KERALA - GODS OWN COUNTRY



In a 3rd-century BCE rock left by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, there is a mention of the state of Kerala. The region became famous for its pepper in the last centuries BCE. The region was a part of Tamilakam, the territory of the Tamils, during the first five centuries of the 20th century.

According to local Christian tradition, Jewish immigrants arrived in the 1st century. Thomas the Apostle visited India in the same century. It is known that Arab traders introduced Islam in the 8th century. The dynasty was called the Kulashekhara dynasty. The emergence of a distinct language and Hinduism became prominent. During the 11th and 12th centuries, the Cholas controlled the state.

The Venad kingdom established a short-lived supremacy over southern India by the beginning of the 14th century. The most important were Venad in the south and Calicut in the north, which became a conglomeration of warring chieftaincies after his death. The era of foreign intervention began in 1498. The Portuguese dominated the commerce of the Malabar Coast in the 16th century. The ruler of Calicut stopped their attempt to establish sovereignty. The Portuguese were ousted by the Dutch in the 17th century.

The Battle of Kolachel took place 12 years after Marthanda Varma ascended the Venad throne. Marthanda Varma expanded the Venad domain to encompass the southern state of Travancore after adopting a European mode of martial discipline. Cochin was able to survive because of his alliance with the raja of the central state.

The British Madras Presidency gave subject states to Cochin and Travancore, as well as the Malabar Coast in the north.

The southwestern coastal state of India is called Kerala. It is a small state that makes up about 1 percent of the country's total area. Depending on the width, the state stretches from 20 to 75 miles along the Malabar Coast. It is bordered by the states of Mysore to the north and Tamil Nadu to the east and by the Arabian Sea to the south and west.Thiruvananthapuram is the capital.  Although isolated from the Indian interior by the mountainous belt of the Western Ghats, Kerala has been exposed to many foreign influences via its long coastline and has developed a unique culture with its own language.

The former strength of a matrilineal kinship system has led to the high social status that continues to be accorded to women in the state. There is an area of 15,005 square miles.

Pop.There were 33,387,677 in 2011.

There is a lot of natural beauty in the state of Kerala. Much of the Western Ghats and riverine areas are covered with rainforests and monsoon forests. The upland region has rolling grasslands.

This environment is home to many animals. Mammals include sambar deer, gaurs (wild cattle), Nilgiri tahrs,  elephants, leopards, tigers, bonnet monkeys, rare lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus), and Hanuman and Nilgiri langurs. The highest peak in India is Anai Peak, located in the eastern part of the state.

There is a stretch of farmlands that can be seen from the rocky highlands to the coastal plain.

Venice of India is a chain of lagoons and backwaters along the coast. The Ponnani, Periyar, Chalakudi, and Pamba are some of the most important rivers in the Arabian Sea.

The climate of the state varies from season to season. During the year, daily temperatures rise from the low 70s F (low 20s C) into the 80s F (27 to 32 C).  The state is exposed to the southwest monsoon, which lasts from July through September, but it also gets rain from the north east monsoon, which lasts from October and November. Some slopes receive more than 200 inches of precipitation annually, while the statewide average is 115 inches.



The Malayalis are a group of people of mixed ethnic heritage who speak a Dravidian language.

The Malayalis are descendants of the early inhabitants of India, the so-called Dravidians, who were driven southward between 2000 and 1500 BCE. There has been a lot of exchange between the two groups. The Nambudiri are a prominent caste of orthodox Hindus.There is a significant minority of Tamils in the state.

Most of the Malayalis in the state follow Hinduism.

The Moplah (Mapilla) people of the Malabar Coast are the largest Muslim community in the state.The majority of Christians are members of the Syrian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches. Regardless of their sect, these indigenous Christians share a common set of early Christian traditions. They are referred to as a group.Thomas is a Christian in allusion to the tradition. The region was evangelized by Thomas the Apostle.

There is an ancient synagogue in Kochi, as well as tiny Jain, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jewish communities. It is one of the most densely populated states in India. In the early 21st century, only about one-fourth of the population was reported as urban, which is deceptive because of the close proximity of rural houses. In parts of the state there are rural equivalents of urban areas.

The major cities and industrial complexes are Kochi, Thrissur, Alappuzha, and Thalassery. There are no major reserves of fossil fuels in the state. There are moderate deposits of ilmenite, rutile, and monazite found in the beach sands. Bauxite is the principal source of aluminum. The state's high-quality clay is used to make porcelain.

There are some two dozen hydroelectric stations in the state. The state began to establish wind farms in the late 20th century. Despite its wealth of renewable resources for power generation, Kerala has continued to import electricity from other parts of India. The state's main economic activity is agriculture. Commercial planting on less than half of the total land earns foreign exchange and has necessitated the import of food for local consumption. Coffee, tea, rubber, areca nut, coconut, ginger, and pepper are some of the cash crops cultivated in the state. Rice, peas and beans are some of the major food crops.

Commercial poultry farming is done well. There are valuable timbers in the forests.

Industrial raw materials such as bamboo are used in the paper and rayon industries. The state is a leader in fish production. The main products of the industry are sardines, tunas, mackerels, and prawns. 

There are no major reserves of fossil fuels in the state. There are moderate deposits of ilmenite, rutile, and monazite found in the beach sands.Bauxite is the principal source of aluminum. The state's high-quality clay is used to make porcelain.There are some two dozen hydroelectric stations in the state.The state began to establish wind farms in the late 20th century. Despite its wealth of renewable resources for power generation, Kerala has continued to import electricity from other parts of India.

Manufacturing and service activities are important contributors to the economy.

Many workers are employed in the manufacturing sector in traditional cottage industries.Food processing is the main employer in medium- and large-scale industries. Ammonia, chemicals, electrical equipment, titanium, aluminum,plywood, ceramics, and synthetic fabrics are some of the major manufactures.

The banking, finance, and other components of the services sector employ a significant segment of the state's workforce.With the high level of education among the unemployed, the problem of unemployment has remained acute. There are well-developed road and railway systems in the state. The states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are connected by national highways.

A railway coming from the east through the Western Ghats meets with a railway running from north to south through the state and on to Kanniyakumari, the southernmost town of India. The major port at Kochi handles coastal and foreign traffic. Kochi is a regional headquarters for the navy and serves as a district headquarters for the coast guard. Inland waterways form the main arteries for carrying bulk freight to and from the ports.

There are international airports in Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Kochi. The structure of the government in India is determined by the national constitution of 1950.

Appointed by the president of India, the governor is the head of the state and is in charge of the Council of Ministers.

There is an elected unicameral Legislative Assembly in the state.

Appeals from the High Court in Ernakulam may go to the Supreme Court of India. District courts, subdivisional courts, munsifs' courts, and munsif-magistrate courts are below the High Court. Family courts and other courts handle different types of cases.

The state is divided into districts, which in turn are divided into talukas and villages. Since the mid-20th century, there has been a proliferation of political parties and coalition governments in the state. A high standard of health service is maintained by the state. 

A comprehensive health insurance plan is available for workers in a number of professions, and free medical treatment is offered in many hospitals. The establishment of health care facilities in rural areas is one of the top priorities of government health schemes. One of the most advanced educational systems in India is in the state of Kerala. Between the ages of 6 and 14 is when elementary education is compulsory.

Polytechnical and industrial training institutions, arts and science colleges, and professional colleges are included.The University of Thrissur was founded in the 19th century and is one of several universities in the state.

From antiquity to the present, the cultural heritage of the state shows extensive interaction with different communities. Literature and learning have flourished in both Tamil and Sanskrit since the 2nd centuryCE, while the Malayalam language has absorbed a lot of Sanskrit.Classical poets Kumaran Asan and Vallathol are notable in the 20th century.

Queen Victoria gave a certificate to Chandu Menon for writing the first outstanding novel in Malayalam. One of the most widely read Malayali novelists is Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, who produced hundreds of works before his death in 1999. The honouring of specific Hindu deities and the great Indian epics are the topics of most traditional dances. Male performers portray both male and female characters in the classical martial dance-drama kathakali. The bharata natyam dancing is only practiced by females