Kerala Kaumudi (Malayalam: കേരളകൗമുദി) is a popular Malayalam newspaper, founded in 1911 by C. V. Kunhiraman^[1] with K. Sukumaran B.A. as the founder editor. Printed from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kannur in Kerala and Bangalore, Kerala Kaumudi is the third most circulated Malayalam daily.^{[citation needed]} The paper has online editions in Malayalam and English and there are overseas online printing centers from London, New York and Singapore. M. S. Mani is the Editor in Chief of the newspaper.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Malayalam edition
• English edition

Kerala Keralam
—  State  —
File:A typical houseboat in the Kerala backwaters near Alleppey.jpg
Coat of arms of Kerala Coat of arms
Location of Kerala in India
Map of Kerala
Coordinates (Thiruvananthapuram): 8°30′27″N 76°58′19″E / 8.5074°N 76.972°E / 8.5074; 76.972Coordinates: 8°30′27″N 76°58′19″E / 8.5074°N 76.972°E / 8.5074; 76.972
Country	India
Region	South India
Established	1 November 1956
Capital	Thiruvananthapuram
Largest city Largest Urban agglomeration	Thiruvananthapuram Kochi UA
Districts	14 total
Government
• Body	Government of India, Government of Kerala
• Governor	Hansraj Bhardwaj
• Chief Minister	Oommen Chandy (INC)
• Legislature	Unicameral (141* seats)
• Parliamentary constituency	20
• High Court	Kerala High Court
Area
• Total	38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi)
Area rank	21st
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	33,387,677
• Rank	12th
• Density	860/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
ISO 3166 code	IN-KL
HDI	0.920 (very high)
HDI rank	1st (2011)
Literacy	93.91%(1st)[2]
Official languages	Malayalam, English[3]
Website	kerala.gov.in
^* 140 elected, 1 nominated

Kerala or Keralam /ˈkɛrələ/ is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was formed on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions.

The state has an area of 38,863 km² (15,005 sq mi) and is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Arabian Sea^[note] on the west. Thiruvananthapuram is the state capital. Kochi and Kozhikode are other major cities. According to a survey by The Economic Times, five out of ten best cities to live in India are located in Kerala.^[4]

Kerala has the highest Human Development Index^[5][6] in India, higher than that of most developed countries^[7] The state has the highest literacy rate in India with 93.91 percent.^[8] It hopes to be the first e-literate state in India through the state run Akshaya project. The state recently became and is currently the only one to have banking facilities in every village.^[9] A survey conducted in 2005 by Transparency International ranked Kerala as the least corrupt state in the country.^[10] Kerala is also ranked as India's cleanest state.^[11] Kerala has witnessed significant migration of its people, especially to the Persian Gulf countries during the Kerala Gulf boom and is heavily dependent on remittances from its large Malayali expatriate community.^{[12][13][14][15]}

Kerala is a top tourist destination in India;^[16] backwaters, beaches, Ayurvedic tourism and tropical greenery are the major attractions. National Geographic's Traveller magazine names Kerala as one of the "ten paradises of the world"^[17] and "50 must see destinations of a lifetime".^[18] Travel and Leisure names Kerala as "One of the 100 great trips for the 21st century".^[17] The Kerala Government Tourism Department, a government department in charge of promoting tourism has adopted the slogan God's Own Country for its campaigns.

Etymology[link]

The name Kerala is pronounced [ˈkeːraɭa] in the local language, Malayalam.^[19] Two thousand years ago, one of three states in the region was called ‘’Cheralam’’ in Classical Tamil. The leading native Malayali linguist and historian of the language, K. M. George, concurred with previously published beliefs that ‘Chera’ and ‘Kera’ are variants of the same word.^[20][21] On the other hand, what the ancient meaning of chera was is nowadays a matter of dispute. A 3rd-century BCE rock inscription by north Indian emperor Asoka the Great references Kerala as Keralaputra.^[22] The Graeco-Roman trade map Periplus Maris Erythraei references Kerala's Chera territory as Cerobothra.

History[link]

Prehistory[link]

A dolmen erected by Neolithic people in Marayur.

Evidence of Kerala's early human occupation includes Dolmens of the Neolithic era, in the Marayur area. They are locally known as "muniyara", derived from muni (hermit or sage), and ara (dolmen).^[23]

Rock-engravings in the Edakkal Caves (in Wayanad) are thought to date from the early to Late Neolithic eras around 5000 B.C.^[24][25][26] The use of a specific Indus script pictogram in these caves suggests some relationship with the Indus Valley Civilization during the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age.^[27]

Kerala was a major spice exporter as early as 3,000 BCE, according to Sumerian Records.^[28][29]

Ancient period[link]

The word "Kerala" is first mentioned (as "Keralaputra") in a third century BCE rock inscription (Rock Edict 2) left by the Maurya emperor Asoka.^[30] Kerala and Tamil Nadu once shared a common language and culture, within an area known as Tamiḻakam.^[31] In the 1st century BCE, Tamil-speaking Dravidians established the Chera Dynasty that ruled northern Kerala and western Tamil Nadu^[32] from a capital at Vanchi. Southern Kerala was ruled by the Pandyan Kingdom, with a trading port variously identified by ancient Western sources as "Nelcynda" ("Neacyndi")^[33] The Pandyas, Cheras and Cholas alternatively controlled the region in later times.

In the last centuries BCE, the coast became famous among the Greeks and Romans for its spices; especially black pepper. The Cheras had trading links with China, West Asia, Egypt, ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. The value of Rome's annual trade with India as a whole was estimated at no less than 50,000,000 sesterces;^[34] contemporary Sangam literature describes Roman ships coming to Muziris in Kerala, laden with gold to exchange for pepper.^[35] One of the earliest western traders to use the monsoon winds to reach Kerala may have been Eudoxus of Cyzicus, around 118 or 166 BCE, under the patronage of Ptolemy VIII, king of the Hellenistic Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. Kerala is identified on the Tabula Peutingeriana, the only known surviving map of the Roman cursus publicus.^[36]

Kerala was identified by the name Malabar in early days. Muziris, Berkarai, Nelcynda etc. were the principle ports of that time.^[37] Merchants from West Asia and Southern Europe established coastal posts and settlements in Kerala.^[38] Jewish connection with Kerala started as early as 573 BC.^[39][40] Arabs also had trade links with Kerala, possibly started before 4th century B.C, as Herodotus (B.C. 484-413) noted that the goods brought by Arabs from Kerala were sold to the Jews at Eden.^[37] They intermarried with local people and with this admixture the large Muslim Mappila community of Kerala developed.^[41] In the 4th century, some Christians also migrated from Persia and joined the early Malabar Christian community here.^[42] Mappila was an honorific title that had been assigned to respected visitors from abroad and Jewish, Christian, and Muslim immigration could be ascribed to the denotation of respective communities as Juda Mappilas, Nasrani Mappilas, and Muslim Mappilas.^[43][44] According to the legends of these communities, the earliest mosque,^[45] synagogue(1568 C.E.),^[46] and Christian churches^[47] in India were built in Kerala. The proportion of Muslims, Christians and Jews were relatively small at this early stage; they co-existed harmoniously with a mutual acceptance between each other and the local Hindu society, aided with the commercial benefit begotten from this relation.^[41]

Early medieval period[link]

Much of history of the region from the 6th to the 8th century is obscure,^[30] a Later Chera Kingdom was established c. 800–1102, primarily with the help of Arab spice merchants. This is also called the Kulasekhara dynasty of Mahodayapuram, as it was founded by Kulasekhara Varman, a Hindu Vaishnavaite alwar saint. Ay kings ruled southern Kerala, but by the 10th century the Ay kingdom declined and became a part of the Later Chera Kingdom.^[48] A Keralite identity, distinct from the Tamils, became linguistically separate during this period.^[49]

The Kulasekhara dynasty came to an end by twelfth century, weakened by the invasions and military subjugations of Rashtrakutas, Later Pandyas, and Later Cholas.^[35] However, King Ravi Varma Kulashekhara of the southern Venad kingdom was able to establish a short-lived supremacy over southern India. But, after his death, in the absence of a strong central power, the state fractured into small warring principalities governed by Nair-Brahmin chieftains.^{[citation needed]} From these, the kingdoms of Venad (Quilon), Kolathiri (Cannanore), Kozhikode (Calicut) Samuthiri and Kochi (Cochin) emerged.^{[citation needed]}

Colonial era[link]

This figure illustrates the path of Vasco da Gama heading for the first time to India (black line)

The western spice-trade, especially in pepper, became increasingly lucrative. Around the 15th century, the Portuguese began to dominate the eastern shipping trade in general, and the spice-trade in particular, culminating in Vasco Da Gama's arrival in Kappad Kozhikode in 1498.^[50][51][52] On 25 March 1505, Francisco de Almeida was appointed Viceroy of Portuguese India, with headquarters at Kochi. The Portuguese had taken advantage of conflicts between Kozhikode and Kochi to gain control of the trade, and established forts at Kannur, Cochin and Kollam  but the Saamoothiri of Kozikode and his admiral Kunjali Marakkar resisted, and in 1571 the Portuguese were defeated at Chaliyam fort.

Dutch commander De Lannoy surrenders to Marthanda Varma at the Battle of Colachel. Depiction at Padmanabhapuram Palace

Tipu Sultan's fort at Palakkad; view from outside the northern wall.

The weakened Portuguese were ousted by the Dutch East India Company, who took advantage of continuing conflicts between Kozhikode and Kochi to gain control of the trade. The Dutch in turn were weakened by constant battles with Marthanda Varma of the Travancore Royal Family, and were defeated at the Battle of Colachel in 1741. An agreement was signed by the Dutch and Travancore in 1753, in which the Dutch promised not to attack Travancore. This agreement was signed at Mavelikkara, so it is known as the Mavelikkara treaty. The Dutch were allied to French forces in the transcontinental Napoleonic Wars; forces of the British East India Company marched against them from Calicut and took their surrender and possessions on 20 October 1795. In 1766, Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore invaded northern Kerala; his son and successor, Tipu Sultan, launched campaigns against the expanding British East India Company, resulting in two of the four Anglo-Mysore Wars. Tipu ultimately ceded Malabar District and South Kanara to the Company in the 1790s; the Company forged tributary alliances with Kochi in 1791 and Travancore in 1795. Malabar and South Kanara became part of the Madras Presidency.^[53]

A nineteenth-century map of Madras Province in British India. After independence, Kerala was formed by merging Malabar, Cochin, Travancore and the South Kanara district

There were major revolts in Kerala against British rule in the 20th century, until Independence was achieved. They include the 1921 Malabar Rebellion and the 1946 Punnapra-Vayalar uprising in Travancore.^[54] Other actions by Kerala's political and spiritual leaders protested against social traditions such as untouchability, leading to the 1936 Temple Entry Proclamation that opened Hindu temples in Travancore to all castes; Malabar soon did likewise, and Cochin followed with a similar proclamation in 1948, after Independence. In the 1921 Moplah Rebellion, Mappila Muslims rioted against Hindu zamindars and the British Raj.^[55]

Post Colonial period[link]

After British India was partitioned in 1947 into India and Pakistan, Travancore and Cochin joined the Union of India and on 1 July 1949 were merged to form Travancore-Cochin. On 1 January 1950 (Republic Day), Travancore-Cochin was recognised as a state. The Madras Presidency was organised to form Madras State in 1947.

On 1 November 1956, the state of Kerala was formed by the States Reorganisation Act merging the Malabar district, Travancore-Cochin (excluding four southern taluks, which were merged with Tamil Nadu), and the taluk of Kasargod, South Kanara.^[56] In 1957, elections for the new Kerala Legislative Assembly were held, and a reformist, Communist-led government came to power, under E. M. S. Namboodiripad.^[56] It was the first time a Communist government was democratically elected to power anywhere in the world. It initiated pioneering land reforms, leading to lowest levels of rural poverty in India.^[57]

Geography[link]

Coconut trees can be found all over Kerala

Kerala is wedged between the Lakshadweep sea and the Western Ghats. Lying between north latitudes 8°18' and 12°48' and east longitudes 74°52' and 77°22',^[58][59] Kerala experiences the humid equatorial tropic climate. The state has a coast of length 590 km (370 mi)^[60] and the width of the state varies between 11 and 121 km (22–75 miles). 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; hence, most of the state is subject to comparatively little seismic and volcanic activity.^[61] Pre-Cambrian and Pleistocene geological formations compose the bulk of Kerala’s terrain.

Anamudi from Eravikulam National Park

Coconut trees

The eastern region of 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 (hence also known Palghat), 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 reach above 2,500 m (8200 ft). Anamudi, the highest peak in South India, is at an elevation of 2,695 metres (8,842 ft). Just west of the mountains lie the midland plains comprising central Kerala, dominated by rolling hills and valleys.^[58] 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 Agastya Mala and Anamala.

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 (77 sq mi) in area. Around 8% of India's waterways (measured by length) are found in Kerala.^[62] 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 River (130 km), the Valapattanam (129 km) and the Achankovil (128 km). The average length of the rivers of Kerala is 64 km. Many of the rivers are small and entirely fed by monsoon rains.^[58] 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. The rivers also face problems such as sand mining and pollution.^[63] The state experiences several natural hazards such as landslides, floods, lightning and droughts. The state was also affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

A catastrophic flood in Kerala in 1341 CE drastically modified its terrain and consequently affected its history. The course of the river Periyar was changed, and the Arabian Sea receded several miles. The Kuttanad region became cultivable, and the Muziris (Kodungalloor) harbour became defunct. A new harbour was developed at Kochi.^[64][65]

Climate[link]

With 120–140 rainy days per year^[66]:80, Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon and northeast winter monsoon.^[67] About 65 percent of the rainfall occurs during the first season (June to August) corresponding to the southwest monsoon and the rest during the second season (September to December) corresponding to northeast monsoon.^[67] Southwest monsoon: The moisture-laden winds on reaching the southernmost point of the Indian Peninsula, due to its topography, become divided into two parts: the Arabian Sea Branch and the Bay of Bengal Branch. The Arabian Sea Branch of the Southwest Monsoon first hits the Western Ghats in Kerala, thus making the area the first state in India to receive rain from the Southwest Monsoon. Northeast monsoon: The distribution of pressure patterns are reversed during this season and the cold winds from North-India pick up moisture from the Bay of Bengal and precipitate it in the east coast of peninsular India. In Kerala, The influence of this monsoon is seen towards southern districts only.^[68] Kerala's rainfall averages 3,107 mm (122 in.) annually. Some of Kerala's drier lowland regions average only 1,250 mm (49 in.); the mountains of eastern Idukki district receive more than 5,000 mm (197 in.) of orographic precipitation, the highest in the state. In eastern Kerala, a drier tropical wet and dry climate prevails.

During summer, Kerala is prone to gale force winds, storm surges, cyclone-related torrential downpours, occasional droughts, and rises in sea level.^{[69]:26, 46, 52} The mean daily temperatures range from 19.8 °C to 36.7 °C.^[58] Mean annual temperatures range from 25.0–27.5 °C in the coastal lowlands to 20.0–22.5 °C in the eastern highlands.^[69]:65

Adjacent states[link]

	Arabian Sea	Karnataka	Karnataka
	Arabian Sea		Tamil Nadu
		Kerala    East
	Arabian Sea	Tamil Nadu	Tamil Nadu

Flora and fauna[link]

State symbols of Kerala^[71]

State animal	Indian elephant
State bird	Great Hornbill
State tree	Coconut tree
State flower	Cassia fistula

Haliastur indus commonly known as Krishnapparunthu in Kerala

A Common Lime Butterfly (Papilio demoleus) in Kadavoor

Much of Kerala's notable biodiversity is concentrated and protected in the Western Ghats. Almost one 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 medicinal plants.^[72][73]: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.^[73]: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,^[74]: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), 453 species of birds, 202 species of freshwater fishes, 169 species of reptiles (139 of them endemic), and 89 species of amphibians (86 endemic).^[72] These are threatened by extensive habitat destruction, including soil erosion, landslides, salinization, and resource extraction.^[75]

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).^[73]: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.^{[73]:12, 174–175} Reptiles include the King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), viper, python, and Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) . Kerala's birds are legion—Malabar Trogon, the Great Hornbill, Kerala Laughingthrush, Darter, and Southern Hill Myna are several emblematic species. In lakes, wetlands, and waterways, fish such as kadu (stinging catfish) and Choottachi (Orange chromide—Etroplus maculatus) are found.^{[73]:163–165}

Subdivisions[link]

Kerala's fourteen districts are distributed among Kerala's six historical regions: North Malabar (Far-north Kerala), South Malabar (northern Kerala), Kochi (central Kerala), Northern Travancore, Central Travancore (southern Kerala) and Southern Travancore (Far-south Kerala).

Population density map of Kerala graded from darkest shading (most dense) to lightest (least dense)

Kerala's 14 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.Taluks of kerala are further divided into 1453 revenue villages.^[78] Consequent to the 74th Amendment to the Constitution of India, the Local self-government Institutions are to function as the third tier of Government and it constitutes 14 District Panchayats, 152 Block Panchayats, 978 Grama Panchayats, 60 Municipalities, 5 Corporations and 1 Township.^[79] Mahé, a part of the Indian union territory of Pondicherry (Puducherry), is a coastal exclave surrounded by Kerala on all of its landward approaches.

List of Major cities in Kerala
Rank	City	District	Population	Kozhikode Kollam	Thiruvananthapuram Kochi
1	Thiruvananthapuram	Thiruvananthapuram	752,490
2	Kochi	Ernakulam	601,574
3	Kozhikode	Kozhikode	432,097
4	Kollam	Kollam	349,033
5	Thrissur	Thrissur	315,596
6	Alappuzha	Alappuzha	174,164
7	Palakkad	Palakkad	131,019
Source: 2011 Census of India [80]
List of cities in Kerala based on the population.(not based on urban agglomeration population)

Government[link]

The Kerala Legislative Assembly Building in Thiruvananthapuram

Following the Constitution of India, the State of Kerala has a parliamentary system of representative democracy for its governance; universal suffrage is granted to state residents. The government structure is organized into the traditional three branches: Legislature, Executive and Judiciary.

1. Legislature: 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 the Speaker's absence, by the Deputy Speaker. Kerala has 140 Assembly constituencies.^[81] The state sends 20 members to the Lok Sabha and 9 to the Rajya Sabha.^[82]
2. Executive: The Governor of Kerala is the constitutional head of state, and is appointed by the President of India.^[83][84] 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. The Council of Ministers, which answers to the Legislative Assembly, has its members appointed by the Governor on advice of the Chief Minister. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs.
3. Judiciary: The judiciary consists of the Kerala High Court and a system of lower courts. The High Court, located at Ernakulam, has a Chief Justice along with 26 permanent and two additional (pro tempore) justices. Kerala High Court also hears cases from the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.

Local Governance: Though the local self-government bodies namely, Panchayat, Municipalities and Corporations existed in Kerala since 1959, the major initiative to decentralize the governance in Kerala was started only in 1993, conforming to the constitutional amendments of central government in this direction. With the enactment of Kerala Panchayati Raj Act and Kerala Municipality Act in the year 1994, the state entered a new era of local self-governance. Kerala Panchayati Raj Act envisages a 3-tier system of local-government with Gram panchayat, Block panchayat and District Panchayat forming the hierarchy. The acts ensure clear cut demarcation of power among these institutions. However, Kerala Municipality Act envisages a single tier system for urban areas, with the institution of Municipality designed at par with Gram panchayat of the former system. Substantial administrative, legal and financial powers are delegated these bodies to ensure efficient decentralization. As per the present norms, the state government devolves about 40 per cent of the state plan outlay to the local government. The state has pioneered in many of these steps to empower local self-governance and it acted as a turning point in the nation's history of decentralization.^[85]

Kerala hosts two major political alliances: the United Democratic Front (India) (UDF—led by the Indian National Congress) and the Left Democratic Front (Kerala) (LDF—led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). At present, the UDF is the ruling coalition in government; Oommen Chandy of the INC is the Chief Minister of Kerala and V.S. Achuthanandan of the LDF is the Chief Opposition leader. Strikes, protests and marches are ubiquitous in Kerala due to the comparatively strong presence of labour unions.^[86][87]

Economy[link]

The interior of a building at Technopark.Thiruvananthapuram . Technopark accounts for nearly 70% of the state's IT exports.

Rural women processing coir threads

Cardomom plant

A typical paddy field in Kerala

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 capitalism and foreign direct investment to be lightened, leading to economic expansion and job creation. In fiscal year 2007–2008, nominal gross state domestic product (GSDP) was 162,414.79 crore (US$32.4 billion). 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%^[89]:8 and 5.99%^[90] in the 1990s).^[89]:8 The state clocked 8.93% growth in enterprises from 1998 to 2005 compared with 4.80% nationally.^[91] Relatively few such enterprises are major corporations or manufacturers.^[69] Kerala's Human Development Index rating is the highest in India.^[92] This apparently paradoxical "Kerala phenomenon" or "Kerala model of development" of very high human development and not much high economic development results from the strong service sector.^{[69]:48[93]:1}

Kerala's economy depends on emigrants working in foreign countries (mainly in the Persian Gulf countries such as United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia) and remittances annually contribute more than a fifth of GSDP.^[12][13][14] As of 2008, the Gulf countries altogether have a Keralite population of more than 2.5 million, who send home annually a sum of USD 6.81 billion,^[94] which is more than 15.13% of Remittance to India in 2008, the highest among Indian States.

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.^[90][95] Nearly half of Kerala's people are dependent on agriculture alone for income.^[96] Some 600 varieties^[73]:5 of rice (Kerala's most important staple food and cereal crop)^[97]:5 are harvested from 3105.21 km² (a decline from 5883.4 km² in 1990)^[97]:5 of paddy fields; 688,859 tonnes are produced per annum.^[96] Other key crops include coconut (899,198 ha), tea, coffee (23% of Indian production,^[98]:13 or 57,000 tonnes^[98]: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.

Kerala's coastal belt of Karunagappally is known for high background radiation from thorium-containing monazite sand. In coastal panchayats, median outdoor radiation levels are more than 4 mGy/yr and, in certain locations on the coast, it is as high as 70 mGy/yr.^[99]

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)^[95] involves extraction of ilmenite, kaolin, bauxite, silica, quartz, rutile, zircon, and sillimanite.^[96] 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.^[100] On 1 October 2011, Kerala became the first state in the country to have banking facility in every village.^[101] Unemployment in 2007 was estimated at 9.4%;^[102] underemployment, low employability of youths, and a 13.5% female participation rate are chronic issues,^{[103]:5, 13 [104]} as is the practice of Nokku kooli, 'wages for looking on'.^[105] By 1999–2000, the rural and urban poverty rates dropped to 10.0% and 9.6% respectively.^[106]

The state's 2005–2006 budget was 219 billion.^[107] The state government's tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) amounted to 111,248 million 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 in 2005, nearly double the 6,847 million revenues of 2000.^[108] 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.^[109]

The state treasury has suffered loss of thousands of millions of rupees thanks to the state staging over 100 hartals annually in recent times. A record total of 223 hartals were observed in 2006, resulting in a revenue loss of over 2000 crore.^[110]

Agriculture[link]

Kerala produces 97% of national output of pepper and accounts for 85% out of the area under natural rubber in the country. Coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, and spices — including cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg — comprise a critical agricultural sector. A key agricultural staple is rice, with some six hundred varieties grown in Kerala's extensive paddy fields. Nevertheless, home gardens comprise a significant portion of the agricultural sector. Related animal husbandry is also important, and is touted by proponents as a means of alleviating rural poverty and unemployment among women, the marginalized, and the landless. Feeding, milking, breeding, management, health care, and concomitant micro-enterprises all provide work for around 32 lakh (3.2 million) of Kerala's 55 lakh (5.5 million) households. The state government seeks to promote such activity via educational campaigns and the development of new cattle breeds such as the "Sunandini".

A scenic landscape, with water filled paddy fields.

Fisheries[link]

Fisheries contribute about 3% of the total economy of the state. The natural landforms of the state endow Kerala with a huge output of marine and freshwater fish haul each year. About 10.85 lakh people earn their livelihood from fishing and allied activities such as drying, processing, packaging, exporting and transporting fisheries.The state alone yields 6.75 lakh tonnes of fish every year

Transport[link]

KSRTC is the major agency providing long-haul public bus service in Kerala.

The main Portico of the Trivandrum Central Railway Station

Cochin International Airport (CIAL)

State Water Transport Department is the main agency providing inland water transport facilities.

Roads[link]

Kerala has 145,704 kilometres (90,536 mi) of roads (4.2% of India's total). This translates to about 4.62 kilometres (2.87 mi) of road per thousand population, compared to an all India average of 2.59 kilometres (1.61 mi). Virtually all of Kerala's villages are connected by road.

Roads in Kerala includes 1,524 km of National highway (2.6% of nation's total), 4341.6 km of state highway and 18900 km of district roads.^[111] Most of Kerala's west coast is accessible through two national highways, NH 47, and NH 17 and eastern side is accessible through various State Highways. There is also a Hill Highway (Kerala) proposed, to make easy access to eastern hills.

NH 17 connects Edapally (Kochi) to Panvel (Maharashtra) and is the longest stretch of national highway through the state. The other major national highway passing through the state is National Highway 47 which connects Salem to Kanyakumari and passes through the major towns and cities like Palakkad, Thrissur, Kochi, Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram. The Salem-Kochi stretch of this highway is a part of North-South Corridor of the Indian highway system. The length of the National Highway 47 (India) through Kerala is 416.8 km.^[112] NH 49 (Kochi – Dhanushkodi), NH 208 (Kollam – Thirumangalam), NH 212 (Kozhikode – Mysore), NH 213 (Kozhikode – Palakkad), NH 220 (Kollam – theni) are the other national highways serving the state of Kerala.

The Department of Public Works is responsible for maintaining and expanding the state highways system and major district roads.The Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), which includes the GIS-based Road Information and Management Project (RIMS), is responsible for maintaining and expanding the state highways in Kerala; it also oversees few major district roads.^[113][114]

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. The accidents are mainly result of the narrow roads and irresponsible driving. ^[115]

Railways[link]

Today the Indian Railways' Southern Railway line runs through the state, connecting most major towns and cities except those in the highland districts of Idukki and Wayanad.

Dates of beginning of railway transport in various sections of the state are given below:-

Beypore-Tirur (12 March 1861); Shoranur-Ernakulam (1902);m Shenkottai-Punalur (26 November 1904); Punalur-Thiruvananthapuram (4 November 1931); Ernakulam-Kottayam (1956); Kottayam-Kollam (1958); Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari (1979); Thrissur-Guruvayur (1994).^[116]

The railway network in the state is controlled by three divisions of Southern Railway, namely Trivandrum Railway Division, Palakkad Railway Division and Madurai Railway Division. Eranakulam Junction is the busiest railway station in the state and second busiest in the Southern Railway Zone after Chennai Central. Kerala's major railway stations are Kannur, Kozhikode, Shornur Junction, Palakkad Junction, Thrissur, Angamaly For Kalady, Ernakulam Town, Ernakulam Junction, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Tiruvalla, Chengannur, Kayamkulam Junction, Kollam Junction and Thiruvananthapuram Central.

Airports[link]

Kerala has three major international airports, at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. A fourth international airport is proposed at Kannur.^[117] Thiruvananthapuram's Trivandrum International Airport is the first International airport in an Indian non-metro city. The Cochin International Airport is the busiest and largest in the state, and was the first Indian airport to be incorporated as a public limited company; funded by nearly 10,000 Non Resident Indians from 30 countries.^[118]

Inland water transport in Kerala[link]

Kerala, with numerous backwaters, is one of the States in India where waterways are successfully used for commercial Inland Water Transport. The transportation is mainly done with country craft and passenger vessels. There are 67 navigable rivers in Kerala. The total length of the Inland Waterways in the State is 1687 km. The main constraints to the expansion of Inland Water transport in the State are lack of depth in the waterway caused by silting, lack of maintenance of navigation system and bank protection, accelerated growth of the water hyacinth, lack of modern inland craft terminals and cargo handling system. A 205 km canal, National Waterway 3, runs between Kottapuram and Kollam.^[119]

Demographics[link]

Languages of Kerala in 2001^[120]

  Malayalam (96.74%)

  Tamil (1.87%)

  Others (1.39%)

Ethnicity[link]

The 31.8 million^[121] Keralites are predominantly of Malayali descent, 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.^{[122]:10–12}

Languages[link]

Malayalam is Kerala's official language; Konkani, Tamil, Tulu, Kannada, Hindi, Mahl and various Adivasi (Tribal) languages are also spoken by ethnic minorities especially in the south-western region.

Kerala is home to 3.44% of India's population; 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.^[125] Kerala's rate of population growth is India's lowest,^[126] and Kerala's decadal growth (9.42% in 2001) is less than half the all-India average of 21.34%.^[127] 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.^[58]

A fisherman in rural Kerala

Females comprise 51.42% of the population; males form the remaining 48.58% of the population.^[128]:26

Religions[link]

Kerala's principal religions are Hinduism (56.2%), Islam (24.7%), and Christianity (19.0%).^[129] In comparison with the rest of India, Kerala experiences relatively little sectarianism.^[130]

According to 2001 Census of India figures, 56% of Kerala's residents are Hindus, 24% are Muslims, 19% are Christians, and the remaining 1% follows other religions.^[129] The major Hindu castes are Ezhavas, Nairs, Nambudiri and Dalits. Rest of the Hindu castes including those in the list of Other Backward Class (OBC) are minority communities. Notably, steps taken by many progressive and tolerant Hindu kings^[131] over the years and movements like that of Vaikunda Swami ^[132] and Narayana Guru for social reform and tolerance helped to establish Kerala as one of the most socially progressive states in India. The Abrahamic religions attest to Kerala's prominence as a major trade centre. Islam and Judaism arrived in Kerala through Arab traders.^[133] Muslims of Kerala, generally referred to as Moplahs, mostly follow the Shafi'i Madh'hab under Sunni Islam. The major Moplah denominations are Sunni, Mujahid and Jama'at-e-Islami. A significant Jewish community existed in Kerala until the 20th century when most of them migrated to Israel leaving only a handful of families.^[134] The Paradesi Synagogue at Kochi is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth. Christianity is believed to have reached the shores of Kerala in 52 CE with the arrival of St Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ^{[135][136][137][138][139]} The major Christian denominations are Catholic, Oriental Orthodox and Protestant.

Jainism has a considerable following in the Wayanad district. Buddhism was dominant at the time of Ashoka the Great but vanished by the 8th century CE.^[140]

Kerala has witnessed significant migration of its people, especially to the Persian Gulf countries, starting with the Kerala Gulf boom, and is uniquely dependent on remittances from its large Malayali expatriate community.^[12][13][14]

Kerala government states gender relations are among the most equitable in India^{[Need quotation to verify]},^[141] despite discrepancies among low caste men and women.^[142]: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.^[143] Owing to the former matrilineal system, women in Kerala enjoy a high social status.^[144]

Human Development Index[link]

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 (94.59%) among Indian states^[8] and life expectancy (74 years) was among the highest in India in 2011.^[145] 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.^[146] By 1999–2000, the rural and urban poverty rates dropped to 10.0% and 9.6% respectively.^[106] These changes stem largely from efforts begun in the late 19th century by the kingdoms of Cochin and Travancore to boost social welfare.^[147][148] This focus was maintained by Kerala's post-independence government.^[69][92]:48

Kerala has the highest life expectancy in the country which is nearly 75 years and 78 years respectively for males and females. The life expectancy of Kerala is similar to developed nations in the world that shows the facilities for treatment and health. Kerala's healthcare system has garnered international acclaim. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation designated Kerala the world's first "baby-friendly state" because of its effective promotion of breast-feeding over formulas^[149] For example, more than 95% of Keralite births are hospital-delivered.^[150]:6 Aside from ayurveda (both elite and popular forms),^[151]:13 siddha, and many endangered and endemic modes of traditional medicine, including kalari, marmachikitsa and vishavaidyam, are practiced. Some occupational communities such as Kaniyar were known as native medicine men in relation with practice of such streams of medical systems, apart from their traditional vocation.^[152] These propagate via gurukula discipleship,^[151]:5–6 and comprise a fusion of both medicinal and supernatural treatments,^[151]:15 and are partly responsible for drawing increasing numbers of medical tourists.

A steadily aging population (11.2% of Keralites are over age 60^[92]) and low birthrate (18 per 1,000)^[153] make Kerala one of the few regions in the developing world to have undergone the "demographic transition" characteristic of such developed nations as Canada, Japan, and Norway.^[93]: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.^[154] Kerala's female-to-male ratio (1.058) is significantly higher than that of the rest of India.^[93][155]:2 sub-replacement fertility level and infant mortality rate is lower compared to other states (estimated at 12^[69][153]:49 to 14^[156]: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.^[156]:5Yet this is likely explained by the fact that, as mentioned above, Kerala has a higher ratio of senior citizens than India. Kerala's 13.3% prevalence of low birth weight is substantially higher than that of First World nations.^[153] 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.^[157]:5–7

Education[link]

Hardware training for students given by "IT@SCHOOL" project

The University of Kerala's administrative building in Thiruvananthapuram.

Following the instructions of the Wood's despatch of 1854, both the princely states, Travancore and Cochin, launched mass education drives with the support from different agencies mainly based on castes and communities and introduced a system of grant-in-aid to attract more private initiatives. However, none of the government schools gave admission to the children belonging to the low-castes till 1914 and early the initiative of the private schools especially those run by Christian managements to admit the Dalits, opened the door for social mobility in Kerala. Social leaders like Narayana Guru and Ayyankali also initiated educational missions among the lower castes in Kerala. In order to ensure the social reformation of own Communities, organization like Nair Service Society of Nairs, SNDP of Ezhavas, Muslim Mahajana Sabha of Malabar Muslims, Yoga Kshema Sabha of Nambudiris and different congregations of Christian churches competed to open maximum number of schools in the pre-independence period and this inter-community competition led to considerable improvement in the enrollment of students, mass educational levels, employment opportunities and position of power. Compared to Travancore and Cochin regions, Malabar lagged in the educational achievements during this period.^[158]

Kerala successfully overcame the first generation issues in education and it was the 1st state in India to be recognized as a totally literate state in 1991, though the effective literacy rate was 90 per cent at that time. The net enrollment in elementary education is almost 100 per cent and now it is almost balanced among different sexes, social groups and regions, unlike other states of India.^[159] It has the highest literacy rate among the states of India. State topped the Education Development Index (EDI) among 21 major states in India in year 2006–2007.^[160] According to the first Economic Census conducted in 1977, 99.7 per cent of the villages in Kerala had a primary school within 2 km, 98.6 had a middle school within 2 km and 96.7 per cent had a high school or higher secondary school within 5 km, far ahead of national averages.^[161]

Kerala's educational system has been developed by institutions owned or aided by the government. The educational system prevailed in the state schooling is for 10 years which is streamlined into lower primary, upper primary and secondary school stages with a 4+3+3 pattern.^[159] After 10 years of secondary schooling, students typically enroll in Higher Secondary Schooling in one of the three major streams—liberal arts, commerce or science.^{[citation needed]} Upon completing the required coursework, students can enroll in general or professional under-graduate(UG) programmes.

Schools and colleges are run by the government, private trusts, or individuals. Many of the schools owned by private sector are aided by government. Majority of the public schools are affiliated to Kerala State Education Board. Other familiar educational boards are Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), or the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). English is the language of instruction in most self financing schools, while government and government aided schools offer English or Malayalam^{[citation needed]}.

No fees (or a nominal fees) are required in schools run by or aided by government. Fees concerning the higher and technical education are very low; the ratio of recovery of government's revenue expenditure was 2.6% in 2006–2007.^[162] However, the lacking of fees or low fees does not imply low educational cost, as the students incur other costs of several types (examination fees, special fees, material costs, clothing travelling, private tuition). In fact, according to the 61st round of National Sample Survey (2004–2005), per capita spending on education by the rural households resulted to be more than twice the national average ( 41 for Kerala, 18 for India).Urban India spending, on the contrary, resulted to be greater than Kerala's ( 74 for India, 66 for Kerala). However, the survey reveals that the rural-urban difference in expenditure on education by households was much less in Kerala than in the rest of India.^[163]

A few universities in Kerala are Kannur University, Mahatma Gandhi University, University of Calicut, University of Kerala, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala Agricultural University, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit.^[164] Premiere educational institutions in Kerala are Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode, one of the thirteen Indian Institutes of Management, National Institute of Technology Calicut (NITC), Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST). Kerala also has a National law school which is known as the National University of Advanced Legal Studies.Center for Development Studies offers M Phil and PhD level courses of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.

The Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics flourished between the 14th and 16th centuries. In attempting to solve astronomical problems, the Kerala school independently created a number of important mathematics concepts including results—series expansion for trigonometric functions.

Culture[link]

A Kathakali artist

During Onam, Kerala's biggest celebration, Keralites create pookkalam (floral carpet) designs in front of their houses.

Keralite elephants, caparisoned, during the Sree Poornathrayesa Temple festival.

Keralite elephants, caparisoned, during the Sree Poornathrayesa Temple festival.

A mohiniattam performance

The annual snake boat race is performed during Onam Celebrations on the Pamba River

Culture of Kerala is composite and cosmopolitan in nature and it's an integral part of Indian culture.^[165] It has been elaborated upon through centuries of contact with neighboring and overseas cultures.^[166] However, the geographical insularity of Kerala from the rest of the country has caused to develop some distinctive outlook in every spheres of culture like lifestyle, art, architecture, language, literature and different social institutions.^[165]

Origin of dance and music in Kerala could be traced to the tribal art forms and folk songs which were performed in those early days to propitiate the local deities.^[167] With the arrival of Aryan Brahmins in Kerala (8th century CE^[168]), who were instrumental in the development of many semi-classical art forms of Kerala, Hindu temples and associated institutions took over the role of development of many ritualistic art forms; emergence of new temple arts like Koodiyattom, Koothu and Kathakali have to be seen in this context.^[167] Koodiyattom, which emerged as a popular temple art by 9th century,^[169] is a Sanskrit theatre tradition,^[170] and is officially recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.^[171] Kerala natanam, an offshoot of Kathakali, Kaliyattam, Mohiniaattam (dance of the enchantress), Theyyam, Thullal and Padayani are other popular performing arts of Kerala. Of these, Kathakali and Mohiniattam are the most recognized Indian Classical Dance traditions from Kerala.

Some non-Hindu religious dances are also popular in Kerala like Margamkali, Parisamuttu and chavittu nadakom of Christians and Oppana of Muslims. Oppana has its roots in the Arab dances and it combines dance, rhythmic hand clapping, and ishal vocalizations.^[172] Margam Kali is a traditional group dance form traceable back to 17th century, originally performed during Syrian Christian festivals.^[173] Nowadays, many of these art forms are largely performed during marriage ceremonies or at youth festivals only. Contemporary art and performance styles including those employing mimicry and parody are also popular now.^{[citation needed]}

Development of classical music in Kerala is attributed to the contributions it received from the traditional performance arts associated with temple culture of Kerala.^[174] Development of indigenous classical music form, Sopana Sangeetham, illustrates the rich contribution that temple culture has made to the arts of Kerala.^[174] Carnatic music dominates Keralite traditional music. This was the result of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma's popularization of the genre in the 19th century.^[175][176] 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.^{[citation needed]} Kerala's visual arts range from traditional murals to the works of Raja Ravi Varma, the state's most renowned painter.^[174] Most of the castes and communities in Kerala have rich collection of folk songs and ballads associated with a variety of themes; Vadakkan Pattukal(Northern Ballads), Thekkan pattukal(Southern Ballads), Vanchi pattukal(Boat Songs), Mappila Pattukal(Muslim songs) and Pallipattukal(Church songs) are a few of them.^[177]

Malayalam calendar (Also known as Kollavarsham), a solar calendar started from 825 C.E. in Kerala serves as the official calendar of Kerala and finds common usage in planning agricultural and religious activities. Kerala's most popular dish is Rice and curry.^{[citation needed]} The sadhya (feast) is traditionally served on green banana leaves. Such dishes as idli, payasam, pulisherry, puttukadala, or PuttuPayarPappadam, 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, North Indian dresses such as Salwar kameez are also popular among women in Kerala.^{[citation needed]}

Elephants have been an integral part of culture of Kerala. Kerala is the home to largest domesticated elephant population in India; about 700 Indian elephants, owned by temples as well as individuals, are mainly employed for the processions associated with about 10,000 festivals annually.^[178] In literature, they are also referred to as the 'sons of the sahya. Elephant is the state animal of Kerala^[78] and is featured on the emblem of the Government of Kerala.

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. Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar and Kerala Varma Valiakoi Thampuran are noted for their contribution to Malayalam prose. 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.^{[citation needed]}

In the second half of the 20th century, Jnanpith awardees like G. Sankara Kurup, S. K. Pottekkatt, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, M. T. Vasudevan Nair and O. N. V. Kurup 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^[179] The God of Small Things is set in the Kottayam town of Ayemenem, have gained international recognition.^[180]

Kerala in early Sanskrit literature[link]

Parasurama, surrounded by settlers, commanding Varuna to part the seas and reveal Kerala.

The oldest of the surviving Hindu Puranas, the Tushar Purana, sets the story of the first of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the Matsya Avatar, and King Manu (King Satyavrata, mankind's ancestor), among Kerala's Malaya Mountains.^{[181][182][183]}

The earliest Sanskrit text to mention Kerala by name is the Aitareya Aranyaka of Rigveda.^[8] Hindu epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata also make a few references to Kerala.^[165]

The legendary king Mahabali is said to have ruled from Kerala in a reign of universal happiness and prosperity. On his passing away he was appointed ruler of the netherworld (Patalam) by Vamana, the fifth avatar of Lord Vishnu. There is a belief that, Once a year, during the Onam festival, he returns to Kerala.

In the religious texts known as the Puranas, Kerala is Parasurama Kshetram ("The Land of Parasurama"). Parasurama was a warrior sage and an Avatar of Mahavishnu. When he threw his battle axe from Gokarna into the sea at Kanyakumari, the land of Kerala arose from the waters.^[184] Tradition says that Parasurama minted gold coins called Rasi, sowed some of them in Travancore and buried the surplus in cairns.^[185] Similar legends link Parasurama to the Pandyan dynasty.^[186]

The Kollam Era of the Malayalam calendar is also known as "Parasurama-Sacam".^[187] The Travancore Rajas claim descent from Chera King Bhanu Bikram, who, according to legend, was raised to the throne by Parasurama.^[188] In the Keralolpathi, Parasurama chose the goddess Durga (Kali) as guardian of Kerala's sea-shore.^[189]

Media[link]

The National Family Health Survey – 3, conducted in 2007 ranked Kerala as a state with the highest media exposure in India. Dozens of newspapers are published in Kerala, in nine major languages,^[190] but principally Malayalam and English. The most widely circulating Malayalam-language newspapers are Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, Madhyamam,Siraj Daily,Mangalam, Chandrika,thejas,Deepika, Kerala Kaumudi and Deshabhimani. Major Malayalam periodicals include Mathrubhumi, India Today Malayalam, Madhyamam weekly, Grihalakshmi, Vanitha, Dhanam, Chithrabhumi, and Bhashaposhini.

Doordarshan is the state-owned television broadcaster. Multi system operators provide a mix of Malayalam, English and international channels via cable television. Some of the popular Malayalam television channels are Asianet, Surya TV, Mazhavil Manorama, Indiavision, Kairali TV, Manorama News, Amrita TV, Reporter, Jaihind and Jeevan TV. All India Radio, the national radio service, reaches much of Kerala via its Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Thrissur, Alappuzha, Kozhikode and Kannur Malayalam-language broadcasts. Television serials, reality shows and the Internet have become a major source of entertainment and information for the people of Kerala. A Malayalam version of Google News was launched in September 2008.^[191] Regardless, Keralites maintain high rates^[quantify] of newspaper and magazine subscriptions. A sizeable "people's science" movement has taken root in the state, and such activities as writers' cooperatives are becoming increasingly common.^[93][192]:2

BSNL, Reliance Infocomm, Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, Tata Docomo and Aircel are the major cell phone service providers in the state.^[193] Broadband internet services are widely available throughout the state; some of the major ISPs are BSNL, Asianet Satellite communications, Reliance Communications, Airtel and VSNL. According to the Telecom Regulatory Commission of India(TRAI) report, as of January 2012 total number of wireless phone subscribers in kerala is about 34.3 million and the wireline subscriber base is at 3.2 million. According this report, the telephone density of the state is 107.77 as on 31st January 2012.^[193] Unlike in many other States, urban-rural divide is not visible in Kerala with respect to mobile phone penetration.^[194]

Malayalam films carved a niche for itself in the Indian film industry with the presentation of social themes.^[195] Malayalam cinema takes a wide variety of themes in its making and it is far ahead of Hindi or Tamil cinema in terms of its artistic value, due to the reflection of social consciousness attributed to the literary connection it had from 1960s.^[196] It has been producing both parallel and mainstream cinema for years and won national recognition by winning the Presidents Awards for the cinemas Chemmeen, Nirmalyam and Swayamvaram. Directors from Kerala like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, John Abraham, G. Aravindan have made considerable contribution to the Indian parallel cinema. Kerala has also given birth to numerous talented actors such as Bharath Gopi, Prem Nazir, Mammotty, Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Murali, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Cochin Haneefa, Thilakan and Nedumudi Venu. Movies produced in Hindi, Tamil and English (Made in Hollywood) are popular among Keralites. Late Malayalam actor Prem Nazir holds the world record for having acted as the protagonist of over 720 movies.^[197] Since 1980s, actors Mammootty and Mohanlal have dominated the movie industry; Mammootty has won 3 national awards while Mohanlal has 2 in his credit.^[198]

Sports[link]

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi is one of the largest multi-use stadia in India

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.^[199] Other ritual arts include theyyam and poorakkali.

Cricket and Soccer are the most popular sports in the state.^[200] Kochi Tuskers Kerala cricket team played for the city in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2011. The team was disbanded after one season due to conflict of interests among its promoters. Two Kerala Ranji Trophy players gained test selection in recent years. Sreesanth has represented India since 2005.^[201] Among other Keralite cricketers is Tinu Yohannan, son of Olympic long jumper T. C. Yohannan.^{[202][203][204]} Notable Kerala footballers include I. M. Vijayan, C. V. Pappachan, V. P. Sathyan, and Jo Paul Ancheri.^[205][206]

Other popular sports include badminton, volleyball and kabaddi. Among the prominent athletes hailing from the state are P. T. Usha, T. C. Yohannan, Suresh Babu, Shiny Wilson, K. M. Beenamol, M. D. Valsamma, Anju Bobby George and Preeja Sreedharan. Volleyball is another popular sport^[207] and is often played on makeshift courts on sandy beaches along the coast. Jimmy George was a notable Indian volleyball player, rated in his prime as among the world's ten best players.^[208]

Tourism[link]

Kovalam beach, Trivandrum

The stone sculpture of Kuruvan and Kuruvati at Ramakkalmedu in Kerala

Ramakkalmedu, a hill station and a hamlet in Kerala

Kerala is situated on the lush and tropical Malabar Coast. Kerala is one of the popular tourist destinations in India. Its culture and traditions, coupled with its varied demographics, has made Kerala one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. National Geographic's Traveller magazine names Kerala as one of the "ten paradises of the world"^[17] and "50 must see destinations of a lifetime".^[18] Travel and Leisure names Kerala as "One of the 100 great trips for the 21st century".^{[17][209][210]} Kerala's beaches, backwaters, mountain ranges and wildlife sanctuaries are the major attractions for both domestic and international tourists. The city of Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala.^[211][212]

Until the early 1980s, Kerala was a relatively unknown destination.^[213] But 1986 the government of Kerala declared tourism as an industry and it was the first state in India to do so.^[214] 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.^[215] In the decades that followed, Kerala's tourism industry was able to transform the state into one of the niche holiday destinations in India. Many innovative marketing strategies were used and the advertisements branded Kerala with a catchy tagline Kerala- God's Own Country.^[215] Today, Kerala tourism is a global brand and regarded as one of the destinations with highest recall.^[215] 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.^[216] In 2011, tourist inflow to Kerala crossed the 10-million mark.^[217]

Kerala has also pioneered health and medical tourism in India and has attained international attention in this segment. Though the idea of health tourism in Kerala is heavily concentrated on Ayurveda, it is also a good destination for other forms of treatment including Allopathy and Homeopathy.^[218] Ayurvedic tourism became very popular since 1990s and private agencies like Kottakkal Arya Vydyasala played a notable role in tandem with the initiatives of Tourism Department.^[213] Kerala is known for its ecotourism initiatives and in this segment it promotes mountaineering, trekking and bird-watching programmes in the Western Ghats as the major products.^[219]

The state's tourism industry is a major contributor to the state's economy which is currently growing at a rate of 13.31%.^[220] The revenue from tourism increased 5 fold between 2001–2011 and crossed 190 billion mark in 2011. Moreover, the industry provides employment opportunity to 1.2 million people.^[217]

The most popular tourist attractions in the state are beaches, backwaters and hill stations. Major beaches are at Kovalam, Varkala, Kappad, Muzhappilangad and Bekal. Popular hill stations are at Munnar, Wayanad, Wagamon, Peermade, Nelliampathi and Ponmudi.^[221] Kerala's ecotourism destinations include 12 wildlife sanctuaries and two national parks; Periyar Tiger Reserve, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, and Eravikulam National Park are the most popular among them.^[222] The "backwaters" is an extensive network of interlocking rivers (41 west-flowing rivers), lakes, and canals that center around Alleppey, Kumarakom, Kollam and Punnamada (where the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race is held in August). Cities such as Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode are popular centres for their shopping and traditional theatrical performances.

Kerala is also a center of Heritage and religious tourism sites. Padmanabhapuram Palace and the Mattancherry Palace are two notable heritage sites. The state is also famous for the large number of festivals (about 10,000 per year) it celebrates; of these, Onam and Thrissur Pooram attracts a large inflow of foreign tourists. According to a survey conducted among foreign tourists, Elephants, fireworks display and huge crowd are the major attractions of Thrissur Pooram.^[223] The main pilgrim tourist spots of Kerala are Sabarimala Temple, Aranmula Temple, Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Guruvayoor Temple, Chettikulangara Temple, Vadakumnathan Temple, Sarkara Devi Temple, Padanilam Parabrahma Temple, Beemapally mosque, Malayattoor Saint Thomas Church, Parumala Church (Pathanamthitta) and St. Francis Church, Kochi^[224] Saint Alphonsa Church, Bharananganam is also a destination of pilgrimage tourism.

Gallery[link]

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  Temple at Aranmula (Pathanamthitta)

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  Wayanad Mountain pass(Ghat) day time

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  Wayanad Mountain pass(Ghat) night view

• Thiruvathira Kali During Onam.jpg

  Thiruvathira kali: a dance performed by women in Kerala during Onam and Thiruvaathira festivals.

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  Onappottan, a cultural image of Kerala, related to Onam.

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  Oppana, a dance form among the Muslim community in Kerala

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  Maramon Convention: Asia's biggest Christian gathering

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  Paddy fields of Kerala in Sultan Bathery

• A typical houseboat in the Kerala backwaters near Alleppey.jpg

  A house boat on the backwaters near Alleppey in Kerala

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  Resorts dot the length and breadth of Kerala.

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  Munnar in Idukki district

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  Sunset at Varkala Beach

• Kalaripayattu.JPG

  Kalaripayattu a martial art of Kerala

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  forest river in wayanad

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  Thrissur Pooram festival

See also[link]

	Geography portal
	Asia portal
	South Asia portal
	India portal
32x28px	Kerala portal

• List of notable people from Kerala
• Outline of Kerala

Notes[link]

^{^} The International Hydrographic Organisation defines the border between Lakshadweep Sea and Arabian sea by a line running from Sadashivgad Lt. on West Coast of India (14°48′N 74°07′E / 14.8°N 74.117°E / 14.8; 74.117) to Corah Divh (13°42′N 72°10′E / 13.7°N 72.167°E / 13.7; 72.167) and thence down the West side of the Lakshadweep and Maldive Archipelagos to the most Southerly point of Addu Atoll in the Maldives.^[225] However, the official website of Government of Kerala and Government of India states that Kerala is boardered on the west by Arabian Sea.

• ^ α: Around the 9th century, the Cheras fell from power. Several small kingdoms (swaroopams) formed under the leadership of chieftains, filling the resulting political vacuum.^[52]
  

Citations[link]