The Kykotali is the AxeWooden, a tool which has given both physical and symbolic meaning to Kadar's lives. The Kadar are an indigenous population that inhabits the forests of the Anamalai Hills and Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu. As forest-based traditions of ecology and sustainable life have, since times immemorial, shaped the Kadar's very existence, this axe has been very important to them for subsistence and forest-gathering activities. The Kykotali has a cylindrical handle made of wood shining for grip and balance, fitted well into an iron blade strongly mounted in the socket. The blade is quasidefinitely rectangular, tapering to a slightly curved and sharp-edged side. This is all for chopping trees, clearing paths, and other forest-useful things.
This tool speaks of the resourcefulness of the Kadar tribe that has brought together local materials and traditional metallurgy to forge it. Its significance, however, goes beyond function; it symbolizes the tribe's identity, the spirit of the craftsmen, and the timeless relationship they hold with the land.