EEARKIL (MIDRIB) Dear friends,
Today my posting isabout Earkil (MIDRIB). Earkil is the centre thin tapering midrib of the coconutleaf. This means eerkil is thicker at one end and thin at another end. In day to day life we have wider use of sucha small item. Widest use of eerkil is in making the coconut broom. A look in to variousaspects of eerkil. For simplicity I am using the word Eerkil in this postinginstead of mid rib. Sincerely GopalaKrishnan. 16-3-2012 Reposted on 19-12-2021 after editing and updating theinformation. 1. Pachha eerkil (Midrib of a green leaf) is not used immediately. The eerkil from agreen coconut leaf just cut from the tree is not used. After removing the mid ribfrom the leaves, it is dried for 2-3 days and then used for different purposeslike making broom etc. Some people after cuttingthe matal (frond) from the tree, dry it in sunshine for two or three days. Thenthe leaves are removed. Knife is used to remove the leaf from the stem and thenthey remove the mid rib. 2. Earkil to prepare donnai- stitching the leaves-Sraadhause. To prepare donnai during sraadha, tostitch the cut plantain leaves in the end, eerkil is used. The eerkil shouldnot be a previously used one from broom etc. So normally it wasthe practice on olden days, to keep 10-15 eerkils after preparation tie andkept in a convenient place like beam. One or two were taken for stitching Donnaduring sraadha. Nowadays sasthrikalskeep such eerkils, and bring one or two, since most homes may not be havingunused eerkil. 3. Length of eerkil The eerkil shouldhave a minimum length of about a metre for making up quality brooms. If thelength is less while using the broom, we have to bend more for cleaning. It isthe normal practice to trim the mid rib at bottom and top after making broom. Thisgives tidiness to the broom. Normally leavesfrom the middle portion of the frond only are used to prepare eerkil, so thatthey would have somewhat uniform strength and size. For preparing a good broom the leaves fromone frond is sufficient. 4. Coconut Brooms – a commodity in high demand. Normally inTamilnadu coconut brooms are sold in provision stores and hardware stores. The broomsfrom provision stores are intended for compound and home cleaning. Medium quality brooms are sold in hard wareshops for use by masons and workers in building works. Earlier old womenfrom villages prepared them and sold to the homes/shops. Now few cottage orsmall scale industries prepare them. These are provided with well tied handlesand mid ribs mechanically pressed. Hence eerkil will not come out from thebroom easily. Normally brooms are available for above Rs 40-00 in Chennai. Whatever the price-they are sold quickly in shops. The commodity is in demand. My note- Nowadays at leat 4-5 brooms areavailable in shop all days. Probably production from villages may be more. 5. Preserving coconut Brooms The mid ribs may notget dried up much even in a period of three months. But wear and tear is morewhen used outside. Hence three or fourbrooms can be purchased and kept and can be used one by one as they get wornout. Keeping in rain reduces life period. The ribs changes colour and breakwhen using. 6. Kutti chool (small coconut brooms) After using forabout two or three months, the tips of the ribs get shortened due to wear andtear. Such brooms are called kutti chool. Such brooms are much required forcleaning sumps and overhead water tank and compounds. After they become shortenedto a length of about 1 foot they are used for small broom for one or two monthsand then thrown out. Afresh broom is useless for sump cleaning man. If you give a new one,he would immediately cut the top to suit to his purpose. 7. Thodappa kattaikku Pattu kunchalam This is an oldsaying meaning a broom got reduced in length due to wear and tear is tiedneatly with new gunny string. The saying is used to mean a not attractive girl wearingmodern garments. However nowadaysbrooms come with excellent handles or tied neatly with fibre strings. Old onesare also neatly tied to avoid the mid ribs not coming out when used for cleaningrough surfaces. 8. Simple principles of using eerkil and broom 1. Brooms shouldnot be kept on North sideof home at any cost. It can be kept on west/south side. 2. Too many broomsshould not be kept in a house or together. It is told it may create familyquarrels. Nowadays however people reserve one coconut broom. 3. Broom should notbe kept in the front of home. Lakshmi will not enter the house. 4. Broom isconsidered as a bad omen 5. Broom should notbe kept upside down. Reason is obvious. The sharp end of eerkil will harm all,especially children. 6. Earkil shouldnot be permitted to lie here and there which came out from the broom. It mayeven pierce legs accidentally if foot wear is not worn. 7. Earkil shouldnot be kept near Thulasi thara.Holy basil is also considered Lakshmi. 9. Wash basin and sink cleaning There is no otheritem so suitable to clean the holes in the outlet of wash basin and sink. Inall houses, one or two eerkils of good strength will be kept in work area for thispurpose. It is the most essential item. My note- However recently I found the thick stem ofthe curry leaves is also good. So I am using thick stem of curry leaves now. 10. inside floor cleaning The best suitablebroom for cement flooring, inside bath rooms is coconut brooms. Broom is bestto blow or remove small creepers when appear suddenly in houses. Normallybrooms are kept not in a very visible area. Best place is behind doors. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1472410795.2474979.1639910148907%40mail.yahoo.com.
