Coconut creations:

Sculptors seek permanent sales centre

Have you heard about craftsmen who are engaged in sculpturing small scale portraits out of raw coconuts? They not only make portraits of people, but also figures of animals out of coconuts. I am sure only few would have seen our craftsmen sculpturing portraits and figures from coconuts. These items are called coconut creations.

Making portraits and figures out of coconuts is not an easy task. It is a time consuming job. Sometimes, it takes more than three hours to carve a single portrait.

In the ancient times, village people made portraits from coconuts as a hobby. But, during the colonial period, it became a self-employment project as there was a great demand for coconut creations from British nationals. They not only admired the portraits and figures made out of coconuts, but also visited rural villages to have the glimpse of the art.

Making portraits and figures from coconuts has now become an industry. The industry has a history of over 1000 years. The history reveals that even before the colonial period, village craftsmen were engaged in making sculptures out of coconuts. The book titled `Sculptures of Sri Lanka’ has published a comprehensive report on coconut creations.

The coconut carvings could be designed only from well matured large size coconuts. Craftsmen need tool kits which include pointed knives and forceps to carve the nut into various shapes. After finishing the portrait, the coconut water and the kernel is removed very carefully by piercing a small hole. The kernel is chopped into tiny pieces and removed. If the kernel is thick, it takes even hours to remove from inside.

The Sunday Observer last week visited a remote village of Aluthambalama at Ihala Kosgama to meet craftsmen who are engaged in making small scale portraits and figures out of coconuts. The village is located a few kilometres away from Avissawella.

My visit to this rural village for the first time with a cameraman and a former village Grama Seva Niladari named David Appuhamy was very enjoyable, but tiring. David Appuhamy was in his late seventies, but still active. He took us to the interior of the village to meet both men and women who were engaged in the industry.

The village gravel roads were not in a perfect condition, even a trishaw was unable to ply due to large pot holes all over the road. The pot holes were full of muddy water. The leeches on small tree tops gave us little inconvenience when walking on foot paths.

From the ancient days, the village has been very popular for making coconut sculptures. Even on our way some villagers inquired whether we came for a media coverage as they were used to meet media groups who often visit the village to see the art of making portraits out of coconuts.

Village craftsmen with their products.

A middle-aged villager, 63-year-old P. Saranapala said around one or two television programs on coconut portraits and craftsmen engaged in the industry are shown on television every month and it encourages villagers.

We had come to know that the livelihood of over 27 families in Aluthambalama village is making creations from coconuts. Although these families are leading a very happy life with their aged-old industry, they complain that they have no proper place to exhibit and sell their products.

A long standing industrialist, 31-year old Priyantha Premakumara of Ihala Kosgama said he started the portrait making industry at the age of 15 and manufacturing mainly the figures of animals such as elephants, tuskers, baby elephants, monkeys, chimpanzees, rabbits, tortoises, frogs and lions.

He said he sells his products in tourist hotels and also to tea export companies. The tea companies insert a small quantity of 100 gram blended high quality Lankan tea inside the belly of elephants and other animals. They export them to countries such as England, Japan, Australia, Germany, France and USA.

Priyantha said he earns a sufficient income for his creations from tea companies and tourist hotels, but many craftsmen in the Aluthambalama village are not in a position to earn enough money for their products.

He proposed, authorities including politicians in the area to establish a sales zone with at least 30 stalls by the side of the Colombo - Ratnapura Main Road at Ihala Kosgama, so that craftsmen are enable to sell their products under one roof.

Priyantha also thanked area parliamentarians including Ministers Geethanjana Gunewardena and Dinesh Gunawardana for providing these families with tool kits to manufacture portraits.

He said if a sales zone is established at Ihala Kosgama under the supervision of the Divisional Secretariat, even hundreds of tourists who travel to Ratnapura, Nuwara Eliya and Bandarawela everyday could stop and purchase products at reasonable prices.

Priyantha said a carved monkey is sold by them at Rs. 200.00 to some tourist hotels and the same product is sold at Rs. 800 to foreigners.

“This could be stopped if a sales zone is established in the area as tourists could visit the place to purchase products.”

Priyantha also said President Mahinda Rajapaksa has a vision to uplift rural villages by helping craftsmen to develop their traditional industries and said he would appreciate if the President visits the Aluthambalama village, so that he himself could be able to see the situation of craftsmen who make various items out of coconut.

A 48-year-old portrait manufacturer, Ranjith Danapala said he has been in the industry for the past 15 years and lamented that no progress in the industry without the support of officials.

“On behalf of craftsmen in the village, I would appeal authorities to make arrangements to establish a sales village in the Aluthambalama area, so that not only local buyers, but also foreigners could visit the village and also to see the art of manufacturing products.”

A young craftsman, Danushka Sanjeewa said people have enough raw materials to produce coconut creations but due to lack of sales centres, they cannot sell their products.

He proposed the Sri Lanka Tourism to arrange tour guides to bring tourists to their village at Ihala Kosgama, so that they could sell their products at reasonable prices.

Another craftsman Athula Priya Shantha said although they have been asking authorities to establish a sales zone in their area during the past 25 years, they only promised to do so, but so far not done.

He therefore urged authorities to establish the proposed sales zone to enable them to sell products easily.

A craftsman Gemunu Silva said he has made the portrait of President Mahinda Rajapaksa out of a coconut and wishes to present it to the President.

He therefore requested the President to visit the Aluthambalama village at least while on his official visit in the Sabaragamuwa Province during this election period. A longstanding craftsman, Ajith Wijesinghe said he has been engaged in the industry for the past four decades and lamented that there is no proper market to sell the products.

He therefore requested authorities to help the craftsmen to establish a proper place to sell the products.

The Sunday Observer also got a rare opportunity to forward the grievances of craftsmen to the Secretary of Western Province Minister of Co-operatives Dumindu Kodikara.

According to Kodikara, his Ministry has already done a feasibility report on a suitable place to establish a sales zone at Aluthambalama.

He assured that a co-operative sales zone will be constructed in the area as early as possible, so that all craftsmen could do their sales under one roof.

AK