Ente Keralam

According to the mythology, Parasuram an incarnation of Maha Vishnu, after reliving the world from oppression,  sat in meditation, reached Kanyakumari and threw his axe northward across the ocean. The place where the axe landed is said to be Kerala. Yes, Mahabhali, during the time of Vamana, is said to have ruled the holy land, may be it was not exactly this same land, or it could be that after his departure, the land went under water again. 

It is believed that on the destruction of the First Temple in the Siege of Jerusalem of 587 BCE, some Jewish exiles came to India, they were from King Soloman's time, even before Christ was born. Thomas the Apostle is believed to have brought Christianity to India, in 52 AD; some believe it to be 6th century AD even. Kodungaloor houses the first Muslim mosque in India believed to be build around 629 AD by Cheraman Perumaal, a Hindu king who accepted Islam. Adi Shankaracharya who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta is from Kalady in Kerala, the earlier kingdom of Cochin was the only kingdom in South Asia to be a protectorate of China. Buddhists, Arabs, Romans, Portuguese, Dutch and even the British have walked through Muziris, who has stood witness to varied civilisations and wars by being ancient world's greatest trading centre in the East.

When the Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile Malabar, Cochin and Travancore were combined under the reorganisation of states, the state of Kerala was born. This new state that came into existence on November 1, is unique in many ways. This is a state that has reinvented itself over ad over. Despite being smaller in terms of areas, Kerala is giant when it comes to health, education, human development index and trourism to name a few. 

If we go by the statistics, Kerala has the lowest positive population growth rate in India, highest literacy rate, highest life expectancy, and highest sex ratio, least impoverished state and the second-most urbanised major state in the country. 

Coming to food, Kerala’s palette has changed in a big way. So many culinary treats that are now an integral part of Kerala cuisine, and feel like ancient are relatively new food items that did not exist until the beginning of the 16th century. Chines introduced us to ‘nool puttu’ a localised version of Chinese noodles, kozhukatta like dumblings, rice gruel or Kanji like Zhou. ‘Cheenchatti’ or Chinese pot that we use to make most of our food items. Portuguese introduced us to Potatoes and tomatoes from South America and Chillies. Mostly all here have beef and pork irrespective of their religion. The most revered traditional meal, the Sadhya stands out with Erissery, Avial, Rice, Fish. We are influenced by Christian and Arab cuisine as well.

Once called Path to Paradise, God’s own country, unfortunately what we have today is a vision-less leadership, toothless-law and senseless-people who show no prick of conscience in dumping waste at public places and destroying public property..!! At times wonder where God's own country is heading to?

Being one of her, there is so much more that could be written on Kerala, there would be many with different views, but for me, God's own country,' Ente Keralam' is always 'Manoharam'. My enchanting Kerala, Thank you for all that you have given me.