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Kerala-God's own country

GOD'S OWN COUNTRY, Kerala

Sanjai VELAYUDHAN

Introduction:

 

Kerala seems to be the latest fad in the world. He was voted the best destination for some of the best runners, including media. Many documentaries have been made about him and his lifestyle. Gods newly-branded "his own country, its greenery, beautiful, clean, etc. backwaters in fact justify the epithet. Increased advertising and tourist arrivals have shown an improvement in passive gear such as Kathakali, etc. Kaliyattom with "Ayurveda" – The science of life. Ayurveda has almost had become almost synonymous.

As the saying goes "you can not love something you do not know." This article is for those who are madly in love with Kerala or are about to fall in love with it. Most people know him as a state, however, its transformation as a geographical and political entity as recently as November 1, 1956. Kerala history goes a long way in the past. Try to separate.

 

Geographical context:

The state of Kerala is between 8 ° 18 'and 12 ° 48' north latitude and between 74 ° 24 'east longitude. It has total area of 15,002 miles square (38 855 square kms) and a coastline that is nearly 360 kilometers long. Occupies a narrow strip of land no more than 380 miles (555 km.) long and 80 miles (120 km.) wide. To the west it borders the Arabian Sea, the Middle-covered mountains in the Western Ghat bordered on the north Karnataka State and South joined by the State of Tamil Nadu. The Western Ghats, which are along Highlands called Sahyadri that rise in height between 3000 m and 8000 m elevation. Its highest point is the aspect Anamudi located in Idukki district, amounting to an altitude of 8841 m. The land of Kerala has the narrow coastal strip between the Western Ghats in the east and the Arabian Sea to the west in the southern part of peninsular India. Its unique geographical position and peculiar physical features have invested Kerala with a separate individuality.

A little history

The region of Kerala, in the subcontinent Indian can claim to have a story that leads to the dark recesses of antiquity. The pre-history of Kerala is shrouded in darkness. Paleolithic man appears Kerala have been avoided mainly because of its presence in the dense forest that has been prepared with raw stone into practice. There is evidence that the State had become the abode of man Neolithic age. It is worth mentioning that microliths considered by some researchers as belonging to a certain state of culture between the Paleolithic and Mesolithic the Neolithic period have been excavated in various parts of the state. The program became rough with megalithic monuments can be seen throughout the state. The term refers to stone megaliths. Monuments during this period were built on large blocks of stone buildings, funeral or burial or memorial. Kerala megaliths belong to the complex Megalithic common in southern India and are associated with the cult of the dead.

The Aitareya Aranyaka is the first book in Sanskrit which specifically mentions Kerala. The great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, showing awareness of their authors Kerala. Katyayana (fourth century BC) and Patanjali (second century BC) show their knowledge of the geography of Kerala. Kautilya mentions Arthasashtra churn river where the pearls abound. The Puranas also referred to Kerala. It is apparent from the description Kerala Kalidasa Raghuvamsa magnificent land that had become familiar to writers Northern India in the fourth century AD The first epigraphic evidence on the existence of "Kerala" is in the second edict Asoka, about a. 273-36 C., where referred to as "putHR Kerala. The elegant Sangam poets to represent the glorified images" Vanch "the capital of Cher and Yavana (Greek) cargo ships Pending gold pepper in ancient ports and Thind Muziris. The ancient travelers and historians like Pliny, first century Roman historian, Ptolemy, geographer and author Segundo unknown of the century "Journey" had given a detailed description of "Kerabothras. The" Aioi "Ptolemy refers to the southern Kerala Ays and Mont-de-Eli in Nanni Ezhimalai in the north. Kerala occupies an important place in the accounts of classical writers of Greece and Rome. The Chera kingdom is mentioned by the Greek ambassador, Indicates Megasthenes in Pliny (first century AD), the author anonymous Periplus (first century AD) and Ptolemy (second century AD) are the writers most notable are classic information on Kerala.

Former Kerala, famous for its spices and it was his glory as the land of spices that peoples and cultures alien to the very edge of the third millennium BC, if not sooner. Until about 800 AD has been part of Kerala Tamilakam (the region of the Tamils) and the language of the region is predominantly Tamil. Language plays a key role in identity formation. Thus, slow crystallization geographical entity separately has been accelerated by the development of Malayalam. The origin of Malayalam as a language which can be attributed to the ninth century AD In fact, Malayalam is the last of the four languages Dravidian take a different form, the others being Tamil, Kannada and Telugu. It seems that the other three regions of South India namely Andhra Pradesh levels, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka high overlapping similarities, Kerala has developed its own culture and psyche.

Kerala geographical Insulators:

Mountains and hills

The mountains and hills of Kerala have played their part in history. Formed Western Ghats a continuous wall on the eastern border protection and helped people in Kerala to live away from their own through the centuries. The Ghats range from 3000 m to over 8,000 feet above sea level, some of the highest hills are a look at the Idukki district Anamudi (8841 m), Agasthyakudam look further south on the Ghats (6132 m), Brahmagiri PEEK (5276 m) in Sabarimala taluk Peerumade (3790 m) and Malayatoor Hill (1500 feet). Western Ghats have prevented large-scale raids by the authorities in Kerala more beyond the intimidation, which acted as a natural protective wall. The continuity of the hills of Sahyadri (Western Ghat) is interrupted by the presence of many shortcomings that have prevented the complete isolation from other regions of Kerala India. An important difference of these is called the Palghat gap is about 20 miles wide.

The first inhabitants of the earth are those who are now represented by the tribes who live a protected existence in the jungles of the state and some schedule castes living in the aircraft. Therefore, it may be appropriate in this context to deal with the religious practices of the tribes of the mountains that form a part significant population in parts of Kerala. They worship some gods, especially of forests, plus some minor Hindu deities whose worship is People. They worship deities like Kali, Chaplamma Mari Amman Karinkutty, chakki, Ayya, Malakar, etc Kariappan devil worship is also very popular among them. Otherwise, some hill tribes have their own deities. The Wayanad Kurichiyas have Muthappan (God Game) as their main deity. The cult Karimbalans Kamadeva, the God of Love and his wife Rathi. The cult of Bhagavathi Paniyas Kadu (Forest Goddess) as malignant. Some tribes practice cult Hill Odi (black magic), which is believed to allow them to become be invisible to others and to harm enemies. Some of them are professionals and are Odiyans hired by others to take revenge on his enemies. Thus religion of the tribes of the hills is a strange mix of animism, totemism, magic and polytheism raw black.

The gradual introduction and spread religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam in Kerala to the outside to a very early period of its history has also contributed to the spiritual vision and reverse evolved a wide and eclectic among the people of Kerala. However, the influence of primitive beliefs and still do coexist with eclectic beliefs.

It was the meeting place of different cultures since time immemorial. Kerala is a melting pot of diverse cultural traditions. The traditions of the integration has evolved over the centuries can, in addition to the contribution of a chapter or to the general history of humanism spine. It took shape in the synthesis South and north, Buddha and Jaina, Dravidian and Aryan cultures, the integration process which counteracted the forces of division and that, unfortunately, appeared in the Hindu society: the evolution of the Christian community sensitive to balance and integration among its own specific cultural and religious identity, and evolution similar Muslim community.

Sea, river and water bodies include:

The sea has been and a permanent factor in the history of Kerala. He invested the state with a maritime tradition itself. The coast of Kerala has attracted foreign traders in Europe and Asia beginning. Kerala has had contacts with the countries of the world apart from time immemorial. The Arabs, Assyrians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, Israelites, Greeks, Romans and Chinese were among the foreign peoples who had contact with the Kerala coast in the ancient period. These first contacts were primarily commercial, but they all took a very early period for the introduction religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam in the land and helped to shape the culture of Kerala in composite and cosmopolitan.

At least in its early days, the Arabian Sea, Kerala protected from encroachment and intrusion. The coastal region pushed to its limit North and West had provided ample opportunities for successive raids from other continents by sea. The natural abundance favors open the way for ongoing maintenance of maritime trade relations with Rome, Egypt, Persia, Arabia and other Asian countries from the very beginning of history. The accounts of various travelers, geographers and traders show that Kerala has been maintaining a high degree of civilization in the pre-Christian yes. Maritime trade relations with Kerala was almost monopolized by the Arabs in this period. This social policy and continued until the second half of the 15th century.

Paradoxically, if the sea into prosperity through trade, also resulted in attacks of the maritime powers of Europe as the Portuguese, Dutch, French and English from the landing Basque Gama in Calicut in 1498. The memory of the strong Europe can be seen Anjengo, Thankasseri, Pallipuram, Thalassery and Kannur in Kerala coast in the proclamation stories from foreign invasions. It is also significant that religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam came to Kerala from the sea

Kerala has abundant sources of water supply. There are 41 state rivers flow west and 3 rivers that are tributaries of the Kaveri River and flows eastward. Only four Bharatapuzha these rivers, Periyar, Pampa and Chaliyar are beyond 100 miles.

Origin Myth

 

Like most places, Kerala has its myth of origin as well. According to him, an avatar of Vishnu, Parasurama created the earth, throwing Parashu (ax) at sea is represented as the protector of the Brahman (the highest in the hierarchy of the caste system in India negligible), possibly the descendants of the early Aryans had already migrated to the northern regions of Kerala. Brahmana According to legend, this act of Parasurama was to create special land movement and protect the Brahmins of his enemies. When it launched the hatchet (Parashu) of Gokarnam and the gun fell Kanyakumari. The sea between Kanyakumari and became Gokarnam the land where the heroes who returned to Brahmins. The parcel of land to vomit, they say, made the field of Kerala, ie Barghavakshetram or Parashuramakshetram. The story clearly adapted to their current needs. The legend seems to have been invented at a certain time for stakeholders to popularize the theory of domination of the Brahmins.

Point rationally if the points in a different direction. geological data points to the continued growth of the land in the proto-historical or even in historical times. There were at least two phases of movement up land in the sea The first is represented by surfaces of erosion in the laterite and the Midland area around 250 and 600 m. The second happened about 8 miles off the coast of creation is reflected in the legend of Parasurama and literature of place names. The increase was probably rough surface the results of operations seismic or volcanic factors. The second development of the land has probably been done by many rivers that brought large amounts of silt and clay from the mountain, while ocean currents deposited quantities of sand on the shore.

 

Anthropology

 

It seems that the man was late in Kerala. Stone age people deliberately infested forests of Kerala wild animals. No traces of the Stone Age or Neolithic application was found in all parts of Kerala. Mankind appeared on the ground in Kerala as manufacturer of the Iron Age megalithic. Most of the first settlers of Kerala seem to have been tribal and forest dwellers were gatherers.

Kerala, literally, is a museum of ethnology and anthropologist pleasure. distinguished anthropologists and ethnologists agree with the point that the first settlers Kerala Summer Collection Negrete. But there were waves of migration to the land of Kerala from time immemorial. The action was considered Australoids migrated to this region have enriched the culture that existed then in the provision of technology for firing and ceramics. The techniques of agriculture and navigation have been the contributions Mediterranean population Armenoid mixed with the material. But this does not mean that the culture of the immigrants had completely abandoned crop output. It was a process long and continuous cultural assimilation, they complement each other. Agrarian society possible actions of the peninsula Dravidian India, the authors of the great era Sangam may be the successors of the mixture of these populations. The Negrito element recalls the first strain of the population by race of Kerala in southern India in general. The Kanikkar Kadar Malapandaram, Mutuvans represent the tribe. Curly hair, dark skin, wide nose, round head is a part of their distinctive characteristics. The proto-Australoid with long head, flat nose and dark skin seems to have replaced the blacks. Some tribes such as Malavedan, Irulan and Kurichiyas etc belong to this breed. The main element of the population seems Dravidian to form the Mediterranean race. Then, the Aryans of northern India. The Pulay Parayas Kuravas and constitute the Dravidian race. The Brahmans represent Namboodhiri the Aryan race.

All human races have evolved and contributed to a certain level of miscegenation and mixed race. Human races and easily Cross normal, healthy produce offspring with the general improvement of physical and mental. It is essential that there are three types of races that make up the current stock of Kerala belonging to race Mundas Australoid, the Aryans and Dravidians.

Kerala has been through the centuries an integral part of the Indian subcontinent. His story is part of the story General of India and its culture is one of the most important trends that have enriched the country's composite culture. At the same time Kerala had the distinction of being a whole Independent geographical and political entity early. We can say that although the geographical position of Kerala as a narrow strip of land between the Arabian Sea, one hand and the Western Ghats on the other, has through the centuries to develop its own personality and strengthen their way of life and institutions, who can not say that the personality Kerala grew to its present scale in an atmosphere of splendid isolation. Paradoxical as it may appear, this geographical situation has contributed to some extent political and cultural isolation from the rest of the country and has also provided large and active contact with the outside world. The state has since the dawn of history has experienced a kind of insularity that gave immunity to welcome political convulsions that have shaken northern India. Kerala rarely felt the impact of the numerous foreign invasions occurred in the northern part of India through the border. Ironically, his enemy in the form of Dutch, Portuguese and French etc. came from the sea directly. While being protected from invasions from the north of India Kerala has always enter the system gains of the various powers that ruled in neighboring countries and areas Tamil Kannada. The Chalukyas, the Cholas invaded the Pandyas Rashtrakutas Kerala and in ancient times, while in the last period leaders Vijayanagar and Mysore conducted aggressive raids on their territory. The Bednore Ikkere South Canara Nayakas or exercised dominion over the region Hosdurg North Kerala-Kasaragod some time Century 17 and 18. Some of these strong historical Hosdurg, Bekele and Kumble Kalna stand still, as monuments of their role.

Conclusion

 

Few people know that Kerala has a colorful and eventful. To understand and appreciate the natural luxury of Kerala offered, it is imperative that we understand. That knowledge free. Amen

© Sanjai velayudhan

If you have to say something about this product, my e-mail to Sanjai.velayudhan @ Gmail.com.

About the Author

A behavioural trainer by education and a loyalty specialist by profession. Sanjai has PG qualifications in Training and performance management from CLMS, University of Leicester.

Sanjai is a compulsive writer and has recently chosen article base to put his thoughts together. For select whitepapers on loyalty, please visit:

http://www.itcinfotech.com/Loyalty-Solutions/Home.html.

He is currently working on two articles for publication on Goa & Kerala. Will be published in a couple of visits.