Santa Claus rowing a boat, elephants, hornbills, the Malabar red squirrel, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus - these are some of the Kerala-inspired Christmas tree ornaments made by Kochi-based company Memory Train, makers of curios, gifts and souvenirs of Kerala-inspired merchandise. “The idea is to showcase Kerala differently rather than the usual Kathakali and houseboat curios. We want to show its natural beauty, the landscape, and wildlife as 3D models,” says Megha Abraham of Memory Train. The company was set up in May 2023 by her husband Paul K John who designs the products.
While the ceramic and resin curios are made at their studio in Edappally, the porcelain pieces are imported. About the design-based venture, Megha says, “It is called Memory Train because we have a train of memories, it is never a single one but a series.” The merchandise has a dash of whimsy, especially the Christmas collection called Christmas in Kerala. The nostalgia-inspired collection of Christmas hangings, How’s it Hangin’ derives inspiration from travel, flora and fauna of Kerala. So there are a Nokia 3310 phone, a Walkman, telephone, postbox, KSRTC bus, typewriter, houseboat, Ambassador car, cassette tape and jackfruit, tender coconut and cashew too (the latter three native to Kerala). An elephant, hornbill and Malabar red squirrel make up a ‘white and gold’ Christmassy set. These are available in sets of three on the website. For those with more traditional tastes, there is a 12 piece Nativity set too.
