Kerala
Categories: Articles containing Malayalam text | Kerala | States and territories of India
| Kerala | |
| Image:IndiaKerala.png Location of Kerala | |
| Capital | Thiruvananthapuram 8.47° N 76.95° E |
| Largest city | Kochi |
| Abbreviation | IN-KL |
| Official languages | Malayalam |
| Legislature • Strength • Governor • Chief Minister | Unicameral 141 R. L. Bhatia (list) Oommen Chandy (list) |
| Formation | 1956-11-01 |
| Area | 38,863 km² (21st) |
| Population (2001) | 31,838,619 (12th) |
| Density | 819/km² |
| Districts | 14 |
| Time zone | IST (UTC +5:30) |
| Seal of Kerala | |
Kerala (or Keralam - കേരളം) is a state in South India, occupying a narrow strip of India's southwestern coast. It is known for being the most literate state in India, with a literacy rate greater than 90%.
Contents |
Origin of name
The origin of the name Kerala is often disputed. The theory most often advanced is that it comes from "kera" (coconut tree) and "Alam" (land or location). Keralites, the occupants of Kerala, refer to the place as Keralam.
History
People have lived in the region now known as Kerala since ancient times. The Sanskrit epic Aitareya Aranyaka has the earliest specific mention of Kerala. Katyayana (4th century BC) and Patanjali (2nd century BC) show their acquaintance with the geography of Kerala. Pliny the Elder mentions Muziris (modern Kodungallur) as the first port in India (N.H. 6.26); slightly later in time, the unknown author of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea notes that "both Muziris and Nelkunda (modern Kottayam) are now busy places".
The emergence of the Malayalam language from Tamil sheds light on the ancient past of Kerala. Malayalam (Mala or Mountain + Alam or location) means the 'living/inhabitants in mountain' in Tamil (Malayalam, which earlier implied the geographical location of the region, was replaced by 'Kerala' and now identifies the language spoken in the region). At first, the area was simply another Tamil-speaking region, however, it became linguistically separate from the Tamil region in the early 14th century. The Chera empire ruled the area of Kerala from ancient times with Tamil as their court language. Allied with the Pallavas, they were continually at war with the neighbouring kingdoms of the Cholas and Pandyas. The Chera capital was Vanchi, whose exact location is still a matter of conjecture. A regional identity distinct from the Tamils developed in 8th-14th centuries, with the second Chera empire and with the development of the Malayalam language.
| This page contains Malayalam script. Without sufficient text support you may see irregular vowel placements and no conjuncts. More... |
Both Buddhism and Jainism reached Kerala at an early period. Like other parts of ancient India, Buddhism and Jainism co-existed with early Shaivite beliefs and faiths associated with tribal life during the first five centuries. The presence of Brahmanism was marginal, like the rest of South India. It was only after the "Sangam" Period that large groups of Northern Brahmins started migrating to Kerala, possibly during Kalabhra, Rashtrakuta, Chalukya, Pallava and Hoysala invasions. By the 8th and 9th centuries, 2nd Chera kings inclined to Vaishnavism and some of them wrote great literary works in the stream of Vishnu Bhakthi. When all over India Hinduism was revived by intellectuals like Shankara and by Bhakti movements, and finally Buddhism and Jainism merged into their mother religion.
Jewish settlers avoiding persecution in their homeland migrated to Kerala in the early centuries. Arab merchants founded Kerala's early Muslim community, the Mappilas, in the 8th century. However, the majority of the Muslims in Kerala, especially in the northern region, were the products of Mysore Tipu Sultan's invasion in the 17th century. According to some the history of Christianity in Kerala dates back to the arrival of St. Thomas the Apostle at Kodungallur in A.D. 52. For a long time this was disputed. However in 2002 The British researcher, William Dalrymple travelled across the Arabian Sea to Kerala in a boat similar to those mentioned in ancient Jewish and Roman texts and showed how the Nasrani-Jewish people had travelled to Kodungalloor. He followed the same course as mentioned in the Acts of Thomas, a copy of which survives in a monastery on Mount Sinai. A Christian-Jewish community was later established by a contingent of Jewish Nasranis led by Knai Thoma who arrived in 345. Cheraman Perumal, the then king of Malabar issued a proclamation giving land and priviledges to the Knanaya Yehudeya-Nasranis on copper plates on a Saturday in March (Kumbham 29), 345. This was followed by another round of migration recorded in the Tharisappally records from around the 8th century. When the Portuguese arrived in the early 1500s, they tried to impose Roman Catholicism on the Nasrani people. The Nasranis (also called Syrian Christians of Kerala) resisted the conversion attempts of the Portuguese to bring them under the Pope, and instead established an independent Church.
However, there are those who believe that St. Thomas never visited Kerala. When the Portuguese visited Kerala they found people following the holy Tammas and Salivahana (an avatar of Krishna where he is crusified). They named these people the followers of St.Thomas (Knanaya is Kannan or Krishna). There are many books published on this subject that suggest that the mythos of Abraham (Ab-Brahma or father Brahma) and of Jesus is the same as the mythos of the Indian Gods Brahma, Buddha, Krishna and Vishnu. These mythos were carried over from the southern parts of India to the middle east, Africa and Europe by migrating Indians. The word Christ is very similar to "Christ-na" or Krishna. For additional information refer to the following books: Anacalypsis by Godfrey Higgins, Suns of God by Acharya S, and The Pagan Christ by Tom Harpur.
Vasco da Gama's voyage to Kerala from Portugal in 1498 was largely motivated by Portuguese determination to break the Arabs' control over the trade between local spice producers and the Middle East, which existed even before Islam originated. He established India's first Portuguese fortress at Cochin (Kochi) in 1503 and from there, taking advantage of the rivalry existing between the royal families of Calicut and Cochin, managed to destroy the monopoly. The dispute between Calicut and Cochin, however, provided an opportunity for the Dutch to come in and finally expel the Portuguese from their forts.
The Dutch would, in turn, be routed by the Travancore (Thiruvithamcoore) ruler Marthanda Varma at the Battle of Kulachal in 1741. The British moved into the area in the form of the British East India Company and were firmly established in Kerala by the beginning of the seventeenth century. Tipu Sultan attempted to encroach on British-held territory in 1792, but was defeated and the British remained in control until independence.
Organised expressions of discontent with British rule were relatively infrequent in Kerala. Uprisings of note include the rebellion by Pazhassi Raja, Veluthampi Dalawa, and the Punnapra-Vayalar revolt of 1946. Mass protests were mainly directed at established social evils such as untouchability and unapproachability. The non-violent and largely peaceful Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924 was instrumental in securing entry to the public roads adjacent to the Vaikom temple for people belonging to backward castes. In 1936, Sree Chithira Thirunal Balaramavarma Maharaja, ruler of Travancore issued the Temple Entry Proclamation, declaring the temples of his kingdom open to all worshippers, irrespective of caste.
Modern Kerala was created in 1956 when Malabar, which had been part of the Madras Presidency, was merged with Travancore and Kochi. The latter two were princely states, distinguished in that they had concerned themselves with the education and provision of basic services to the residents of their territories. First assembly elections in Kerala took place in 1957 and the first elected communist government of asia came into power headed by E.M.S.Namboothirippadu.The radical reforms introduced by that government in favour of toiling people changed the social order which prevailed in kerala for centuries to a great extent.
State formation
The modern State of Kerala was formed by the amalgamation of three regions, the Kingdom of Thiruvithamcoore (Travancore), the Kingdom of Kochi (Cochin) and Malabar District. Thiruvithaamcoore and Kochi, former princely states, were merged to form Thiru-Kochi on July 1, 1949. Thiru-Kochi was merged with Malabar District and Kasargod taluk of South Kanara District to form the State of Kerala on November 1, 1956, based on the recommendations of the State Reorganisation Commission set up by the Government of India.
Administration
Kerala is divided into 14 districts. They are (from north to south) Kasargod, Kannur (Cannanore), Wayanad (Wynad), Kozhikode (Calicut), Malappuram, Palakkad (Palghat), Thrissur (Trichur), Ernakulam (Cochin), Idukki, Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Kollam (Quilon) and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of the state. Kochi, Kollam, Kozhikode,Kannur and Thrissur are the other important cities in Kerala.
Demographics
Malayalam is the official language of Kerala. A large number of Tamil speaking people are present in the state, perhaps the biggest Tamil population outside Tamil Nadu.
The major religions followed[1] in Kerala are Hinduism (56.1%), Islam (24.7%), and Christianity (19%). Kerala also had a tiny Jewish population till recently, said to date from 587 BC when they fled the occupation of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. The state has many famous temples, churches, and mosques. The synagogue in Kochi is the oldest in the British Commonwealth.
Geography
Geographically Kerala is divided into three regions:
- Highland or Mountain region
- Midland or the rolling hills
- Lowland or the coastal plain land
There are 44 rivers flowing through Kerala, most of them are small and entirely fed by the Monsoons. The Kerala Backwaters, an interconnected system of brackish water lakes and river estuaries, lies behind the coast and runs virtually the length of the state.
Politics
Kerala gained the distinction, in 1957, of having democratically elected a Communist government, one of few anywhere in the world. Kerala has a reputation as one of the most left-wing states in India. The people of Kerala are very politically aware and are more active participants in the political process than those in the rest of the country. Today the political life of Kerala is dominated by two alliances, the United Democratic Front (led by the Indian National Congress) and the Left Democratic Front (led by CPI(M)). Currently UDF in which the Congress (I) is the largest coalition partner, controls the government.
Oommen Chandy is the current Chief Minister of Kerala.
List of Famous Politicians of Kerala
Arts
Kerala has a rich tradition in the arts, both classical and folk. In addition to the classical art forms like Koodiyattom (UNESCO Human Heritage Art), Kathakali, Kerala Natanam, Koothu, Mohiniyaattam and Thullal, Kerala has several folk art forms performed by people in various regions of the state. The region also has a tradition of Christian and Muslim performing arts. Most of these art forms have become artefacts of the past showcased in tourism fares or youth festivals,as contemporary art forms weave their own identity according to changing needs. Mimicry and parody have gained considerable mass appeal in recent years. Though sometimes risque and often politically incorrect, these devices are used by artists to mock social luminaries. Malayalam Cinema is another mode of artistic expression, and films from Kerala are very distinct from films made in Bollywood or Hollywood.
In music, the dominant classical stream is carnatic music, the classical music of south India. Travancore king and music composer Swathi Thirunal was instrumental in popularising carnatic music in Kerala. Kerala has its own music system called sopanam which is a slow, step-by-step rendition of raga based songs. This is the music style used in Kathakali. Like rest of India, film songs are the major outlet for popular music.
Apart from such performing arts, Kerala has made its mark in fine arts as well. Modern Indian art scenario is blessed with the presence of Kerala. However these artists have not been successful in invoking mass appeal as other artforms do.
Social scene
Kerala ranks highest in India with respect to social development indices such as primary education and healthcare. Kerala was declared the world's first "baby-friendly state" under WHO-UNICEF's Baby Friendly Hospital initiative. The state is known for Ayurveda, a traditional system of medicine which has found a new market in the growing tourist industry.
Kerala is the only state in India with a female-to-male ratio higher than 0.99 (the ratio for Kerala is 1.058 while the national figure is 0.933), according to the 2001 census. However, the ratio for the 0-9 age group is 0.963, not significantly higher than the national figure of 0.928. It is also the only state in India having sub-replacement fertility.
The literacy rate in Kerala is the highest among Indian states, but so is the unemployment rate. Education and early influences of Arabs and Portuguese have also made Kerala one of the most secular states in India. Ironically, Kerala is also noted as the state with the highest suicide rate in India.
Kerala has an ancient solar calendar called the Malayalam calendar which is used by various communities primarily for Agircultural related activities and religious functions. Kerala has its own form of martial art, Kalarippayattu. Theyyam and Poorakkali are popular ritual arts of North Malabar, the northern part of Kerala.
Onam, associated with the legend of Mahabali is declared the state festival, but Keralites celebrate many other religious and secular festivals, including Eid-ul-Fitr, Christmas, Easter, Deepavali and Vishu.
Economy
The economy of Kerala is predominantly agrarian in nature. In terms of per capita income and production Kerala lags behind many Indian States, but in terms of Human Development Index and the standard of living of the people, Kerala is much ahead of most other states in India. In fact, in certain development indices Kerala is on a par with some of the developed countries. This peculiar paradox often termed as the "Kerala Phenomenon" or Kerala model of development by experts, which is mainly owing to the performance of the state in the service sector.
Kerala's economy can be best described as a socialistic welfare economy.
However, Kerala's emphasis on social welfare also resulted in slow economic progress. There are few major industries in Kerala, and the per capita GDP is lower than the national average. Remittances from Keralites working abroad, mainly in the Middle East, make up over 60% of the state's GDP.
Agriculture is the most important economic activity. Coconut, tea and coffee are grown extensively, along with rubber, cashew and spices. Spices commonly cultivated in Kerala include pepper, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Much of Kerala's agriculture is in the form of home gardens.
Tourism
Kerala is a popular tourist destination for both domestic and foreign travellers. Among the tourist attractions are great beaches (Kovalam, Cherai and Varkala), serene hill stations (Ponmudi and Munnar), wildlife sanctuaries (Periyar and Eravikulam) and beautiful Kerala Backwaters (Alleppey, Kumarakom, and Punnamada), as also the marvel of kerala building art revealed through Padmanabhapuram Palace, Padmanabhapuram. The tourism department of the state calls the state as God's Own Country. National Geographic Society described Kerala as one of the 50 must-see destinations of a lifetime. Kochi, the commercial capital of the state is known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea. Alapuzha, the first planned town in Kerala is called the "Venice of the East". Tourism plays an important role in the state's economy.
Livestock sector
Livestock sector plays a vital role in the economy of Kerala. This sector has high potential for alleviating poverty and unemployment in rural areas. The majority of livestock owning farmers are either small and marginal or even landless. In view of its suitability for combining with crop subsector and its sustainability as a household enterprise with the active involvement of the farm women, livestock rearing is emerging as a very popular supplementary vocation in the small farm segment. Rural women play a significant role in the development of the livestock subsector and are involved in operations like feeding, milking, breeding, management, health care and running micro-enterprises. It is estimated that about 32 lakh (3.2 million) out of the total number of 55 lakh (5.5 million) households in Kerala are engaged in livestock rearing for supplementing their income. The homestead settlement pattern, the relatively high level of literacy particularly among women, the highly favourable agroclimatic conditions conducive for biomass production and the long tradition in livestock rearing are inherent strengths which the Kerala economy possesses in favour of livestock rearing. There is a Livestock department is in keralam for promoting livestock in kerala. This advocate farmers on their issues. Kerala livestock development board took the initiative to produce the cattle breed "SUNANDINI".
Road network
India has more than 3.3 million km of road network at present making it one of the largest in the world. Length of roads in Kerala is 145704 km (4.2 percent of that in India). Kerala has 4.62 km of road per thousand population, against the national figure of 2.59 km. Road network in Kerala has the distinction of achieving connectivity to all the villages in Kerala. But as the villages are relatively large compared to other states, the development has not ensured connectivity of all the habitats. Main arterial roads are built and maintained by the Kerala Public Works Department.
Traffic in Kerala has been growing at a rate of 10 to 11 percent every year, resulting in excessive pressure on the roads. Total road length in Kerala increased by 5 percent during 2003-2004. The road density in Kerala is nearly four times the national average, and is a reflection of the unique settlement patterns in the State.
National Highways form the prime arterial routes in India, spanning 58,112 km throughout the country and cater to about 45 percent of the total road transport demand. The National Highway network in Kerala is 1524 km, only 2.6 percent of the national total. There are eight National Highways in the State.
A major challenge has been taken by the state government for the upgrading and expansion of important roads to the standards prescribed by the Indian Road Congress for each category of road. Upgrading and maintenance of 1600 km of state highways and major district roads have been taken up under the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP). The much applauded GIS based Road Information & Management Project(RIMS) is developed under KSTP.
Trivia
- Arundhati Roy's Booker Prize winning novel The God of Small Things is set in Kerala.
- Salman Rushdie's novel The Moors Last Sigh begins in the coastal area of Kerala (Mattanchery) and talks about the spice business.
- The town of Alleppey was featured on the American reality show The Amazing Race.
- Kerala is picked by National Geographic as 50 Places of a Lifetime
- Kerala has the lowest infant mortality rate among the states in India, with it's rate being almost one-third of the national rate
- Kerala has the highest life expectancy among the Indian States, with the life expectancy for males and females both, being over 70.
- Kerala is said to have the highest density of telephone connections, vehicles, primary health centers and goverment run schools among the states in India
See also
Government Websites
Other Websites
- Kerala
- Kerala movies
- Kerala web directory
- Business Information on Kerala
- Online Newspaper
- kerala portal
- Kerala news
- Kerala photos at Junox.com
- Kerala photos
- Maps of Kerala
- Holidays in Kerala
- Keralam Ayurveda in the UK
- Samhathi
Kerala Trivia
| Indian states and territories | Image:India flag large.png |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Arunachal Pradesh | Assam | Bihar | Chhattisgarh | Goa | Gujarat | Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Jammu and Kashmir | Jharkhand | Karnataka | Kerala | Madhya Pradesh | Maharashtra | Manipur | Meghalaya | Mizoram | Nagaland | Orissa | Punjab | Rajasthan | Sikkim | Tamil Nadu | Tripura | Uttaranchal | Uttar Pradesh | West Bengal | |
| Union territories: Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Chandigarh | Dadra and Nagar Haveli | Daman and Diu | Lakshadweep | Pondicherry | |
| National Capital Territory: Delhi | |
et:Kerala es:Kerala eo:Keralao fr:Kerala hi:केरल ka:კერალა ml:കേരളം mr:केरळ nl:Kerala pt:Kerala sa:केरल fi:Kerala sv:Kerala ta:கேரளம் te:కేరళ zh:喀拉拉邦