Kerala, where tradition meets trends

God's own country or the green gateway of India is not just a punch line coined to bring tourists to its shores, but somewhere in between these words lies the whole concept of the malayali world. Flanking the west coast of India, along the arabian shores and the slopes of the Malabar lies the tiny wonderland called Kerala or Keralam in the local dialect. A matriarchal society to a great extent, Kerala hosts few golden feathers in its hat, be it education or be it the fact that women outnumber men. Perhaps it's this which makes Kerala god's own country.

A Malayali morning..

 A usual day in a malayali family begins with the mother entering the kitchen after a routine headbath filling the house with a fresh aroma. A monsoon day morning is more often than not a musical feast of rain drops thumping on the roof. Invariably, everyday in Kerala starts with a bath followed by morning prayers and steaming breakfast items like idli, dosa ,appam, puttu just to  name a few delicacies.

Placed  majestically in the lap of nature, its a place your soul wants to be. No doubt, daily Ife in Kerala has footprints of its surroundings in every possible way. Working day invariably starts not earlier than 9 and with what better than a cup of tea with many variants Viz light medium and without tea along with a snacks or ''kadi" as it is locally known. Most malayali middle age men make it a point to include a cigarette or beetle leaf aka ' murkaan' in their daily life.

Even when one side of life is basked in tradition, cities in Kerala lie seciseto none in being hi-tech and commercial. But the beauty lies in fact that even in the bustling city life, Malayalis manage to have a tinge of tradition in it. People of almost all walks of life start their day in the same way as their rural counterparts.

A marching society..

Though a traditional society, Kerala has walked strides in keeping itself in pace with the changing times.While keeping its tradition alive it has done really well to project itself as an advanced society. Women have rubbed shoulders with men in all fields be it education, be it sports, be it arts, they have upheld their identity for all to see. Having some of the best social indicators, it prouds itself of being the flag bearer of changing times. It presents one of the best picture of high standard of living in the entire country

A hub of Ayurveda, the southern state also dots many modern hospitals making it a plum destination for medical tourism. It's not uncommon to see celebs and foreigners flocking the state for treatment and retreat alike.
A visit to Kerala is incomplete without experiencing the rich blend of art and culture in this green land. While Kathakali, puli Kali, kalari will enthral you with colours, the paintings of Raja Ravi Verma fill life on canvas. On the other side of this rich culture lies a budding world of western music and dance largely present in the urban clan.

The lunch time... 

As the sun climbs up the sky, and beats down hard, the time becomes ripe for the " podhi choru" or the packed lunch to be laid on the table for a sumptous lunch. Wrapped in a banana leaf, traditional kerala rice with a dry vegetable thoran ( side dish), pickle, a piece of fish fry and ofcourse Avial along with moru( flavoured curd) is all a malayali longs for a lunch. More than just a meal, a podhi choru is an emotion beyond for all those Malayalis out there .

A land of cash crops....

A major part of population is engaged is commercial farming. Malayalis have been traditionally good at judging the best crop to go to. Be it rubber in the rainy areas, tea or coffee in the hills or cardamon and vanila in estates, Kerala has it all. And is places like Alapuzha where land is hard to get, pisciculture makes way for agriculture. While it depends on other state for food crops, kerala produces ample spices and rubber to still hold its place as the spice market to look out for. Hardly would any market be without a street with bags full of spices for sale.

A land where she is really better half...

An important part of the Malayali culture is the way women play their part is the family. A housewife  finds herself engaged in scores  of other income generating chores like coir weaving, cattle rearing, stitching etc.  while working women play their roles to perfection in serving the society. Thus the household boasts of a sense of equal sharings of responsibilities.

As the night falls...

As the sun sets in the western skies, welcoming the dusk, the time is just right for another round of tea. An inseperable part of the society are the numerous tea shops that dot the face Kerala, making it one of the most sought after place for a get-together and debates, replacing the erstwhile libraries which used be the place where hot topics where discussed, given the fact that every Malayali has a political opinion of his own.

As the moon replaces the sun in the night sky and evening prayers are said, while students settle down for studying , elders get into their chit chats till the dinner time arrives.
As the villages slow down to sleep a different story unfolds in the urban. An important part of kerala is without doubt the food it offers. It's composite culture is on full display at the dinner time. Making the way to the table along the traditional spicy food are the European  and Arabian dishes. Along with food to eat what stands out is the wide array of juices and ice creams that on exhibit.

Invariably a day in kerala comes to and end by 9:30PM and starts the next day again as the sun rises above the horizon announcing the arrival of another day in the gods own country.

True to the name God's own country, kerala presents a unique trait of being an advanced society that is close to its roots. It also prouds itself of having its presence felt in almost all nook and corner of the globe.