Amballur (Thrissur): A retired employee in Thrissur's Alagappanagar has developed a machine capable of garlanding up to 25,000 ola padakkam (palm-leaf crackers) a day, offering a modern solution for Diwali preparations.

Kallookkaran Solomon, who retired as general manager in the engineering department of TCPL Packaging Company in Silvassa, Maharashtra, completed making the machine in three months. The idea came from a friend in Angamaly, who garlands palm-leaf crackers on a contract basis and wanted to reduce his workload.

Named ‘Pyro Knot’, the machine was built at a cost of ₹40,000. Its main components include a gearbox from Ahmedabad and a motor purchased from Micromatic Dies and Tools company in Ollur Industrial Estate. The machine weaves and collects the rope and wick used to garland palm-leaf crackers. It works by placing two palm-leaf crackers on the rope, tying them into a garland, and depositing them into a container below.

While a person can manually tie up to five garlands of 1,000 palm-leaf crackers each per day, the machine can string 3,000 palm-leaf crackers in an hour, allowing an estimated 25,000 palm-leaf crackers daily.

Solomon, who earned a diploma in mechanics in 1975, moved to Maharashtra in 1977. A former artist and football player, he represented Calicut University and the Thrissur district team during his studies. His wife, Lilly, said he built the machine as a hobby in his spare time. Both of their ons are engineers.