Kerala

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Kerala
Kerala
Template:Kerala in Malayalam
state
Official seal of Kerala
Seal
Nickname: 
God's Own Country
 • Rank21st
Population
 (2001)
 • Total31,948,619
 • Rank12th
Websitekerala.gov.in
‡ 140 elected, 1 nominated

Kerala (Malayalam: Template:Kerala in Malayalam?; Kēraḷaṁ) is an Indian state located in southwestern India. Neighbouring states include Karnataka to the north and Tamil Nadu to the south and east; to the west is the Arabian sea. Major cities include the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode. The principal spoken language is Malayalam.

A 3rd-century-BC rock inscription by emperor Asoka the Great attests to a Keralaputra. Around 1 BC the region was ruled by the Chera Dynasty, which traded with the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs. Feudal Namboothiri Brahmin and Nair city-states subsequently gained control of the region.[2] Early contact with Europeans gave way to struggles between colonial and native interests. On November 1st, 1956 the States Reorganisation Act made Kerala a state, formed by the merger of former state Travancore-Cochin with the Malabar district of former state Madras State.Kolla Varsham or Malayalam Era founded by the Tharissapalli sasanam of 824AD is the official calender of Kerala.Faith in Christ founded in kerala shore by Apostle st.thomas was planted deep inside five prominent Namboothiri communities in Kerala and tharrissapalli sasanam of 824 AD by kollam king stanu ravi Guptan Namboothiri to Mar Abo who came from Assyria, acknowledged the orthodox christian church as a independent religion outside vedic Hinduism

The state is known for achievements such as a 91% literacy rate[1], among the highest in India. A survey conducted in 2005 by Transparency International ranked Kerala as the least corrupt state in the country.[3] Kerala is uniquely dependent on remittances from a large Malayali expatriate community based mainly in Persian Gulf countries.[4][5][6]

Kerala has the lowest rate of population growth in India. Presently, the birth rate in Kerala is 1.6 per parents.

Etymology

The name Kerala has an uncertain etymology. Keralam may stem from the Classical Tamil chera-alam ("declivity of a hill or a mountain slope")[7] or chera alam ("Land of the Cheras").[8]: 2  Kerala may represent an imperfect Malayalam portmanteau fusing kera ("coconut tree") and alam ("land" or "location").[9]: 122  Natives of Kerala, known as Malayalis or Keralites, refer to their land as Keralam.[citation needed]

History

Main article: History of Kerala
Stone age writing, Edakkal Caves, Kerala.

It is not certain if the region was inhabited during Neolithic times. However, there is evidence of the emergence of prehistoric pottery and granite burial monuments in the form of megalithic tombs in the 10th century BC; they resemble their counterparts in Western Europe and other parts of Asia. These are thought to be produced by speakers of a proto-Tamil language.[10] The Edakkal Caves has one of the earliest exmples of stone age writing. Kerala and Tamil Nadu once shared a common language, ethnicity and culture; this common area was known as Tamilakam.[11]

A Muniyara, dolmens erected by Neolithic tribesmen, in Marayoor.

The ancient Cheras, whose mother tongue and court language was ancient Tamil, ruled Kerala from their capital at Vanchi. They were constantly at war with the neighbouring Chola and Pandya kingdoms.[12] A Keralite identity, distinct from the Tamils and associated with the second Chera empire, became linguistically separate under the Kulasekhara dynasty (c. 800–1102).[13] By the beginning of the 14th century, Ravi Varma Kulasekhara of Venad established a short-lived supremacy over southern India. After his death, Kerala became a conglomeration of warring chieftaincies, among which the most important were Calicut in the north and Venad in the south. Mar ABO who was invited to kerala by Kollam King stanu Ravi Gupta Namboothiri was the real founder of christianty as a religion.Tharrissapalli cheppadukal in 824 AD starting the Kollavarsham(Malayalam year)also founded christianity as a religion in kerala . The Chera kings' dependence on trade meant that merchants from West Asia and Southern Europe established coastal posts and settlements in Kerala.[14]: 192–195, 303–307  The west Asian-semitic [15]

The Jews first arrived in Kerala in 573 BC.[16][17] The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings state that Thomas the Apostle visited Muziris in Kerala in 52 AD to proselytize amongst Kerala's Jewish settlements.[18][19]In AD 52, Christianity reached the shores of Kerala with the arrival of St Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ who planted the christian faith deep inside seven large Namboothiri Families and a lost jew Tribe of isreal.[20][21][22]Kerala Manual[23][24]However,the first verifiable migration of Jewish-Nasrani families to Kerala is of the arrival of Knanai Thoma in 345 ME  .[25] Muslim merchants (Malik ibn Dinar) settled in Kerala by the 8th century AD and introduced Islam. After Vasco Da Gama's arrival in 1498, the Portuguese gained control of the lucrative pepper trade by subduing Keralite communities and commerce.[26][27]

Vasco da Gama lands at Calicut (now Kozhikode), May 20, 1498

Conflicts between Kozhikode (Calicut) and Kochi (Cochin) provided an opportunity for the Dutch to oust the Portuguese. In turn, the Dutch were ousted by Marthanda Varma of the Travancore Royal Family who routed them at the Battle of Colachel in 1741. In 1766, Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore invaded northern Kerala, capturing Kozhikode in the process. In the late 18th century, Tipu Sultan, Ali’s son and successor, launched campaigns against the expanding British East India Company; these resulted in two of the four Anglo-Mysore Wars. He ultimately ceded Malabar District and South Kanara to the Company in the 1790s. The Company then forged tributary alliances with Kochi (1791) and Travancore (1795). Malabar and South Kanara became part of the Madras Presidency.[28]

Kerala was comparatively peaceful under the British Raj; only sporadic revolts such as the 1946 Punnapra-Vayalar uprising and the Dewan of Travancore Velayudan Thampi Dalava, Kozhikode navarch Kunjali Marakkar, and Pazhassi Raja, among others, vied for greater autonomy or independence.[29] Many actions, spurred by such leaders as Vaikunda Swami[30], Sree Narayana Guru and Chattampi Swamikal, instead protested such conditions as untouchability; notable was the 1924 Vaikom Satyagraham. In 1936, Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma of Travancore issued the Temple Entry Proclamation that opened Hindu temples to all castes; Cochin and Malabar soon did likewise. The 1921 Moplah Rebellion involved Mappila Muslims rioting against Hindus and the British Raj.[31]

After India gained its independence in 1947, Travancore and Cochin were merged to form Travancore-Cochin on 1 July 1949. On 1 January 1950 (Republic Day), Travancore-Cochin was recognised as a state. The Madras Presidency was organised to form Madras State several years prior, in 1947. Finally, the Government of India's 1 November 1956 States Reorganisation Act inaugurated the state of Kerala, incorporating Malabar district, Travancore-Cochin (excluding four southern taluks, which were merged with Tamil Nadu), and the taluk of Kasargod, South Kanara.[32] A new legislative assembly was also created, for which elections were first held in 1957. These resulted in a communist-led government through ballot—the world's first of its kind—headed by E.M.S. Namboodiripad.[32][33] Subsequent social reforms favoured tenants and labourers.[34]: 22–23, 43–44 

Geography

Vembanad Lake
Main article: Geography of Kerala

Kerala is wedged between the Laccadive Sea and the Western Ghats. Lying between north latitudes 8°18' and 12°48' and east longitudes 74°52' and 72°22',[35] Kerala is well within the humid equatorial tropics. Kerala’s coast runs for some 580 km (360 miles), while the state itself varies between 35 and 120 km (22–75 miles) in width. Geographically, Kerala can be divided into three climatically distinct regions: the eastern highlands (rugged and cool mountainous terrain), the central midlands (rolling hills), and the western lowlands (coastal plains). Located at the extreme southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, Kerala lies near the centre of the Indian tectonic plate; as such, most of the state is subject to comparatively little seismic and volcanic activity.[36] Pre-Cambrian and Pleistocene geological formations compose the bulk of Kerala’s terrain.

Topographic map of Kerala.

Eastern Kerala consists of high mountains, gorges and deep-cut valleys immediately west of the Western Ghats' rain shadow. Forty one of Kerala’s west-flowing rivers, and three of its east-flowing ones originate in this region. The Western Ghats form a wall of mountains interrupted only near Palakkad, where the Palakkad Gap breaks through to provide access to the rest of India. The Western Ghats rises on average to 1,500 m (4920 ft) above sea level, while the highest peaks may reach to 2,500 m (8200 ft). Just west of the mountains lie the midland plains comprising central Kerala, dominated by rolling hills and valleys.[35] Generally ranging between elevations of 250–1,000 m (820–3300 ft), the eastern portions of the Nilgiri and Palni Hills include such formations as Agastyamalai and Anamalai.

Kerala’s western coastal belt is relatively flat, and is criss-crossed by a network of interconnected brackish canals, lakes, estuaries, and rivers known as the Kerala Backwaters. Lake Vembanad—Kerala’s largest body of water—dominates the Backwaters; it lies between Alappuzha and Kochi and is more than 200 km² in area. Around 8% of India's waterways (measured by length) are found in Kerala.[37] The most important of Kerala’s forty four rivers include the Periyar (244 km), the Bharathapuzha (209 km), the Pamba (176 km), the Chaliyar (169 km), the Kadalundipuzha (130 km), the Valapattanam (129 km) and the Achankovil (128 km). The average length of the rivers of Kerala is 64 km. Most of the remainder are small and entirely fed by monsoon rains.[35] These conditions result in the nearly year-round water logging of such western regions as Kuttanad, 500 km² of which lies below sea level. As Kerala's rivers are small and lack deltas, they are more prone to environmental factors. Kerala's rivers face many problems, including summer droughts, the building of large dams, sand mining, and pollution.[citation needed]

Climate

See also: Climate of India

With 120–140 rainy days per year, Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon.[38]: 80  In eastern Kerala, a drier tropical wet and dry climate prevails. Kerala's rainfall averages 3,107 mm annually. Some of Kerala's drier lowland regions average only 1,250 mm; the mountains of eastern Idukki district receive more than 5,000 mm of orographic precipitation, the highest in the state.

In summers, most of Kerala is prone to gale force winds, storm surges, cyclone-related torrential downpours, occasional droughts, and rises in sea level.[39]: 26, 46, 52  The mean daily temperatures range from 19.8 °C to 36.7 °C.[35] Mean annual temperatures range from 25.0–27.5 °C in the coastal lowlands to 20.0–22.5 °C in the eastern highlands.[39]: 65 

Flora and fauna

The Tiger inhabits Kerala's eastern forests
A blue tiger (Tirumala limniace) butterfly
Petals of the gloriosa lily (Gloriosa superba) flower curve upward into a claw-like shape; below, its stamens grow radially outwards.
Main article: Flora and fauna of Kerala

Much of Kerala's notable biodiversity is concentrated and protected in the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve in the eastern hills. Almost a fourth of India's 10,000 plant species are found in the state. Among the almost 4,000 flowering plant species (1,272 of which are endemic to Kerala and 159 threatened) are 900 species of highly sought medicinal plants.[40][41]: 11 

Its 9,400 km² of forests include tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests (lower and middle elevations—3,470 km²), tropical moist and dry deciduous forests (mid-elevations—4,100 km² and 100 km², respectively), and montane subtropical and temperate (shola) forests (highest elevations—100 km²). Altogether, 24% of Kerala is forested.[41]: 12  Two of the world’s Ramsar Convention listed wetlands—Lake Sasthamkotta and the Vembanad-Kol wetlands—are in Kerala, as well as 1455.4 km² of the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Subjected to extensive clearing for cultivation in the 20th century,[42]: 6–7  much of the remaining forest cover is now protected from clearfelling. Kerala's fauna are notable for their diversity and high rates of endemism: 102 species of mammals (56 of which are endemic), 476 species of birds, 202 species of freshwater fishes, 169 species of reptiles (139 of them endemic), and 89 species of amphibians (86 endemic).[40] These are threatened by extensive habitat destruction, including soil erosion, landslides, salinization, and resource extraction.[43]

Eastern Kerala’s windward mountains shelter tropical moist forests and tropical dry forests, which are common in the Western Ghats. Here, sonokeling (Dalbergia latifolia), anjili, mullumurikku (Erythrina), and Cassia number among the more than 1,000 species of trees in Kerala. Other plants include bamboo, wild black pepper, wild cardamom, the calamus rattan palm (a type of climbing palm), and aromatic vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides).[41]: 12  Living among them are such fauna as Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus), Bengal Tiger, Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca), Nilgiri Tahr, Common Palm Civet, and Grizzled Giant Squirrel.[41]: 12, 174–175  Reptiles include the King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), viper, python, and Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) . Kerala's birds are legion—Peafowl, the Great Hornbill, Indian Grey Hornbill, Indian Cormorant, and Jungle Myna are several emblematic species. In lakes, wetlands, and waterways, fish such as kadu (stinging catfish and Choottachi (Orange chromide—Etroplus maculatus; valued as an aquarium specimen) are found.[41]: 163–165 

Subdivisions

Main articles: Districts of Kerala and Corporations, Municipalities and Taluks of Kerala
Population density map of Kerala graded from darkest shading (most dense) to lightest (least dense)

Kerala's fourteen districts are distributed among Kerala's five historical regions: North Malabar (Far-north Kerala), Malabar (northern Kerala), Kochi (central Kerala), Central Travancore (southern Kerala) and Travancore (Far-south Kerala). Kerala's modern-day districts (listed in order from north to south) correspond to them as follows:

Kerala's 14 revenue districts are subdivided into 62 taluks, 1453 revenue villages and 1007 Gram panchayats.

Mahé, a part of the Indian union territory of Puducherry (Pondicherry), is a coastal exclave surrounded by Kerala on all of its landward approaches. Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) is the state capital and most populous city.[44] Kochi is the most populous urban agglomeration[45] and the major port city in Kerala. Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Kannur are the other major commercial centers of the state. Kannur is the most urbanised district in Kerala, with more than 50% of its residents living in urban areas. Kannur has an urban population of 1,212,898, which is the second largest in Kerala after Ernakulam district.[46] The High Court of Kerala is located at Ernakulam. Kerala's districts, which serve as the administrative regions for taxation purposes, are further subdivided into 63 taluks; these have fiscal and administrative powers over settlements within their borders, including maintenance of local land records.

Major cities in Kerala
(2001 Census of India estimate)[47]
Rank City\Town District Population

Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram


Kochi
Kochi

01 Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram 744,983
02 Kochi Ernakulam 595,575
03 Kozhikode Kozhikode 436,556
04 Kollam Kollam 361,029
05 Thrissur Thrissur 317,526
06 Alappuzha Alappuzha 187,495
07 Palakkad Palakkad 130,767
08 Thalassery Kannur 99,387
09 Ponnani Malappuram 87,495
10 Manjeri Malappuram 83,024

Government

Template:Kerala symbols

Main article: Government of Kerala
The Legislative Assembly Building in Trivandrum

Kerala is governed via a parliamentary system of representative democracy; universal suffrage is granted to state residents.[citation needed] There are three branches of government. The unicameral legislature, the Kerala Legislative Assembly, comprises elected members and special office bearers (the Speaker and Deputy Speaker) elected by the members from among themselves. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker and in his absence by the Deputy Speaker.[citation needed] Kerala has 140 Assembly constituencies.[citation needed] The state sends 20 members to the Lok Sabha and 9 to the Rajya Sabha, the Indian Parliament's upper house.[citation needed]

The Governor of Kerala is the constitutional head of state, and is appointed by the President of India.[citation needed] The executive authority is headed by the Chief Minister of Kerala, who is the de facto head of state and is vested with extensive executive powers; the Legislative Assembly's majority party leader is appointed to this position by the Governor.[citation needed] The Council of Ministers, which answers to the Legislative Assembly, has its members appointed by the Governor on advice of the Chief Minister.[citation needed]

The judiciary comprises the Kerala High Court (including a Chief Justice combined with 26 permanent and two additional (pro tempore) justices) and a system of lower courts.[citation needed] The High Court of Kerala is the apex court for the state; it also hears cases from the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs.[citation needed]

The state's 2005–2006 budget was 219 billion INR.[48] The state government's tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) amounted to 111,248 million INR in 2005, up from 63,599 million in 2000. Its non-tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) of the Government of Kerala as assessed by the Indian Finance Commissions reached 10,809 million INR in 2005, nearly double the 6,847 million INR revenues of 2000.[49] However, Kerala's high ratio of taxation to gross state domestic product (GSDP) has not alleviated chronic budget deficits and unsustainable levels of government debt, impacting social services.[50]

A CPI(M) rally in Ernakulam

The Legislature comprises of the Governor of Kerala appointed by the President of India and the Kerala Legislative Assembly. The Governor has the power to summon and prorogue the Assembly or to dissolve the same. The Members of the Legislative Assembly are directly elected once in 5 years.[51] Kerala hosts two major political alliances: the United Democratic Front (UDF—led by the Indian National Congress)and the Left Democratic Front (LDF—led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). At present, the LDF is the ruling coalition in government; V.S. Achuthanandan of the CPI(M) is the Chief Minister of Kerala and Oommen Chandy of the UDF is the Chief Opposition leader. Strikes, protests, rallies, and marches are ubiquitous in Kerala due to the comparatively strong presence of labour unions.[52][53]

Economy

Main article: Economy of Kerala
File:SouthernIndia1b.jpg
In the Backwaters, waterways are key thoroughfares for merchants selling fish, rice, and other products. Pictured is a waterway bordering a farm.

Since independence, Kerala was managed as a democratic socialist welfare economy. Since the 1990s, liberalisation of the mixed economy allowed onerous Licence Raj restrictions against the free market and foreign direct investment to be lightened, leading to economic expansion and job creation. In fiscal year 2004–2005, nominal gross state domestic product (GSDP) was ₹89,451.99 crore (US$11 billion).[54] Recent GSDP growth (9.2% in 2004–2005 and 7.4% in 2003–2004) has been robust compared to historical averages (2.3% annually in the 1980s and between 5.1%[55]: 8  and 5.99%[56] in the 1990s).[55]: 8  The state clocked 8.93% growth in enterprises from 1998 to 2005 compared with 4.80% nationally.[57] Relatively few such enterprises are major corporations or manufacturers.[39]: 49  Per-capita GSDP is ₹11,819 (US$150),[58] above the Indian average and far below the world average.[55]: 8  Kerala's Human Development Index rating is the highest in India.[59] This apparently paradoxical "Kerala phenomenon" or "Kerala model of development" of high human and low economic development results from the strong service sector.[39]: 48 [60]: 1  Kerala's economy depends on emigrants working in foreign countries (mainly in the Gulf countries such as Dubai or Bahrain) and remittances annually contribute more than a fifth of GSDP.[4][5][6]

Rural women processing coir threads

The service sector (including tourism, public administration, banking and finance, transportation, and communications—63.8% of GSDP in 2002–2003) and the agricultural and fishing industries (together 17.2% of GSDP) dominate the economy.[56][61] Nearly half of Kerala's people are dependent on agriculture alone for income.[62] Some 600 varieties[41]: 5  of rice (Kerala's most important staple food and cereal crop)[63]: 5  are harvested from 3105.21 km² (a decline from 5883.4 km² in 1990)[63]: 5  of paddy fields; 688,859 tonnes are produced per annum.[62] Other key crops include coconut (899,198 ha), tea, coffee (23% of Indian production,[64]: 13  or 57,000 tonnes[64]: 6–7 ), rubber, cashews, and spices—including pepper, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Around 1.050 million fishermen haul an annual catch of 668,000 tonnes (1999–2000 estimate); 222 fishing villages are strung along the 590 km coast. Another 113 fishing villages dot the hinterland.

Traditional industries manufacturing such items as coir, handlooms, and handicrafts employ around one million people. Around 180,000 small-scale industries employ around 909,859 Keralites; 511 medium and large scale manufacturing firms are located in Kerala. A small mining sector (0.3% of GSDP)[61] involves extraction of ilmenite, kaolin, bauxite, silica, quartz, rutile, zircon, and sillimanite.[62] Home gardens and animal husbandry also provide work for hundreds of thousands of people. Other major sectors are tourism, manufacturing, and business process outsourcing. As of March 2002, Kerala's banking sector comprised 3341 local branches; each branch served 10,000 persons, lower than the national average of 16,000; the state has the third-highest bank penetration among Indian states.[65] Unemployment in 2007 was estimated at 9.4%;[66] underemployment, low employability of youths, and a 13.5% female participation rate are chronic issues.[67]: 5, 13 [68] Poverty rate figures range from 12.71%[69] to as high as 36%.[70] More than 45,000 residents live in slum conditions.[71]

Transport

See also: Roads in Kerala
The Chinese Fishing Net Bridge in Kochi.

Kerala has Template:Km to mi of roads (4.2% of India's total). This translates to about Template:Km to mi of road per thousand population, compared to an all India average of Template:Km to mi. Virtually all of Kerala's villages are connected by road. Traffic in Kerala has been growing at a rate of 10–11% every year, resulting in high traffic and pressure on the roads. Kerala's road density is nearly four times the national average, reflecting the state's high population density. Kerala's annual total of road accidents is among the nation's highest.[72]

India's national highway network includes a Kerala-wide total of Template:Km to mi, which is 2.6% of the national total. There are eight designated national highways in the state. The Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), which includes the GIS-based Road Information and Management Project (RIMS), is responsible for maintaining and expanding the Template:Km to mi of roadways that compose the state highways system; it also oversees major district roads.[73][74] Most of Kerala's west coast is accessible through two national highways, NH 47, and NH 17.

Trivandrum International Airport.

The state has three major international airports at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode, that link the state with the rest of the nation and the world. The Cochin International Airport (COK) was the first Indian airport incorporated as a public limited company and is funded by nearly 10,000 Non Resident Indians from 30 countries.[75] A fourth international airport is proposed at Kannur.[76]

The backwaters traversing the state are an important mode of inland navigation.National Waterway 3 traverse through the state. The Indian Railways' Southern Railway line runs throughout the state, connecting all major towns and cities except those in the highland districts of Idukki and Wayanad. Kerala's major railway stations are Kasaragod, Kannur, Thalassery, Vadakara, Kozhikode, Tirur, Shoranur Junction, Palakkad Junction, Thrissur Junction, Aluva, Ernakulam Junction, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Chengannur, Kollam Junction and Trivandrum Central.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Kerala

Template:IndiaCensusPop

The 31.8 million[77] Keralites are predominantly of Malayali ethnicity, while the rest is mostly made up of Jewish and Arab elements in both culture and ancestry. Kerala's 321,000 indigenous tribal Adivasis, 1.10% of the population, are concentrated in the east.[78]: 10–12  Malayalam is Kerala's official language; Tamil, Kannada and various Adivasi (Tribal) languages are also spoken by ethnic minorities especially in the south-western region.

Most Keralites, such as this fisherman, live in rural areas.

Kerala is home to 3.44% of India's people; at 819 persons per km², its land is nearly three times as densely settled as the rest of India, which is at a population density of 325 persons per km².[79] Kerala's rate of population growth is India's lowest,[80] and Kerala's decadal growth (9.42% in 2001) is less than half the all-India average of 21.34%.[81] Whereas Kerala's population more than doubled between 1951 and 1991 by adding 15.6 million people to reach 29.1 million residents in 1991, the population stood at less than 32 million by 2001. Kerala's coastal regions are the most densely settled, leaving the eastern hills and mountains comparatively sparsely populated.[35]

File:Sari-and-Mundu.png
Traditional dress of Kerala: a Malayali woman in a set-sari (tradition being wearing a mundum neriyathum) and a Malayali man wearing a mundu with a shirt (tradition being not wearing a shirt).

Women compose 51.42% of the population.[82]: 26  Kerala's principal religions are Hinduism (56.2%), Islam (24.70%), and Christianity (19.00%).[83] There has been also a growing number of atheists in the region due to the influence of theCommunist Party of India (Marxist) and the Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham(a part of the Indian Rationalist Association). Atheists and other non-religious groups such as agnostics make up 1% of the population in Kerala. Buddhism maintained a significant presence until the revival of Brahminic Hinduism in the 8th century AD.[84] A significant Jewish community existed in Cochin until the 20th century when most emigrated to Israel.[85] In comparison with the rest of India, Kerala experiences relatively little sectarianism.[86]

Religion in Kerala[87]
Religion Percent
Hinduism
 
 56.2%
Islam
 
 24.7%
Christianity
 
 19.0%
Others
 
 1.1%

Kerala's society is less patriarchal than the rest of the Third World.[88]: 18–19  Kerala government states gender relations are among the most equitable in India and the Third World[need quotation to verify][89], despite discrepancies among low caste men and women.[88]: 1  Certain Hindu communities such as the Nairs, some Ezhavas and the Muslims around North Malabar used to follow a traditional matrilineal system known as marumakkathayam, although this practice ended in the years after Indian independence. Other Muslims, Christians, and some Hindu castes such as the Namboothiris and the Ezhavas follow makkathayam, a patrilineal system.[90] Owing to the former matrilineal system, women in Kerala enjoy a high social status.[91]

Kerala's human development indices— primary level education, health care and elimination of poverty—are among the best in India. According to a 2005-2006 national survey, Kerala has one of the highest literacy rates (97.0%) among Indian states[1] and life expectancy (73 years) was among the highest in India in 2001.[92] Kerala's rural poverty rate fell from 69% (1970–1971) to 19% (1993–1994); the overall (urban and rural) rate fell 36% between the 1970s and 1980s.[93] By 1999–2000, the rural and urban poverty rates dropped to 10.0% and 9.6% respectively.[94] These changes stem largely from efforts begun in the late 19th century by the kingdoms of Cochin and Travancore to boost social welfare.[95][96] This focus was maintained by Kerala's post-independence government.[39][59]: 48 

Health

Kerala's healthcare system has garnered international acclaim. The state has a very good medical facility. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization designated Kerala the world's first "baby-friendly state" because of its effective promotion of breast-feeding over formulas.[97] For example, more than 95% of Keralite births are hospital-delivered.[98]: 6  Aside from ayurveda (both elite and popular forms),[99]: 13  siddha, and unani, many endangered and endemic modes of traditional medicine, including kalari, marmachikitsa,[99]: 17  and vishavaidyam, are practiced. These propagate via gurukula discipleship,,[99]: 5–6  and comprise a fusion of both medicinal and supernatural treatments,[99]: 15  and are partly responsible for drawing increasing numbers of medical tourists.

A steadily aging population (11.2% of Keralites are over age 60[59]) and low birthrate[100] (18 per 1,000)[101] make Kerala one of the few regions of the Third World to have undergone the "demographic transition" characteristic of such developed nations as Canada, Japan, and Norway.[60]: 1  In 1991, Kerala's total fertility rate (children born per women) was the lowest in India. Hindus had a TFR of 1.66, Christians 1.78, and Muslims 2.97.[102] Kerala's female-to-male ratio (1.058) is significantly higher than that of the rest of India.[60][92]: 2  The same is true of its sub-replacement fertility level and infant mortality rate (estimated at 12[39][101]: 49  to 14[103]: 5  deaths per 1,000 live births).

However, Kerala's morbidity rate is higher than that of any other Indian state—118 (rural Keralites) and 88 (urban) per 1,000 people. The corresponding all India figures are 55 and 54 per 1,000, respectively.[103]: 5  Kerala's 13.3% prevalence of low birth weight is substantially higher than that of First World nations.[101] Outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis, and typhoid among the more than 50% of Keralites who rely on 3 million water wells is a problem worsened by the widespread lack of sewers.[104]: 5–7 

Education

Main article: Education in Kerala
Children lining up for school in Kochi.

The Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics was founded by Madhava of Sangamagrama in Kerala, which included among its members: Parameshvara, Neelakanta Somayaji, Jyeshtadeva, Achyuta Pisharati, Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri and Achyuta Panikkar. The school flourished between the 14th and 16th centuries and the original discoveries of the school seems to have ended with Narayana Bhattathiri (1559-1632). In attempting to solve astronomical problems, the Kerala school independently created a number of important mathematics concepts. Their most important results—series expansion for trigonometric functions—were described in Sanskrit verse in a book by Neelakanta called Tantrasangraha.

Schools and colleges are run by the government, private trusts, or individuals. Each school is affiliated with either the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), or the Kerala State Education Board. English is the language of instruction in most private schools, while government run schools offer English or Malayalam. After 10 years of secondary schooling, students typically enroll at Higher Secondary School in one of the three streams—liberal arts, commerce or science. Upon completing the required coursework, students can enroll in general or professional degree programmes. Kerala topped the Education Development Index (EDI) among 21 major states in India in year 2006-2007.[105]

File:KU 2.jpg
The University of Kerala's administrative building in Thiruvananthapuram.

Thiruvananthapuram, one of the state's major academic hubs, hosts the University of Kerala and several professional education colleges including fifteen engineering colleges, three medical colleges, three Ayurveda colleges, two colleges of homeopathy, six other medical colleges, and several law colleges.[106] Trivandrum Medical College, Kerala's premier health institute, is being upgraded to the status of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) [citation needed]. The College of Engineering, Trivandrum is one of the prominent engineering institutions in the state. The Asian School of Business and IIITM-K are two of the other premier management study institutions in the city, both situated inside Technopark. The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, first of its kind in India, is also situated here.

Kozhikode is home to two of the premier educational institutions of India: the IIMK, one of the seven Indian Institutes of Management, and the National Institute of Technology Calicut (NITC).

Culture

Keralite elephants, caparisoned, during the Sree Poornathrayesa Temple festival
Main articles: Arts of Kerala and Culture of Kerala

Kerala's culture is derived from both a Tamil-heritage region known as Tamilakam and southern coastal Karnataka. Later, Kerala's culture was elaborated upon through centuries of contact with neighboring and overseas cultures.[107] Native performing arts include koodiyattom (a 2000 year old Sanskrit theatre tradition, officially recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity[108]), kathakali—from katha ("story") and kali ("performance")—and its offshoot Kerala natanam, Kaliyattam -(North Malabar special), koothu (akin to stand-up comedy), mohiniaattam ("dance of the enchantress"), Theyyam, thullal NS padayani.

File:Mutappan-as-Vishnu.jpg
Theyyam, The ritual art of North Malabar

Other forms of art are more religious or tribal in nature. These include chavittu nadakom, oppana (originally from Malabar), which combines dance, rhythmic hand clapping, and ishal vocalisations. However, many of these art forms largely play to tourists or at youth festivals, and are not as popular among most ordinary Keralites. These people look to more contemporary art and performance styles, including those employing mimicry and parody.

Kerala's music also has ancient roots. Carnatic music dominates Keralite traditional music. This was the result of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma's popularisation of the genre in the 19th century.[109][110] Raga-based renditions known as sopanam accompany kathakali performances. Melam (including the paandi and panchari variants) is a more percussive style of music; it is performed at Kshetram centered festivals using the chenda. Melam ensembles comprise up to 150 musicians, and performances may last up to four hours. Panchavadyam is a different form of percussion ensemble, in which up to 100 artists use five types of percussion instrument. Kerala has various styles of folk and tribal music. The popular music of Kerala is dominated by the filmi music of Indian cinema. Kerala's visual arts range from traditional murals to the works of Raja Ravi Varma, the state's most renowned painter.

The annual snake boat race is performed during Onam Celebrations on the Pamba River at Aranmula near Pathanamthitta.

Kerala has its own Malayalam calendar, which is used to plan agricultural and religious activities. Kerala's cuisine is typically served as a sadhya (feast) on green banana leaves. Such dishes as idli, payasam, pulisherry, puttucuddla, puzhukku, rasam, and sambar are typical. Keralites—both men and women alike—traditionally don flowing and unstitched garments. These include the mundu, a loose piece of cloth wrapped around men's waists. Women typically wear the sari, a long and elaborately wrapped banner of cloth, wearable in various styles. Presently the North Indian dresses such as Salwar Kameez has also become very popular amongst women in Kerala.

Elephants are an integral part of daily life in Kerala. These Indian elephants are loved, revered, groomed and given a prestigious place in the state's culture. They are often referred to as the 'sons of the sahya.' The ana (elephant) is the state animal of Kerala and is featured on the emblem of the Government of Kerala.

Printed Malayalam text magnified through a lens.

The predominant language spoken in Kerala is Malayalam. Malayalam literature is medieval in origin and includes such figures as the 14th century Niranam poets (Madhava Panikkar, Sankara Panikkar and Rama Panikkar), and the 17th century poet Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan whose works mark the dawn of both modern Malayalam language and indigenous Keralite poetry. The "triumvirate of poets" (Kavithrayam), Kumaran Asan, Vallathol Narayana Menon, and Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, are recognised for moving Keralite poetry away from archaic sophistry and metaphysics, and towards a more lyrical mode.

In the second half of the 20th century, Jnanpith awardees like G. Sankara Kurup, S. K. Pottekkatt, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai and M. T. Vasudevan Nair have made valuable contributions to the Malayalam literature. Later, such Keralite writers as O. V. Vijayan, Kamaladas, M. Mukundan, and Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, whose 1996 semi-autobiographical bestseller[111] The God of Small Things is set in the Kottayam town of Ayemenem, have gained international recognition.[112][113]

Media

Main article: Media in Kerala

Dozens of newspapers are published in Kerala; they are printed in nine major languages.[114] The principal languages of publication are Malayalam and English. The most widely circulating Malayalam-language newspapers include Mathrubhumi, Manorama, Deepika, Kerala Kaumudi, Madhyamam and Deshabhimani. Among major Malayalam periodicals are India Today Malayalam,Madhyamam weekly,Grihalakshmi, Veedu, Vanitha, Chithrabhumi, Kanyaka, and Bhashaposhini.

Doordarshan is the state-owned television broadcaster. Multi system operators provide a mix of Malayalam, English, and international channels via cable television. There are 17 malayalam channels which makes the countries maximum number in regional language.[citation needed] Asianet,Manorama News,JaiHind TV, Amrita TV, Surya TV and Kairali TV are among the Malayalam-language channels that compete with the major national channels. All India Radio, the national radio service, reaches much of Kerala via its Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Alappuzha, Malayalam-language broadcasters. Television programmes such as serials, reality shows and the Internet have become a major source of entrainment and information for the people in Kerala. A Malayalam version of Google News was launched in September 2008.[115] Yet Keralites maintain high rates of newspaper and magazine subscriptions; 50% spend an average of about seven hours a week reading novels and other books.[citation needed] A sizeable "people's science" movement has taken root in the state, and such activities as writers' cooperatives are becoming increasingly common.[60][116]: 2 

BSNL, Reliance Infocomm, Tata Indicom, Vodafone, Aircel,Idea and Airtel compete to providecellular phone services. Broadband internet is available in most of the towns and cities and is provided by different agencies like the state-run Kerala Telecommunications (which is run by BSNL) and by other private companies like Asianet Satellite communications, VSNL. BSNL provides broadband service in most of the cities.

Malayalam film is based in Kerala. Movies produced in Hindi, Tamil and English (Hollywood) are also popular. Prem Nazir has acted in 720 movies in a lead role.[117] Malayalam actors Mammootty and Mohanlal have won several national awards.[118][119]

Sports

Main article: Sports in Kerala

Several ancient ritualised arts are Keralite in origin. These include kalaripayattu—kalari ("place", "threshing floor", or "battlefield") and payattu ("exercise" or "practice"). Among the world's oldest martial arts, oral tradition attributes kalaripayattu's emergence to Parasurama.[120] Other ritual arts include theyyam and poorakkali.

Football is the most popular sport in the state, some notable football stars from Kerala include I. M. Vijayan, C. V. Pappachan, V. P. Sathyan, and Jo Paul Ancheri.[121][122] Cricket, which is the most-followed sport in the rest of India and South Asia, is also popular in Kerala.[123] Other popular sports include Badminton, Volleyball, and Kabaddi. Kerala has a rich history of producing athletes including P. T. Usha, T. C. Yohannan, Suresh Babu, Shiny Wilson, K. M. Beenamol, M. D. Valsamma and Anju Bobby George.

Volleyball, another popular sport, is often played on makeshift courts on sandy beaches along the coast. Jimmy George, born in Peravoor, Kannur, was a notable Indian volleyball player, regarded in his prime as among the world's ten best players.[124]

The 21st century saw two Kerala Ranji Trophy players gain test selection. Sreesanth, born in Kothamangalam, has represented India since 2005.[125]. Among other Keralite cricketers is Tinu Yohannan, son of Olympic long jumper T. C. Yohannan.[126][127][128]

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Kerala
Bekal Fort Beach
Sunset at Varkala Beach

Kerala, situated on the lush and tropical Malabar Coast, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Named as one of the "ten paradises of the world" and "50 places of a lifetime" by the National Geographic Traveler magazine, Kerala is especially known for its ecotourism initiatives.[129][130] Its unique culture and traditions, coupled with its varied demographics, has made Kerala one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Growing at a rate of 13.31%, the state's tourism industry is a major contributor to the state's economy.[131] Until the early 1980s, Kerala was a relatively unknown destination;[132] most tourist circuits focused on North India. Aggressive marketing campaigns launched by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, the government agency that oversees tourism prospects of the state, laid the foundation for the growth of the tourism industry. In the decades that followed, Kerala's tourism industry was able to transform the state into one of the niche holiday destinations in India. The tagline Kerala- God's Own Country, originally coined by Vipin Gopal, has been widely used in Kerala's tourism promotions and soon became synonymous with the state. In 2006, Kerala attracted 8.5 million tourist arrivals, an increase of 23.68% over the previous year, making the state one of the fastest-growing destinations in the world.[133]

Popular attractions in the state include the beaches at Kovalam, Cherai and Varkala; the hill stations of Munnar, Nelliampathi, Ponmudi and Wayanad; and national parks and wildlife sanctuaries at Periyar and Eravikulam National Park. The "backwaters" region, which comprises an extensive network of interlocking rivers, lakes, and canals that centre on Alleppey, Kollam, Kumarakom, and Punnamada (where the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race is held in August), also see heavy tourist traffic. Heritage sites, such as the Padmanabhapuram Palace and the Mattancherry Palace, are also visited. Cities such as Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram are popular centres for their shopping and traditional theatrical performances. During early summer, the Thrissur Pooram is conducted, attracting foreign tourists who are largely drawn by the festival's elephants and celebrants.[134]

Notes

  • ^ α: Around the 9th century, the Cheras fell from power. Several small kingdoms (swaroopams) formed under the leadership of Nair chieftains, filling the resulting political vacuum.[25]

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References

External links

Government
Other


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