പ്രകൃതിയിലേക്ക് ഒരു യാത്ര (a travel towards NATURE): TEAK MUSEUM NILAMBUR PALAKKAD

TEAK MUSEUM
NILAMBUR

PALAKKAD

The well-known Teak Museum is located at Nilambur in the Malappuram district of Kerala. Regarded as the first of its kind in the world and the only one in India; it is a house to the treasures of historical, aesthetic and scientific aspects of Teak.

The museum was established on the campus of the sub-centre of Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) in 1995.

The museum was established here owing to the historical significance of the region. The world's first Teak (Tectona grandis) plantation was raised in Nilambur way back in the 1840s in order to ensure a steady supply of Teak timber to the British.

The fascinating abundance of information on this wonder tree attracts an entire tourists to visit this museum throughout the year. The extensive root system of a 55-year-old teak tree exhibited in the portico for welcoming the tourists is itself metaphorical of the past, present and future of the museum

The ground floor of the double-storied museum exhibits a translite of Kannimara Teak, the oldest naturally growing teak tree located at the Parambikulam wild-life sanctuary and the life-size replica of the trunk of the largest known teak tree growing in the Malayattoor forest division.

INSIDE TEAK MUSEUM NILAMBUR

Teak poles of varying sizes and qualities obtained during the process of 'Thinning' of teak plantations are also displayed along with the necessary details of standard classification of teak poles.

INSIDE TEAK MUSEUM NILAMBUR

Another translite of a giant tree present in the oldest teak plantation in the Conolly's Plot at Nilambur offers the visitors a glimpse into the teak plantation activities undertaken 160 years ago. Some of the other other attractions here are the traditional granary and a miniature model of sailing vessel called Uru made of teak wood.

The depiction of foliage, flowers, fruits and bark of the tree gives us a deeper insight in to the other characteristics of the teak. Here, one can also find the large stump of a 480-year-old teak tree brought from Nagarampara forest range in Kottayam division.

INSIDE TEAK MUSEUM NILAMBUR

Detailed description on the flower, fruit and natural regeneration of teak as well as the prominent characteristics of these species of trees are exhibited in the first floor of the museum. In addition to this, the various methods of seed-grading, presowing treatmentpreparation of teak stumps, vegetative propagation of teak and the different stages in the complete rotation cycle of teak from seed to mature tree are also on display.

INSIDE TEAK MUSEUM NILAMBUR

Some of the special attractions of the Teak Museum at Nilambur are a series of interesting paintings portraying tree felling operations, a collection of photographs on the phonological events of teak at different seasons, exhibits on traditional harvesting tools and wood samples of different ages from various parts of the world.

INSIDE TEAK MUSEUM NILAMBUR

Teak Museum is located 4 km from Nilambur, a town in the Malappuram district of Kerala, south India. Teak occurs naturally in India with the main teak forests found in Kerala

Apart from teak, the mueusm also has a collection of over 300 butterflies, moths and insects found in teak plantations. Another exclusive section in the museum deals with the various physical disorders of teak, disease-causing insects and pests, plantation and other nursery diseases.

INSIDE TEAK MUSEUM NILAMBUR

The museum, a two storey building, is the world's first teak museum and is operated by the Kerala Forest Research Institute. The exhibits include comprehensive information on aspects of the use of teak in their exhibits and articles on the subject. The museum provides extensive information of value historically, artistically and scientifically