ABOUT KERALA

Kerala means the Land of Coconuts. Coconut tree is called the Kalpaka Vriksha or the tree that gives everything asked for. The coconut tree plays a vital role in the day-to-day life of a Keralite, in as much as every part of the Coconut tree is used for one thing or the other. The Coconut timber is used for building houses and used as firewood; the palm leaves for thatching houses: Coconut fiber for coir and the coir mats and matting products. Coconut is shell for charcoal, paint and shell oil. Coconut water as a refreshing drink, Coconut milk as soft drink, and Coconut oil for cooking, making of soap, toffee etc.

History of Kerala has a legend too. Sage Parasuram waged a series of wars against Kshatriyas. Apologetic about the act of annihilation, he had committed, he offered severe penance on the mountain heights of Western Ghats, Gokarnam. In a mood of perfect atonement, the sage heaved his mighty battle-axe into the sea. The water gave way to prawn shaped stretch of land, which surfaced from Gokarnam to Kanyakumari.

Kerala consisted of many territories and kingdom of Chieftains, Rajas and Zamindars. After internal wars and quarrels, only three larger Royal families of Travancore, Cochin, and Calicut continued in power. The British pensioned off the Calicut Zamorin. Travancore and Cochin states were integrated as Travancore-Cochin state on 1st July 1949; and amalgamation of the Malabar area with Travancore-Cochin State, as per the Sate Reorganization Act on 1st November 1956 formed the Kerala State; and the rulers of Travancore and Cochin were also pensioned off.

Malayalam is the main language. Kannada in the northern districts and Tamil in the eastern and southern districts are common. English and Hindi are also in common use.

Kerala’s population stands just over 31.8 million i.e. about 4% of the population of India. This population is a healthy mix of all religions, castes and creeds like Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Jains, Buddhists, and Parsi etc.

Kerala accounts for 35% of the marine products and over 40% of the foreign exchange earnings of India. Kerala accounts for 10.60 lakh tons of Rice, 91% of the Rubber produced in India, 22% of Tea, 70% of Coconut, 60% of Cardamom, 27% of Coffee, 60% of Areccanuts, 80% of Tapioca and 100% of Lemon Grass Oil. Kerala is the major producer and supplier of some of the world’s finest spices.

Kerala is rich in cultivation of Cashew nuts, pepper, coconuts, cardamom, ginger, mace, nutmeg, cloves, tamarind, turmeric, etc. Pepper continues to be the king of Kerala spices.

Indian spices made their first known entry in 6000 BC, through the four Vedas. The pages of Ramayana, Bible and the Quran are sprinkled with them. They lured explorers to India’s shores, triggered wars and caused the rise and fall of mighty empires. The Babylonians and Assyrians knew the use of spices around 3000 BC. Marco Polo (1298 AD) observed that good Ginger was grown in Malabar. Aber Razak (1442 AD) wrote that vessels loaded with pepper sailed continually from Calicut. From the 15th Century AD, European countries especially Portugal, Spain, and UK showed keen interest in the spices trade. Christopher Columbus started his voyage to find a sea route to India but ended up with the discovery of America in 1492 AD, Vasco da Gama anchored his ship at Kappad in Calicut in 1498 in search of spices. Zamorin, the ruler of Calicut welcomed him and established spices trade between Portugal and Malabar. India is also the richest consumer of spices. Every spice has medical preservatives or antiseptic value.