Trees thrive in her palms

WOOSH... Stirred by the passing breeze, long palm fronds gently grazed the rooftops of E L Prathee Jeen's childhood home in the Ethavilai village of Kanniyakumari.

- M ABDUL RABI @ Kanniyakumari

WOOSH... Stirred by the passing breeze, long palm fronds gently grazed the rooftops of E L Prathee Jeen's childhood home in the Ethavilai village of Kanniyakumari. The village sat nestled among these panai marams, woven into the fabric of their daily life. Jeen recollects playing with nungu vandi, sipping nungu sarbath, and sleeping on palm-fiber mats. In her early 40s, she quit her teaching profession and took up a new life mission: Revive the lost glory of the palm tree, a symbol she says is deeply rooted in Tamil community and landscape.

The 43-year-old now travels across Tamil Nadu to plant palm saplings, conduct awareness campaigns, and train communities to craft value-added palm products, through her organization the TAN Palm Foundation.

Fondly called "Panai Mara Tharahai" (Palm Star), Jeen is a familiar face at social gatherings, weddings, and political events — often gifting palm-leaf hats she personally makes. These handmade gifts, which she distributes even to policymakers, serve as reminders of the importance of palm conservation.