Cheruvathur: For the workers of the Dinesh Beedi unit at Kari, the thendu tree is both a symbol of their livelihood and a witness to their past. “This tree is our provider. Its leaves have been used to make beedis all these years. This tree is life itself,” they say.

Over the years, the tree whose leaves are used in beedi-making has grown into a landmark. Raised from seeds brought from Odisha several years ago, it stands as a living reminder of the bygone glory of the Dinesh Beedi industry, which has been steadily fading with each passing day.

Traditionally, beedi leaves were sourced from states such as Odisha and Chhattisgarh and transported to Kerala. In Chhattisgarh, the leaf is also called `green gold.' During the peak years of Dinesh Beedi, seeds of this tree were brought to the company’s headquarters, from where workers at the Kari unit received them. Today, the tree survives in only two locations in Kerala; at the Dinesh Beedi headquarters in Kannur and in front of the beedi unit at Kari.

Though attempts were once made to use leaves plucked directly from this tree to make beedis, they proved unsuccessful. Workers explain that the leaves have to undergo several stages of processing before becoming suitable for beedi-making and the lack of technical knowledge about these processes led to the failure.

Even so, the workers hold the tree in deep regard, cherishing it as something that once gave colour and meaning to their lives.