Come to the woods

Be it on art, science, history, film, or fashion, coffeetable books open up a jumbo and glossy world of colour, spectacle, and information. Some of them even carry a message.

Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has published a 120-page coffeetable book on the entire forest landscape of the state. Titled Emerald Citadel, the book tells the story of our forests combining fabulous photographs and rare snippets of information.

KFRI director Syam Viswanath says the book was inspired by Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest by William Henry Hudson which tells the story of a traveller to the forests of Guyana. He comes across a girl who is portrayed as a forest nymph and the forest spirit.

“The novel inspired the book’s title. It is also an attempt to realize the vision of Baba Dioum, the Senegalese environmentalist. The idea is to generate curiosity about forests, to create love for the wilderness and to create a desire and will for conservation,” Viswanath says in his introduction to the book.

The book was jointly conceived and scripted by three scientists, including Syam Viswanath, M Amruth, and A V Raghu. A first-time effort from Kerala’s premier forest research institute, the book, packed with photographs, has very little text but whatever is there is a mix of rarely known facts and ancient knowledge.

“It took us a year to plan, and to select the pictures and it has got some very interesting data on the geography of the state. It captures the Western Ghats in all its magnificence,” said A V Raghu.

Going back in time and describing the land formations in the state, the book takes note of the Sangam Literature of the ancient Tamilakam which mentions five different landscapes, called Thinai. The landscapes are classified based on the topography, vocations of the indigenous people and the fauna and flora native to these regions.

The five different kinds of lands described are: Marutham (cultivable land), Palai (dry, rocky, barren land), Mullai (pasture land), Kurinji (hills ) and Neythal (coastal region).

More than the preoccupations of the people in particular regions, Thinai also indicate the vegetation and climate, featured in several classical poems. One can recognize these zones in Kerala more than in any other region which was part of ancient Tamilakam, the book points out.

“More than 39 wildlife and nature photographers from Kerala have contributed to the book. Our aim is to reach out to the tourists coming to the state. The book will be available at airports, major offices, tourist centers, and the KFRI library,” Raghu says.