Kerala
Kerala has long held a certain fascination for me. The combination of saltwater sea, freshwater Backwaters, Western Ghats, and lush rainforests evoked a mystical magical world in my imagination, and I thought it would be a fitting place to end this Asian Pilgrimage tour as the state tourist bureau’s nickname for the region is “God’s Own Country.” Pilgrimages are not just to human made sites, but also natural ones, like the hike in Sagarmatha National Park. What I found was perhaps not exactly God’s country, but rather a region where differing religious faiths live in harmony as neighbors and for the most part with the natural world.
The trip started in Kochi, and the first day was spent exploring the former Fort Kochi area. The actual fort no longer exists, but some of the walls are still standing and now have beautifully painted murals on them. The fort was originally built by the Portuguese who came in 1503, but they weren’t the first foreigners to land in the harbor. That honor probably goes to the Arab and Chinese traders from the 9th C onwards, who came looking for the region’s spices. The Portuguese, however, didn’t just trade and leave, they established a colony and ruled alongside the local royal family until the Dutch came at the end of the 16th C. The Dutch pushed the Portuguese north towards Goa and took over the Fort and the relations with the local royal families, of which there were three major ones in what is today the state of Kerala. The Dutch ruled until the British took over at the end of the 18th C, although the official treaty wasn’t signed until 1814. The British, however, never completely ruled Kochi as it remained a kingdom until 1956 when the state of Kerala was formed by uniting the native kingdoms of Travancore, Kochi, and British Malabar. The three Western nations did leave their distinct marks on Kochi’s culture, though, so it is now a blend of the earlier indigenous traditions, early Syrian Orthodox Christianity (St. Thomas was supposed to have landed here and preached the Good Word in the 1st C) as well as Roman, Protestant and Anglican forms of Christianity brought by the European overlords. The first Western style church was built in the 16thC by Franciscan missionaries and is dedicated to St. Francis. The building’s history encompasses that of the various eras as it was first a Roman Catholic, then Dutch Protestant and finally an Anglican church, which it remains today. At one time it housed the remains of Vasco da Gama and Magellan, both who died here. Magellan lived in the house immediately behind the church and the Dutch East India Company had their Indian headquarters in the building next door. The second Western style church, Sta. Cruz Cathedral Basilica, was first constructed in 1558. It was destroyed in the wars with the Dutch, who used it to store weapons. The British completed the destruction. It was only in the late 19th C that the current church came into existence following its original Roman Catholic tradition. Prior to the Western Churches, Christians in the area worshiped in structures similar to the Hindu temples that have their own distinctly southern Indian Dravidian style. Mosques were also built from around the 8th C onwards. The Paradisi synagogue was built in 1608 and is located at the entrance to Jewtown, near the Royal Palace. Jews had been trading in the region well before the Portuguese, but it seems the first real community was only developed after the Iberians arrived. They were encouraged to come by the Royal family as they were known to be good traders. The palace itself is better known today as the Dutch Museum. The synagogue and clocktower can be seen behind the Krishna temple from the palace windows. The synagogue is currently undergoing renovations and will be back open as a museum after they are completed. The Jewish community has left Fort Kochi and there are only two elderly people left of the tens of thousands who had once made this area their home.
The palace’s official name is the Mattancherry Palace Museum. It was built ca. 1555 by the Portuguese and gifted to the local ruler, Vira Kaerala Varmato, make amends for plundering a nearby temple. From that time until the establishment of the state of Kerala, it served as the seat of royal government and the home of the royal family. Around 1665 the Dutch repaired it, which is why the current name. Near the back of the building near the central courtyard is the temple to the tutelary deity of the royal family – Pazhayannur Bhagavathi. There are two more temples on site dedicated to Lord Krishna and Siva respectively. The palace is a blend of European and local architectural ideas. The most famous aspect of the building is on the second floor. Mural paintings depicting scenes from the Ramayana, the puranic legends connected with Siva, Vishnu, Krishna, Durga etc. , and a local origin legend cover nearly 300 sq. m.. Unfortunately, they weren’t allowed to be photographed.
According to a plaque in the palace, the local legend relates that “Parasurama, one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu, was doing penance in Gokarna. The Brahmin priests requested Parashurama to create a land for them to settle. After getting the blessings of Varuna and Bjumidevi, Parashurama flung his battle axe over the waters and it came to rest in what is now Kanyakumari. The waters receded and a narrow strip of land emerged from Gokarna in the north and Kanykumari in the South to create the land of Kerala, also known as “Parashuramakshetra’ (or the land of Parashurama).”
Another versions states that: “According to Keralamahatmyam (44th Adhyaya chapter) King Vishravanana’s daughter Bala told Parashurama that she needed a land with her own name for her home. Parashurama, fulfilling her wish, created a land from sea and called it Kochi. Lord Parashurama promoted this land and invited people of all religions, castes and creeds to settle here.” So in this sense, I guess it truly is “God’s Own Country.”
Before Hinduism became prevalent the people of the Kochi kingdom, the larger region, and most of Southern India, practiced ancient Dravidian rites of animal and spirit worship. Several forms of animal gods like Pashupati and spirit gods like Yakshi or Devi were common deities of worship. By the 3rd or 4th C, there was a blending of the indigenous traditions with the Hindu pantheon. For example, Pashupati was assimilated with Lord Shiva, and Devi or Shakti – the symbol of the Mother Goddess of the Dravidian cultures - was absorbed as the universal female deity and consort of Shiva, Parvati, in one of her numerous forms. The Kochi kings mainly worshipped Bhagavathy (the Goddess) as their Paradevata, main deity, as well as Sree Poonathrayeesh (Vishnu in Santana Gopala form). Shiva, Krishna, Mahalakshmi and Ganesha were also popular deities. Tribal gods and goddess forms survived in worship rituals as lower gods, specifically in Bhadrakali and Durga temples. A few were also absorbed as children of the higher gods, like Ayyappa, who became considered the son of Vishnu and Shiva, or Muruggan who was incorporated into the family of Shiva and Parvati.
Ayyappa is an interesting figure. I’d not heard of him before, and the coupling of Shiva and Vishnu in his/her Mohini form was also new to me. Ayyappa, however, is perhaps the most popular god in the region and thousands of people make the arduous pilgrimage to his temple in the hills, which can only be reached by a reputed to be steep climb of about 4-5 hours. In order to prepare for the pilgrimage, one is supposed to fast for 41 days and not have any evil, lustful or greedy thoughts – much less actions – for that amount of time as well. I’m not sure that all the barefoot pilgrims I saw wearing black cloth had actually successfully completed the official preparation, but they did seem intent on showing their devotion to the deity.
The Kochi royal family was somewhat unique in that they practiced marumakandayam (nephew + inheritance/gift) a matrilineal system followed by certain castes in Kerala. It was one of the few traditional systems that gave women some liberty, and the right to property. Again, according to descriptions in the museum, “In the matrilinear system, the family lived together in a Tharavadu or the family house, which comprised a mother, her brothers and younger sisters and her children. The oldest male member was known as the Karanavar and was the head of the household and managed the family estate. Lineage was traced through the mother and the children ‘belonged to the mother’s family. All family property was jointly owned. In social anthropology, Marumakkathayam is best described as Matrilocal Residence where a woman even after marriage resides with her maternal family. The particular status and privileges accorded to women created a social structure where there was no gender bias towards male children. Female offspring were considered good fortune and their birth a symbol of prosperity. They enjoyed the freedom and protection of their own family and kin group. When they visited their husband’s homes they were treated as special guests according to the status of the husband. When the male head of the household died, the lineage went to the eldest woman’s nephew and not her son. In the modern era Marumakkattayam was increasingly seen as an undesirable remnant of a feudal past and discontented groups including Nayar men sought to bring reform. In 1920, 1925, and 1933 laws came into effect that prohibited polygamy, installed formal marriage, and recognized land as formal property that could be inherited. The husband as the wife’s guardian undid the concept of Marumakklattayam. While the system may not be adhered to legally, it is still evidenced the social structure and cultural practices of modern day royal family members and Nayas. The Tharavadu remains the focus for family members. Even today, most children carry their mother’s name. It was only after 1900 that the royal family was allowed to hold personal property.
Until the 1920s, under the Marumakkattayam practice, the most sought after partner for a royal lady was a Namboothiri Brahmin. These alliances were sought across case lines, so that the father of the King is a Brahmin. By the 1920s royal women attended schools and became teachers. Many also became Sanskrit scholars and poets.”
The palace is near the shoreline, but the waterfront by Fort Kochi is not inviting. The canals and river are continually dredged to ensure safe passage for the ships and what comes up from the dredging stinks. That doesn’t stop locals from walking along the boardwalk, but I didn’t see anyone attempting to get into what looked like pretty polluted water.
From Kochi I made my way up through some of the Western Ghats to Thekkady to get to Periyar Tiger Reserve. On the drive, I was astounded by the number of new very large houses that lined the road. They looked like villas in Florida or Southern California and not anything like I had seen elsewhere during my many trips to India. I couldn’t imagine where people were getting the money to build them, until I was told that it was with the funds earned in Saudi and Kuwait. The men go off to work, basically as slave labor, for a number of years and send the majority of the money home so that they can purchase land and build the houses. That also explained why there were also a number of unfinished and seemingly abandoned structures. Covid took a toll on this enterprise as well. As the car moved up the hills the vegetation changed from rice paddies to rubber plantations to pineapple fields to coffee and tea plantations covering the entire hillsides and finally to spice orchards. I stopped in for a tour of one of the spice places. It was fascinating to learn about how the family who owned the land had been growing and harvesting spices for food and medicinal purposes for over four hundred years. My tour guide at the site showed me how they can tell when each plant is ready to be harvested and demonstrated how everything is still done by hand. He insisted that the success of their business is based in having a complete ecosystem where the plants work in harmony with each other. Some need shade, some need light, some need the nutrition from the seeds or leaves of the other and some work as natural protectors against invasive insects or other plants. It is important to get the balance right, but when it is, then all the plants blossom. There is a lesson for all of us here, I think.
This wasn’t the case with the two elephants that were working next door. They were being used for 10-15 minute rides through the brush and had a chain on the right foreleg and around their neck. It nearly broke my heart to see them. Domestic tourists stood with them to get their photos taken, much the way we did in Thailand, but these elephants had to perform a particular pose for the camera and the mahout had a stick prodding a very tender area of the elephant’s foot to keep him in place. When I mentioned that I was upset by what I saw, I was told that they were born in captivity and never knew any other kind of life, as if that was supposed to make me feel better. In the end, to appease me, they brought me some bananas so that I could feed them. It didn’t help much, but at least they got a small snack out of it. I later learned that elephant logging is now illegal in India, and there is a law that is supposed to go into effect sometime next year to stop the elephant rides. I was feeding the elephants while I was waiting for the jeep to take me to the Tiger Reserve. The Tiger Reserve is quite large, and the jeep trails very bouncy. Unfortunately, I didn’t see one, nor did I see any of the wild elephants the Periyar National Park is famous for, but I did see a wild buffalo herd in the distance and a beautiful kingfisher bird that the guide pointed out.
The next day it was back down the hills to Kamarakom and Vembanad Lake. On the way, there were some very large Roman Catholic and Syrian Orthodox Churches and lots of temples to Shiva, Bhagawathy/Devi, Ayyappa and Vishnu along with clusters of mosques. It seems there are primarily Hindus, Christians and Muslims in Kerala, no Jains, Sikhs, Buddhist or Jews – other than the two remaining elders in Fort Kochi.
The distances between places don’t look like much; for example, it was only about 150 km between Thekkady and Kamarakom, but it took almost five hours. The drive was generally about 25-30 km per hour, which threw my original plan out the window. I did have time to visit the Kamarakom Bird Sanctuary in the afternoon for a brief 3.5km walk through the trees and overgrown vines along backwater canals. There weren’t many birds that I could see, but I could hear them, and saw another monitor lizard, which was fun. In the evening, I made it in time to catch a sunset cruise along the shoreline of the lake. It was a perfect evening with a slight breeze after a very muggy humid day.
The next day I continued on to Alleppey for an overnight on a houseboat and cruise around that that lake and the canals that feed it. This was perhaps the most relaxing experience I had during the entire trip. The two gentlemen who run the houseboat, two brothers Biju and Subash, explained what I was seeing on the shoreline, cooked meals I could eat – those without sharp spices – and took immaculate care of their boat. This is an experience that I can highly recommend to everyone who comes to Kerala!
The houseboat trip was the last day of my mini-nature excursion. The following day it was on to Thiruvananthapuram and back to city temples.
These first few days in Kerala were fascinating. Even without seeing a tiger or much of the wildlife that I’d really wanted to, simply seeing how this region is so vastly different from elsewhere in India made the trip worthwhile. I didn’t have a mystical experience, but did love being on the sea and backwaters, in the Western Ghats, and lush rainforest. Kerala is beautiful.
