land in the coastal area to construct Pathemari boats. However, the state government was indifferent to his request and was not encouraging.
However, Sadhasivan’s grand vision came into the focus of the Prime Minister. This led to the construction of Pathemari as the second item in Prime Miniser’s Vishwakarma Yojana.
Sadhasivan said that the government can make use of Pathemari boats to travel to nearby states and to neighboring countries. He also plans to meet NDA candidate of Thiruvananthapuram, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and request him about starting a waterway project from the Vizhinjam International Port on Pathemari boats to several states and foreign countries.
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