26-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Kerala NGO breathes fresh life into Koyilandy hookah
KOZHIKODE: In Koyilandy, tucked away in Kerala's Malabar coast, time once stood still with the hiss of hot metal, the scent of molten wax, and the clang of hammer on brass. For over 300 years, this sleepy town has helped shape an extraordinary symbol of cross-cultural legacy, royal indulgence, and skilled craftsmanship passed down like a sacred chant through generations.
And, after a period in obscurity and neglect, the Malabar hookah — also known as the Koyilandy hookah — is now seeing a revival, with interest from both domestic and international buyers.
These are no ordinary hookahs. Forged by the Mooshari community and finished with oversize coconut shells and ornamental brass work, they were once treasured in the Arabian Peninsula. They graced Bedouin tents and palaces alike, and were carried across the sea by Yemeni traders, who settled in Malabar centuries ago.
But history, like smoke, often fades. And so nearly did this craft, until a chance documentary project by The Archival and Research Project (ARPO), a Kerala-based non-profit, unearthed not just an artifact, but a spark of revival. It turned into a mission to rescue a dying art. 'We were documenting the last of the hookah-makers,' says Sruthin Lal, ARPO's executive director. 'But once we saw the beauty of the process and the heartbreak behind its decline, we knew we couldn't walk away.'
Rather than lament the loss, the team chose to act. ARPO created a digital presence for the Koyilandy hookah, and offered online promotions, featured it in niche design and heritage media and, more importantly, rebranded it as a luxury collectible steeped in history.
This has been good news for 72-year-old Hashim, a long-time exporter who had been sitting on unsold stock after Covid closed international borders. 'I had given up,' he says. 'I thought no one would ever want these again.' Within months, however, Hashim sold dozens of hookahs. Buyers ranged from industrialists and authors to an ambassador and a Padma Bhushan awardee. The Malabar hookah was back not as a mass product, but as a timeless heirloom.
