Kerala is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. To its east and northeast, Kerala borders Tamil Nadu and Karnataka; to its west and south lie the Indian Ocean islands of Lakshadweep and the Maldives, respectively. Kerala envelops Mahe, a coastal exclave of Pondicherry. Kerala is one of four states that comprise the linguistic-cultural region known as South India.
First settled in the 10th century BCE by speakers of Proto-South Dravidian, Kerala was influenced by the Mauryan Empire. Later, the Cheran kingdom and feudal Namboothiri Brahminical city-states became major powers in the region. Early contact with overseas lands culminated in struggles between colonial and native powers. Finally, the States Reorganisation Act of November 1, 1956 elevated Kerala to statehood. Social reforms enacted in the late 19th century by Cochin and Travancore were expanded upon by post-Independence governments, making Kerala among the Third World's longest-lived, healthiest, most gender-equitable, and most literate regions.
The etymology of the name "Kerala" is disputed. The prevailing theory states that it is an imperfect portmanteau that fuses kera ("coconut palm tree") and alam ("land" or "location"). Natives of Kerala -"Keralites" - thus refer to their land as Keralam. Other theories have the name originating from the phrase chera alam ("Land of the Chera").
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The Apostle St. Thomas landed in Kodungalloor (Cragannore) or Maliankara in A.D. 52. The Greeks called this place Mousiris and the Jews, Muzirikode. While the Apostle was going to the Jewish colony nearby, he had to cross the village of Palayur, where he saw the Hindu temple and the temple tanks. Certain Nambooris (Brahmins) were bathing in the tank. St.Thomas worked a miracle there. The Nambooris took water in their palms and threw it upwards reciting "mantras" (prayers). Seeing the same water falling down, the apostle asked them why their deity refused to accept their offering. He then took some water from the pond, and calling on the Name of Jesus Christ, threw it upwards. Those water drops assumed the shape of rose flowers and remained suspended in midair. Because of this manifestation many of the Nambooris
believed in Christ and received baptism. However, a small number of them became enraged at the incident, cursed the place, and went to another village called Vempanad.
The place they cursed is known as "Sapakkad," the accursed place. Even today, the Nambooris
crossing that village refrain from bathing or eating there. At Palayur, near Kodungalloor, one can see today the Jews Hill, with a Catholic Church nearby surrounded by tanks. This is the Palayur parish church. Hindu idols, sacrificial stones and other articles relating to a Hindu temple are seen there in abundance.
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One of the crosses reputedly erected by
the Apostle Thomas in Kerala
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Geography
Kerala's 38, 863 km landmass (1.18% of India) is wedged between the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats - identified as one of the world's twenty-five biodiversity hotspots - to the east. Eastern Kerala lies immediately west of the Western Ghats's rain shadow; it consists of high mountains, gorges and deep-cut valleys. Forty-one of Kerala's west-flowing rivers -and three of its east-flowing ones -originate in this region. Kerala’s western coastal belt is relatively flat, and is crisscrossed by a network of interconnected brackish canals, lakes, estuaries, and rivers known as the Kerala Backwaters. Kerala's climate is mainly wet and maritime tropical,heavily influenced by the seasonal heavy rains brought by the Southwest Summer Monsoon. In eastern Kerala, a drier tropical wet and dry climate prevails. Kerala harbours significant biodiversity, most of which is concentrated in the east. The state's 10,035 plant species comprise a disproportionately large 22% of India's total; these include 3,872 flowering plants (1,272 of which are endemic to Kerala and 159 threatened), among which exist 900 species of highly-sought medicinal plants. Its 9,400 km of forests include tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests (lower and middle elevations-3,470 km), tropical moist and dry deciduous forests (mid-elevations - 4,100 km and 100 km, respectively), and montane subtropical and temperate (shola) forests. Altogether, 24% of Kerala is forested.
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An interior view of the Knanaya Nasrani Valia Palli (St. Mary's Church), located in Thazhathangadi, Kottayam district.
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Most larger Keralite Hindu temples have outer walls affixed with arrays of oil lamps, which devotees light as part of their evening prayers.
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A small mosque on a coconut plantation in Bekal, Kasaragod district. |
Politics
Like other Indian states and Commonwealth countries, Kerala is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy; universal suffrage is granted to residents. There are three branches of government. The legislature, or the legislative assembly, consists of elected members and special office bearers (the Speaker and Deputy Speaker) elected by assemblymen. Kerala hosts two major political alliances: the United Democratic Front (UDF - led by the Indian National Congress) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF - led by the CPI(M)). At present, LDF is the ruling coalition and V.S. Achuthanandan of the CPI(M) is the Chief Minister. Kerala is among India's few left-wing states. Compared with most other Indians, Keralites are keener participants in the political process.
Since its incorporation as a state, Kerala's economy largely operated under welfare-based democratic socialist principles; nevertheless, the state is increasingly - along with the rest of India -liberalising its economy, thus moving to a more mixed economy with a greater role played by the free market and foreign direct investment.
Art
Kerala's culture is mainly Dravidian in origin, deriving from a greater Tamil-heritage region known as Tamilakam. Later, Kerala's culture was elaborated upon through centuries of contact with neighboring and overseas cultures. Native performing arts include koodiyattom, kathakali- from katha ("story") and kali ("performance")- and its offshoot Kerala natanam, koothu (akin to stand-up comedy), mohiniaattam ("dance of the enchantress"), thullal, padayani, and theyyam. Other arts are more religion- and tribal-themed. These include chavittu nadakom, oppana (originally from Malabar), which combines dance, rhythmic hand clapping, and ishal vocalisations.
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| The countryside of Wayanad. |
Tea gardens in eastern Kerala. |
The terrain around Munnar in Idukki is among the most mountainous in Kerala. |
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