Kokke Thandh

Kodava Name: Kokke Thandh

English Name: Traditional Hooked Walking Stick

Alternate Names: Hooked Walking Stick; Traditional Walking Cane

Short Description
Kokke Thandh is a traditional walking stick made from wood, rattan or cane, with one end curved into a hook-like handle. The curved end provides a firm grip and helps the user maintain support while walking.

Full Description
Kokke Thandh is a simple yet practical traditional walking aid. It is generally a long, slender stick with one end naturally or deliberately curved to form a hook-shaped handle. The stick provides stability and support while walking, particularly for elderly people. Its form reflects the use of locally available natural materials and traditional craftsmanship.

Traditional Use
Used as a walking aid and support stick, particularly by elderly people while walking.

Design & Form
The stick is long and slender, with a distinctive curved or hooked upper end that allows the user to hold it securely. The lower end remains straight and is placed on the ground for support.

Materials
Traditionally made from wood, rattan or cane, depending on local availability.

Method of Making
A suitable straight and strong piece of wood, rattan or cane was selected. The upper portion was naturally curved or shaped into a hook, while the remaining length was kept relatively straight and smooth for comfortable handling.

Traditional Knowledge
Making Kokke Thandh required knowledge of selecting strong, flexible and suitably shaped natural materials. The ability to create a comfortable curved handle while retaining the strength of the stick was part of traditional material knowledge.

Cultural Context
Kokke Thandh represents the practical everyday objects used in traditional Kodava households. It reflects a simple approach to mobility and support using materials readily available in the surrounding environment.

Traditional Location / Setting
Used around traditional homes, agricultural areas, pathways and village surroundings, wherever additional support was required while walking.

Ritual & Practices
Kokke Thandh was primarily a functional object and was not specifically associated with a ritual practice.

Historical Context
Walking sticks of this form were part of traditional rural life, particularly when walking was the principal means of moving between homes, fields and nearby places.

Evolution & Changes
Traditional natural-material walking sticks have largely been replaced or supplemented by commercially manufactured walking sticks made from modern materials. However, the basic hooked-handle form continues to be seen in some traditional walking aids.

Reason for Decline
Its traditional form became less common with the availability of modern manufactured walking sticks and mobility aids, as well as changing lifestyles and reduced dependence on locally made household implements.

Present Status
The traditional Kokke Thandh is less commonly seen as an everyday household object, although similar hooked walking sticks may still be used by some elderly people.

Revival & Continued Use
The form can be preserved through continued traditional use and by documenting surviving examples, particularly those made by local craftspeople using wood, rattan or cane.

Preservation
Museum documentation should record the shape of the hook, length, material, method of shaping and traditional manner of use. Surviving examples should be photographed and preserved along with oral histories from people familiar with their use.

Historical & Cultural Importance
Kokke Thandh is a simple but meaningful example of traditional Kodava material culture. Its hooked form demonstrates how everyday objects were designed around practical needs, while its use of wood, rattan and cane reflects the community’s traditional knowledge of locally available natural materials.

Virtual Modha goode

• The Balnji is one among many fascinating artifacts preserved in Virtiual Modhagood – The virtual Museum of Kodava Heritage. Explore more traditional objects, customs, and stories that showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Kodava community.