|
|
KERALA
- INDIA
Kerala (or Keralam) is a South Indian state in India. It is the most literate state in India with a literacy rate greater than 90%.
Administration
The State of Kerala was formed by amalgamation of three regions: Kingdom Thiruvithaankoor (Travancore), Kingdom of Kochi (Cochin), and Malabar Province. Thiruvithaankoor and Kochi, former princely states, were merged to form Thiru-Kochi on July 1, 1949. Malabar was merged with Thiru-Kochi to form the State of Kerala on November 1, 1956.
Kerala is divided into 14 districts. They are
(from north) Kasargod, Kannur (Canannore), Wayanad (Wynad), Kozhikode (Calicut),
Malappuram, Palakkad (Palghat), Thrissur (Trichur), Ernakulam, Idukki,
Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Kollam (Quilon) and
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of the state.
Demographics
More than 95% of the people in Kerala speak Malayalam.
The major religions followed in Kerala are Hinduism (58%), Islam (21%), and
Christianity (21%). Kerala also has a tiny Jewish population, 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 one in India.
Geography
Kerala occupies a narrow strip of India's southwestern coast. It is bounded
by the Arabian Sea on the west and the Western Ghats in the east.
Many places in Kerala have become tourist attractions. These vary from
beaches to hill stations. Central Kerala's backwaters (inlets of the sea
connected by canals) are major tourist attractions. One of the premier
tourist attractions is Kovalam, which is 20 minutes by taxi from
Thiruvananthapuram. Western tourists lounge on the beach while fishermen
pull in their nets with the catch.
The states of Karnataka in the north and Tamil Nadu in the east are Kerala's
immediate neighbours. A part of the union territory of Pondicherry, Mahe,
also shares a land border with Kerala.
Politics
Kerala gained the distinction, in 1957, of having the first democratically
elected Communist government anywhere in the world. Kerala has a reputation
as being one of the most left wing states in India. Today the political life
of Kerala is dominated by two fronts, the United Democratic Front (led by
the Indian National Congress) and the Left Democratic Front (led by CPI(M)).
Currently UDF holds the government.
Following is the chronological list of Chief Ministers of Kerala
E. M. S. Namboodiripad (1957-1959)
Pattom Thanupillai (1960-1962)
R. Sankar (1962-1964)
E. M. S. Namboodiripad (1967-1969) 2nd time
C. Achutha Menon (1969-1970)
C. Achutha Menon (1970-1977) 2nd time
K. Karunakaran (March 1977-April 1977)
A. K. Antony (1977-1978)
P.K. Vasudevan Nair (1978-1979)
C.H. Mohammed Koya (October 1979-December 1979)
E.K. Nayanar (1980-1981)
K. Karunakaran (1981-1982) 2nd time
K. Karunakaran (1982-1987) 3rd time
E.K. Nayanar (1987-1991) 2nd time
K. Karunakaran (1991-1995) 4th time
A. K. Antony (1995-1996) 2nd time
E.K. Nayanar (1996-2001) 3rd time
A. K. Antony (2001-2004) 3rd time
Oommen Chandy (2004-present)
Arts
Kerala has a rich tradition in Arts, both classical and folk. In addition to
the classical uppercaste art forms like Koodiyattom (UNESCO Human Heritage
Art), Kathakali, Mohiniyaattam and Ayappan Thiyatu, Kerala has numerous folk
art forms performed by non-uppercastes in various regions of the state. Both
classical and folk art forms have become artefacts of the past as
contemporary art forms weave their own identity according to the
contemporary needs. Mimicry and Parody are two of the most popular
entertainments in Kerala now. Though at times very insensitive to women and
subalterns, the mimicry artists dare to expose any luminary in Kerala's
social life.
Malayalam Cinema is another form of creativity, and films from Kerala are
very distinct from films made in Bollywood or Hollywood.
Social scene
Kerala ranks highest in India with respect to "social development parameters"
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 finds great market in the growing tourist industry now.
Literacy in Kerala, at higher than 90%, and unemployment rate, at higher
than 40%, are the highest among Indian states. This is mainly due to the
policies of earlier governments, which made these services available free of
cost to Keralites who would not otherwise have access to them. Education and
early influences of arabs and portugese has 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 as the Malayalam calendar which
is used by various communities only for religious functions. Kerala has its
own form of Martial arts, Kalaripayattu. Theyyam is the most outstanding
ritual art of Northern part of Kerala known as North Malabar. Poorakkali is
another popular ritual art in North Malabar.
Onam is declared the State festival, but Keralites celebrate many other
religious and secular festivals.
Economy
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. Kerala possesses few major industries, and its per capita GDP is
lower than the nation's average of 360 USD per year (1998). 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 rubber
are grown extensively. Coir (Coconut fiber), Cashew, and Spice are among the
most important products.
Tourism, too, plays an important role in the state's economy. Kerala is a
popular tourist destination for both domestic and foreign travellers. Kerala
has great beaches (Kovalam , Varkala), serene hill stations, national parks
(Thekady and Munnar) and beautiful inwaters Kumarakom.
History
People have lived in the region now known as Kerala since ancient times.
Regional identity developed in the 14th century with the development of the
Malayalam language.
Vasco da Gama's voyage to Kerala from Portugal in 1498 was largely motivated
by Portuguese determination to break the Kerala Muslims' control over the
trade between local spice producers and the Middle East. He established
India's first Portuguese fortress at Cochin (Kochi) in 1503 and from there,
taking advantage of 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
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 he was defeated and the British remained in control until
independence.
The Portuguese were surprised to discover, when they arrived in Kerala in
1498, that Christianity was already established. According to legend, the
history of christianity in Kerala dates back to the arrival of St. Thomas
the Apostle at Kodungallur in A.D. 52. A Christian-Jewish community was
founded by a contingent of Syriac-Nasranis who arrived in 192 via Baghdad.
The ancient Syrian-christians lived alongside the Cochin Jews. (see Saint
Thomas Christians)
Modern day Kerala was created in 1956 from Malabar, which had been part of
the Madras Presidency, and from Travancore and Cochin. The latter two were
princely states which had been ruled by maharajas, both being somewhat
unique among their kind in that they had concerned themselves with the
education and provision of basic services to the residents of their
territories.
List of famous Keralites
Abu Abraham - cartoonist, worked in The Guardian
Abraham Kovoor - Rationalist and Atheist
Adi Sankara - 8th century saint, poet, thinker, reviver of Hinduism in India
Adoor Gopalakrishnan - film maker
Anita Nair - An internationally published contemporary Indian Writer
Anju George - First Indian woman to win a bronze medal at the World
Athletics Championships. She won the medal in Paris, 2003.
Arundhati Roy - Booker Prize, 1997 for The God of Small Things
George Sudarsan - physicist
Hariharan - singer, ghazal, film and pop songs; record-breaking album
Colonial Cousins
Jassie Gift - Musician
Jimmy George- Volleyball player
Joseph Ayranikudy - Malayalam Poet and musician
M.C.Joseph - Rationalist, founder editor of Yukthivadi
Kamala Das, also known as Madhavikutty - poetess, Asian Poetry Prize, 1964,
Kent Award,1965
K. J. Yesudas - singer, devotional and film songs, exponent of Carnatic
music
K R Narayanan - President of India (1997-2002)
M.T.Vasudevan Nair - Writer and Cinema personality, popularly known as M.T
Madhava - 14th century mathematician
Manoj "Night" Shyamalan - Hollywood film director, The Sixth Sense,
Unbreakable, Signs
Mammootty - film actor. Three-time winner of the Best Actor prize at the
(Indian) National Film Awards: 1990 (for Mathilukal and Oru Vadakkan Veera
Gaatha), 1995 (for Ponthan Maada and Vidheyan) and 2001 (for Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar)
Mohanlal - film actor. Two-time winner of the Best Actor prize at the
(Indian) National Film Awards: 1992 (for Bharatham) and 2000 (for
Vaanaprastham)
Sree Narayana Guru - social reformer, teacher and founder of the SNDP (Sree
Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam), created for the upliftment of the
low-caste communities of Kerala.
O.V.Vijayan - novelist, cartoonist
Prem Naseer or Prem Nazir - leading Malayalam cinema actor of the 60's and
70's. At one time he was considered to have acted in the lead role in more
movies than any other actor.
P.T.Usha - Indian Athletics Legend
Raja Ravi Varma - painter
Shanker - cartoonist
Shashi Tharoor - novelist, Commonwealth Writers Prize, 1991; Under-
Secretary-General (Communication and Public Information) of the United
Nations
Shobhana - Bharathanathyam Dancer and Film actress.
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer - writer, philosopher
Dr Verghese Kurien - architect of India's Milk Revolution
W C Naraynan BA BL - one of the earliest members of the Ezhava community to
graduate and get a law degree; later he became a district judge and served
Kerala before and after independence. He was the chairman of the minimum
wages committee appointed by the then government of Kerala.
Mata Amritanandamayi-A self-proclaimed godwoman
|
|
