Issue: Sep-Oct 2003
Editor: N. Balasubramanian
Kerala - “God’s own country”
Ever so often my thoughts wander to kerala – my homeland. On my recent “balik kampung” to Kerala, I couldn’t but help comparing the lush verdant countryside here in Malaysia to that of Kerala’s fabled palm-fringed, paddy-field terrain. If you visit Kerala you’d immediately realise why Indians call Kerala “God’s own country”.
Sandwiched between the Arabian sea and the western ghats, Kerala is a bustling little state on the west coast of India. It is bounded by Karnataka to the north and Tamilnadu to the east and the Arabian sea to the west. The capital city is Thiruvananthapuram . ( though a bit of a tongue twister, the word thiru – ananthapuram means the city of Anantha or the home of the sacred thousand-headed serpent Anantha, who forms the couch on which reclines Lord Vishnu, the preserver in the Hindu trinity).
A little bit of history
Today Kerala has a population of 33 million. The original inhabitants were tribals, followed by the Dravidians. After Alexander’s triumphant sweep over Asia Minor the ports of Kerala became a link to the Middle East and Asia Minor. About 2000 years ago St. Thomas landed from the Middle East. Vasco de Gama made his historic landing in Kerala about 500 years ago. The East India company signed a strategic treaty with King Marthanda Verma in 1723. Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan tormented the British regime sweeping down from the north, several times into Kerala. Independence came in 1947 when the British left. And finally in 1956 Kerala was formed from the three princely states of Travancore, Cochin and Malabar. All these historical developments gave Kerala considerable ethnic diversity. Today, apart from the largely Hindu population we also find a considerable minority of Indo-european migrants, hill tribes with ‘negrito’ similarities, Christians (including orthodox syrian christians) Muslims, Jains and Jews.
The language
The beautiful language of Malayalam is the official language of the Keralites. It has its own script and style of speech which is completely different from the many other languages spoken in India.
The dances
Kathakali is the dance form that has flourished in Kerala. It is probably the oldest form of “dance drama” in the world. A salient feature of this dance form is the headgear of the artistes and the elaborate make up. The main theme – “good triumphing over evil”. Kerala also has a very rich theatre tradition. The sanskrit drama Koottiyattam is still performed by the Chakkiars of Kerala.
The festivals
Onam is the great harvest festival of Kerala that begins in August and lasts for about 10 days. The Pongal utsavam is another important festival. Only women are allowed into the attukal bhagvathy temple in the capital. Theryattam festival is held to propitiate the gods and demons recognized by the pantheon of the Malayalis. Id is celebrated in traditional style by the large Muslim population. Christmas is also celebrated all over Kerala. Pooram- another colourful festival held in Thrissur town is famous for its traditional band that accompanies the caparisoned elephants parading through the streets. It ends with a world class display of fireworks in the evening. I am lucky to have witnessed this display personally.
The abundant greenery
Geographically , Kerala is divided into the highlands, midlands and the lowlands. The highlands yield a rich bounty of tea, coffee, rubber, cardamom, and other spices. The midlands abound in cashew, coconut, arecanut, cassava, banana, rice , ginger, pepper, sugarcane and several vegetables. The lowlands are famous for its rice, coconut and fisheries. In fact Kerala is a major exporter in the coir industry and fisheries.
Like here in Malaysia, Kerala’s rich fauna and flora abound in orchids, anthurriums, balsam, banyan, figs, bamboo as well as medicinal plants. The rejuvenating effect of the lush greenery of Kerala has to be seen and felt to be believed. The copious growth of trees have oft evoked the expression “Kerala- a herbarium.”
Impressions
Other indelible impressions one would carry away of Kerala would be the Chinese fishing nets around Cochin, the fishing boats bringing in a rich haul of silvery fish, the setting sun upon the tranquil Arabian sea, the stately ships at the harbour mouth, the beautiful places of religious worship like the many ornate temples, mosques, churches and even a few synagogues, and of course the soothing shadows cast by the canopy of thick foliage.
Wildlife
Some of the wild life sanctuaries of Kerala are not to be missed at any cost if you are visiting Kerala. The famous ones are the Periyar wild life sanctuary, Kumarakom bird sanctuary and the Eravikulam National Park where one can get a breathtaking view of a myriad variety of animals including the deer, sambar, elephants, wild buffaloes, and even tigers!
A heaven for tourists
Finally, for the tourist- it is welcome news that Kerala is linked by rail, bus and air to the rest of India . The three international airports at Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin(Nedumbassery Intn’l airport) and Calicut, make it convenient for international tourists to directly enter and exit Kerala. One can always contact the Kerala State Tourism Development Corporation or the Indian Tourism Development Corporation for all details. So Selamat Jalan, happy journey, bon voyage, to Kerala.
J. George