Alumkadavu, a picturesque place at Karunagappally, Kollam district, Kerala is famous for its backwaters as well as a centre of houseboat building. One may watch here how the magnificent houseboats are being built using the wood of Aanjili, a commonly found tree in Kerala and jackwood tree. Planks of jack wood are joined together with coir rope and coated with a caustic black resin made from boiled cashew kernels. With careful maintenance they last for generations. Today, widely and appropriately called house-boats, they carry furnished bedrooms, modern toilets, cozy living rooms, a kitchen and even a balcony for angling. Some are powered by a 40 HP engine.