Kerala
– God’s own country
Kerala is the southernmost state of India
and it is being called ‘God’s own country’ as it is a tourists’ paradise.
Kerala is the dream land and the favorite destination for almost all visitors who come to the state in large numbers from all over the world.
What is so fascinating about this land?
There is an interesting story behind the very creation of this land. As the legend goes, Parasurama, one of the incarnations of Vishnu, the God of preservation in the Hindu pantheon, raised this land from the ocean by throwing his axe from Gokarnna (Mangalore) to Kanyakumari. So we can say as God himself created this particular piece of land it became God’s own country. But this land is eminently qualified to be called ‘God’s own country’ due to so many other reasons as well. First of all the greenery and the scenic splendour which we come across in the state is unrivalled as the like of which cannot be found anywhere else.
How become Kerala?
The coastal area of Kerala is dotted with coconut trees from one end to another. It is interesting to note that the land got its name from coconut trees. In Malayalam ‘kera’ means coconut tree and ‘Kerala’ means the land of coconut trees.
Kerala has been and still is the home of various spices. Kerala had a flourishing spice trade even in the ancient times. Musiris which includes Kodungalloor was the centre of the spice trade. Musiris was the biggest port in the east in those days. It is by all accounts is more than three thousand years old.
Kerala is the dream land and the favorite destination for almost all visitors who come to the state in large numbers from all over the world.
What is so fascinating about this land?
There is an interesting story behind the very creation of this land. As the legend goes, Parasurama, one of the incarnations of Vishnu, the God of preservation in the Hindu pantheon, raised this land from the ocean by throwing his axe from Gokarnna (Mangalore) to Kanyakumari. So we can say as God himself created this particular piece of land it became God’s own country. But this land is eminently qualified to be called ‘God’s own country’ due to so many other reasons as well. First of all the greenery and the scenic splendour which we come across in the state is unrivalled as the like of which cannot be found anywhere else.
How become Kerala?
The coastal area of Kerala is dotted with coconut trees from one end to another. It is interesting to note that the land got its name from coconut trees. In Malayalam ‘kera’ means coconut tree and ‘Kerala’ means the land of coconut trees.
Kerala has been and still is the home of various spices. Kerala had a flourishing spice trade even in the ancient times. Musiris which includes Kodungalloor was the centre of the spice trade. Musiris was the biggest port in the east in those days. It is by all accounts is more than three thousand years old.
Kerala is blessed with many rivers and evergreen forests.
Kerala is blessed with many rivers and huge
water bodies like Cochin backwaters, Kodungalloor backwaters, Vembanad lake and
Ashtamudi lake. Kerala is also blessed with evergreen forests and a big bio-reserve
called Silent Valley rain forest which is the home of different species of
animals and plants. Elephants, tigers, leopards and panthers can be found in
the Kerala forests. A rare species of monkeys called lion-tailed-macaques are
found in Silent Valley.
Water sports
Kerala is famous for water sports. A state-level water sport competition for the Nehru Trophy involving snake boats (Chundanvallam) is held at Alleppey every year. The beautiful and sleek snake boats which can carry a hundred oarsmen are made in Kerala. Miniature snake boats are carried away as trophies by visitors. A regional office of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) is located in Kerala.
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Kerala can boast of an ancient
civilization. Rock carvings at Edakkal caves show the presence of the stone-age
man (Neolithic) in Kerala. The stone carvings are beautifully executed and they
are dated around six thousand BC.
Arts
Kerala had developed its own unique art forms like Kudiyattam, and Kathakali . Kudiyattam and Kathakali are art forms which are more than 2500 years old according to UNESCO experts. These art forms pre-date Greek drama. Tourists carry Kathakali masks as trophies when they return home.
Arts
Kerala had developed its own unique art forms like Kudiyattam, and Kathakali . Kudiyattam and Kathakali are art forms which are more than 2500 years old according to UNESCO experts. These art forms pre-date Greek drama. Tourists carry Kathakali masks as trophies when they return home.
Aranmula Kannadi(Aranmula Mirror)
Another unique thing produced in the state is polished metal mirrors (Aranmula Kannadi). These mirrors were in existence before glass technology developed in the west. Even these mirrors have become trophies for the tourists.
Mahabali
Kerala was ruled in the ancient times by a
king called Mahabali. During his reign the people were extremely happy. There
was neither corruption nor strife. Every one enjoyed equal status. Differences
based on caste or creeds were not there. Because of this tradition Kerala has
no history of communal violence.
Literacy
Among the states of India, Kerala ranks first in adult literacy. The state has produced many eminent writers of national and international stature. Arundhathi Roy is a Booker Prize winner. Even the first recipient of the highest literary award in India (Jnanpith) was a Keralite (G. Sankarakurup). Afterwards many Keralites like S. K. Pottakkatt, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, M. T. Vasudevan Nair and O. N. V. Kurup received this award. Central Sahithya Academy fellowships are considered even more prestigious in nature as they are directly conferred on by the Government of India. Vaikom Muhammed Bashir, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai and Balamani Amma were the fellowship holders from Kerala. Saraswati Samman is another prestigious national award. From Kerala Ayyappa Panicker, Balamani Amma and Sugathakumari had bagged this award. Another important national award is the Kalidas Samman instituted by the Madhya Pradesh government in honour of Kalidasa, the Shakespeare of India. This award was bagged by Kavalam Narayana Panicker, Ammanur Madhava Chakyar, Kalamandalam Kalyanikkutti Amma, Kalamandalam Gopi and Ramankutti Nair. Kerala has a long literary tradition. The writers of Kerala were in the forefront of Indian renaissance and the freedom struggle.
Tourism
Other important things on the itinerary of
tourists are the many waterfalls, beaches and museums found in the state. In
Cochin we can find a synagogue which is 2000 years old. We can also find seven
churches which are 2000 years old. These churches were established by St.
Thomas who arrived in India in 52 AD.
India’s oldest mosque is located at Kodungalloor. Similarly Sabarimala and Guruvayoor are great centres of pilgrimage for the Hindus. People from other states come to these temples in large numbers.
India’s oldest mosque is located at Kodungalloor. Similarly Sabarimala and Guruvayoor are great centres of pilgrimage for the Hindus. People from other states come to these temples in large numbers.
In the west when duelling was resorted to
for settling disputes, Kerala had its own heroes in this field. Thacholi
Othenan and Aromal Chekavar were two such heroes. Unni Archa, the sister of
Aromal Chekavar was a great female fighter when women’s liberation was unknown.
History
History
The wealth of Kerala had attracted western
merchants in the past few centuries. These merchants in course of time became
colonizers. They dislodged local rulers by resorting to intrigue and the power
of modern weapons at their disposal. To drive them away Kerala produced many
eminent freedom fighters like Veluthampi, Pazhassi Raja and Kunjali Marakkar. After
their time there have been modern freedom fighters under the leadership of
Mahatma Gandhi. To inspire them modern writers, especially the trinity in poetry
(Vallathol, Kumaranasan and Ulloor) wrote patriotic poems.
In one such poem poet Vallathol says
In one such poem poet Vallathol says
“We have to be proud when we hear the name of Bharath
Our blood should boil in our veins when we
hear the name of Kerala”
