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- published: 08 May 2013
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- author: NDTV
Palakkad, the rice bowl of Kerala, is scorched by severe drought. This cracked land is actually the bed of a check dam - once a critical source of water for ...
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.
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.
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]
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]
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]
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.
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]
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]
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]
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.
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]
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
Climate data for Kerala | |||||||||||||
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average high °C (°F) | 28.0 (82.4) |
30 (86) |
31 (88) |
32 (90) |
34 (93) |
34 (93) |
30 (86) |
29 (84) |
29 (84) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
31 (88) |
34 (93) |
Average low °C (°F) | 22 (72) |
23 (73) |
24 (75) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
24 (75) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
22 (72) |
22 (72) |
Source: [70] |
Arabian Sea | Karnataka | Karnataka | ||
Arabian Sea | Tamil Nadu | |||
Kerala East | ||||
Arabian Sea | Tamil Nadu | Tamil Nadu |
State animal | Indian elephant | |
State bird | Great Hornbill | |
State tree | Coconut tree | |
State flower | Cassia fistula |
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
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).
Code[76] | District | Region | Population(2011)[77] | Area (as at 2001)[77] |
KS | Kasaragod | Malabar | 1,302,600 | 1,992 km2 (769 sq mi) |
KN | Kannur | Malabar | 2,525,637 | 2,966 km2 (1,145 sq mi) |
WA | Wayanad | Malabar | 816,558 | 2,131 km2 (823 sq mi) |
KZ | Kozhikode | Malabar | 3,089,543 | 2,345 km2 (905 sq mi) |
MA | Malappuram | Malabar | 4,110,956 | 3,550 km2 (1,370 sq mi) |
PL | Palakkad | Malabar | 2,810,892 | 4,480 km2 (1,730 sq mi) |
TS | Thrissur | Kochi | 3,110,327 | 3,032 km2 (1,171 sq mi) |
ER | Ernakulam | Kochi | 3,279,860 | 2,951 km2 (1,139 sq mi) |
ID | Idukki | Travancore | 1,107,453 | 4,479 km2 (1,729 sq mi) |
KT | Kottayam | Travancore | 1,979,384 | 2,203 km2 (851 sq mi) |
AL | Alappuzha | Travancore | 2,121,943 | 1,414 km2 (546 sq mi) |
PT | Pathanamthitta | Travancore | 1,195,537 | 2,462 km2 (951 sq mi) |
KL | Kollam | Travancore | 2,629,703 | 2,498 km2 (964 sq mi) |
TV | Thiruvananthapuram | Travancore | 3,307,284 | 2,192 km2 (846 sq mi) |
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 |
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) |
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.
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]
Year | Gross State Domestic Product |
1980 | 42,860 |
1985 | 75,200 |
1990 | 140,980 |
1995 | 387,620 |
2000 | 697,920 |
2005 | 1,025,080[88] |
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]
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".
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
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]
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:-
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.
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]
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]
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
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.
Population trend[123][124] | |||
Census | Pop. | %± | |
1951 | 13,549,000 |
1961 | 16,904,000 | 24.8% | |
1971 | 21,347,000 | 26.3% | |
1981 | 25,454,000 | 19.2% | |
1991 | 29,099,000 | 14.3% | |
2001 | 31,841,000 | 9.4% | |
2011 | 33,388,000 | 4.9% | |
Source: 2001 Census of India[123] |
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]
Females comprise 51.42% of the population; males form the remaining 48.58% of the population.[128]:26
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.
Religion in Kerala[129] | ||||
Religion | Percent | |||
Hinduism |
56.2% | ||
Islam |
24.7% | ||
Christianity |
19.0% | ||
Others |
1.1% |
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]
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
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 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]
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]
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]
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]
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.
Thiruvathira kali: a dance performed by women in Kerala during Onam and Thiruvaathira festivals.
Onappottan, a cultural image of Kerala, related to Onam.
Paddy fields of Kerala in Sultan Bathery
A house boat on the backwaters near Alleppey in Kerala
Resorts dot the length and breadth of Kerala.
Sunset at Varkala Beach
Kalaripayattu a martial art of Kerala
forest river in wayanad
Thrissur Pooram festival
^ 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.
Find more about Kerala on Wikipedia's sister projects: | |
Definitions and translations from Wiktionary |
Images and media from Commons |
Learning resources from Wikiversity |
News stories from Wikinews |
Quotations from Wikiquote |
Source texts from Wikisource |
Textbooks from Wikibooks |
Malayalam edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Mahé | Karnataka | |||
Lakshadweep Sea | Tamil Nadu | |||
Kerala East | ||||
Indian Ocean |


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Very dissapointing stay. I was expecting it to be gorgeous. Our room stank of must and was so run down. It was the worst hotel room i ever stayed in. I couldnt believe it. I didnt complain as i didnt want to cause a fuss so i just got on with it. The food is rediculously over priced. My husband... More
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subset: commoncrawl


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It's a celebration fit for a Queen! THE TALK celebrates co-host Sharon Osbourne's milestone 60th Birthday with a special show, Tuesday, October 9, 2012 on the CBS Television Network. Sheryl Underwood, from left, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Aisha Tyler and Julie Chen, shown. Photo: Cliff Lipson/CBS ©2012 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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Pugilistics Future Fisticuffs
First stops on a journey into local combat arts
Editor's note: Last week we began our coverage of the local combat sports scene with Dwayne Davis' cover story, "Jump, Punch and Score" (seeVol. 22, No. 3). This week we offer Davis' first installment of what will be a regularly recurring feature on these themes entitled "Pugilistics." Enjoy.
And here we go. Launching a new topic to the masses requires careful planning.
What is the best way to introduce a new product while keeping those already interested fully engaged?
One tried and true method is the infomercial. Unfortunately for us, Billy Mays of OxiClean fame died. His main competitor Vince Offer of Slap Chop hilarity was last seen fighting with prostitutes in Florida.
So you are stuck with me. The good news? Everyone is familiar with the belt ranking system. Beginners in a martial arts discipline wear the white belt.
On the other end of the spectrum is the black belt, a.k.a. the experts. In between, depending on the school and lineage a variety of colors can be awarded. Let's tab purple as a nice middle ground.
Hopefully this will allow basic breakdowns for what the fight community calls "noobs" as well as more hardcore information for studied readers.
White Belt
Friday Night's Alright for Fighting was an episode of the Gilmore Girls. Friday Night Fights is a long running boxing show on ESPN2.
Local promoter Dale "Apollo" Cook hopes his Xtreme Fight Night strikes a balance between entertainment and pure athletic prowess.
XFN 8 takes place inside The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa on Friday, July 27. The first fight is scheduled for 7pm.
A trademark of his Xtreme Fight Night brand is the special guest. This event will be no different.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson captured America's imagination during his prime fighting career. His howls and metal chain are legendary.
He merged a vicious fighting style and larger-than-life personality to earn top billing in the MMA world. His knockout of Chuck Liddell at UFC 71 guaranteed his place in history.
His exploits also landed him a starring role in the 2010 The A-Team remake. While the movie disappointed, his performance was spot on.
He will be on hand for pictures and autographs. A word to the wise, Rampage is notoriously a moody guy. He is either all smiles and giggles or a "what are you looking at" guy.
His next scheduled fight in the famed Octagon is October 13 at UFC 153 in Brazil. So his demeanor should be pleasant since the weight cutting will not have commenced.
Purple Belt
Do people buy tickets to these events to see the local fighters or because of the big name special guests? The easy answer is a little bit of both.
It is an interesting debate. The true answer may depend on which local fighters will do battle as well as the name recognition of the special guest. Or a little bit of both.
Several names on this fight card are familiar.
The McDougal brothers are fighting, but not against each other. Chase and Brandon would be matched against each other if this were Japan. However they battle separate opponents in T-Town.
Heavyweight bouts can go either way. The match either features devastating power or two big sloppy looking guys who run out of energy early. Haze Wilson and Bryan Porritt represent Tulsa against outsiders in their respective matches. Hopefully these big boys can bring it for three rounds, if necessary.
Jarrett Rouse is scheduled for another kickboxing bout. His record is 18-0. The Dewey product is nicknamed "The Legacy" for good reason. His local paper chronicles his journey and rightfully so.
A woman's mixed martial arts bout is scheduled between Kathina Catron and Katy Collins. The females never disappoint.
Several local rising stars hope to add another notch to their win total. Andrew Todhunter, Jesse Chaffin and Cherokee heavyweight boxing prospect Wes Nofire highlight a scheduled 16-bout card.
The co-main events should be a nice capper. Last week Randy "Boom Boom" Blake was featured on the cover of UTW.
This Friday he puts his entry into the K-1 tournament on the line when he faces Aaron Winterle. Blake will be giving up size but should be able to utilize his speed and quickness advantages.
His ISKA World Championship is not on the line, but his undefeated record will be.
Black Belt
"Right before my fight he came over," said XFL Light Heavyweight Champion Myron Dennis. "He was talking to me saying, 'I like your style because you are calm.' He wished me luck and said Godspeed. Out of all the special guests, he seemed like the coolest and the most down to earth."
Dennis (6-1) was referring to UFC Light Heavyweight Champ Jon Jones. Only at Xtreme Fight Night could something this surreal take place for a local fighter.
His belt will be on the line against Amarillo fighter John King. King is a formidable opponent. He traded in his arena football pads for a fight career. He is athletic and known for his relentless approach.
"I'm pretty much fighting blind on this fight," said Dennis of the lack of fight footage. "He is built like a black Captain America."
Why not just use the Black Panther as the comparison? "I don't like Black Panther. He is one of my least favorites."
Dennis is your new breed of fighter. His standup is crisp. His submission game is underrated. He recently took second in the NAGA tournament which crowns regional grappling experts.
Dennis trains under the tutelage of Kentrick Coleman at Academy of Martial Arts in Oklahoma City.
"It is pretty much like Tulsa adopted me. All of my fights have been out there. More people know me in Tulsa for fighting than they do in the city because of the good job the XFL has done promoting me."
Dennis is one of the few full-time fighters on the local scene. He trains strength and conditioning in the morning and two MMA classes in the evening. Lucky for him, his wife Christina supports his passion and dedication.
The 23-year-old fighter wants to win, but he also wants to entertain. Although standing and trading power strikes with a guy equal to his size can be dangerous, he would not have it any other way.
"I like to take that risk because it puts on a good show and I like to fight."
Visit hardrockcasinotulsa.com for ticket information.
URL for this story: http://www.urbantulsa.comhttp://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A51079


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Nobel Prize winner will be at Northshire Bookstore on FridayJune 27,2013Nobel laureate to speak at Northshire
MANCHESTER Vermonter and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jody Williams will be at the Northshire Bookstore on Friday at 7 p.m. to discuss her book, My Name Is Jody Williams: A Vermont Girls Winding Path to the Nobel Peace Prize.
Williams is the 10th woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and third American woman to receive the honor. She was awarded the Nobel in 1997 for her work with the International Campaign in Ban Landmines.
In the book, Williams writes about her Catholic roots; learning how to stand up against injustice while defending her deaf brother, Stephen; transforming from a good girl to a hippie at the University of Vermont; and protesting the war in Vietnam. Williams began a life dedicated to global activism in 1981 when she advocated for the end of the U.S.-backed war in El Salvador.
In her memoir, Williams discusses her belief that an average woman, through perseverance, courage and imagination, can make something extraordinary happen.
For more information on this free event or others at the Northshire, call the store at 362-2200 or 1-800-437-3700, or visit the website at www.northshire.com.MORE IN This Just InBELLOWS FALLS - A government merger between the village of Bellows Falls and the town of... Full StoryVERGENNES - Voters in the Vermont city of Vergennes have approved the City Council's decision to... Full StoryMONTPELIER - Vermont has reclaimed its title as the top state in the country for the production... Full Story -
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Choose Your Adventure
Featured Adventure
14-person classic raft | Breakfast Combo
More Information
Available Dates
10 Jun 2014
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5.5 - 6 hours
Adult: $92.00
Youth: $82.00
Tuesday through Sunday
Beginning June 10, 2014
Morning departure time varies throughout the summer
Approximately 5.5 to 6 hours round trip from Jackson
Minimum age is 6 years old
16 miles of scenic floating and whitewater rafting in a 14-person raft. Ease into your day on a beautiful 8-mile morning float to our private riverside camp for your hot, 5-star breakfast. Our camp staff will serve up our famous wild rice pancakes, maple sausage, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, coffee, hot cocoa and orange juice. Then, head back to your raft for 8 miles of whitewater rapids!
Great Adventures
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Posted April 30, 2012
Looking to transfer characters into MM2 from MM1. Just wondering if anyone has some advice. Looks like unless I finish MM1 - transfer in at level seven - other wise level six. Is there any benefit to transferring in after MM1 is complete? I am thinking of just doing it once I hit level 6.
Post edited April 30, 2012 by Lou
This question / problem has been solved by Waltorious


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An Irish passport is one of the most sought-after travel documents in the world.
I have both Irish and English citizenship and have always used the Irish passport in preference.
It's kitschy but true; being Irish is seen as being more, well, likeable or something.
The easiest way to get an Irish passport of course is to be born in Ireland.
But, if you drew the short straw on that one, you're going to need an Irish parent or an Irish grandparent.
If you have an Irish great-grandparent you need to satisfy the following requirements;
There are two circumstances under which a great-grandchild is eligible to apply for Irish citizenship by descent:
The Irish Consulate in New York explained that the parent would need to be registered in the "Foreign Birth Register" which is held at the Consulate, effectively a listing of those of Irish citizens born abroad who are entitled to Irish citizenship who have their births "registered."
David Drumm: 'There is a witch hunt ... I convince myself that this will pass'
Ireland's top ten most popular tourist attractions for 2011 - PHOTOS
The Best Irish Gifts online this Christmas
A practical use of an Irish passport is that you will be entitled to work and travel freely in any of the 27 countries in the European Union.
You won't need a work permit for this – and once you have worked in a European Union county for a certain length of time, you will be entitled to unemployment compensation, health care and pension rights.
How else then can you get an Irish passport? Getting a passport is really the easy part – it's getting Irish citizenship that takes a little time.
Born in Ireland
To get an Irish passport, you must first become an Irish citizen. Fortunately, Americans can hold dual citizenship, as can Irish, so there's no conflict there.
Let's look at the scenarios that allow you to claim Irish citizenship.
Anyone born in Ireland before January 1, 2005 is an Irish citizen. After that date, it is not automatic, and the citizenship and residency history of both parents is taken into account.
Marriage to Irish citizen
You are also entitled to Irish citizenship if you are married to an Irish citizen.
To claim citizenship by marriage, you must meet the following conditions: you must be married to an Irish citizen for at least three years; you must have had one year of "continuous residence" on the island of Ireland immediately before the date of your application; and finally, you must have been living on the island of Ireland for at least two of the four years before that year of continuous residence.
If you were born outside of Ireland and either your mother or father (or both) was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth, then you are entitled to Irish citizenship.
Permanent residency
If you have been a permanent resident in Ireland, you can try to become a citizen through naturalization. You will need to have lived permanently in Ireland for the previous five years, be over 18 and not have a criminal record.
But let's face it – living in Ireland for five years is a lot of effort just to get that Irish passport. A much better way to get an Irish passport is to have at least one Irish grandparent. And by Irish, we mean an Irish grandparent who was or is an Irish citizen.
Irish grandparents
What to do next?
After getting an Irish grandparent, the next thing to do is to call an Irish consulate and ask them to send you an application form. There are Irish consulates in most of the major U.S cities. They should also be able to advise you on getting the right documentation in order for your application.
You'll need a copy of your grandparent's birth certificate from Ireland. If you don't have a copy you can get one from the General Registry Office in Dublin. (Click here to go to their Web site.)
You will also need: Your grandparent's certificate of marriage; your parents' birth and marriage certificates; and an original death certificate for any of these relatives who have passed away. If the grandparent is deceased, you'll need to show a certified copy of their death certificate, and if alive, a current official I.D. (such as a driver's license or passport.)
To access the Irish documents, it will help you to know as much information about where and when your Irish grandparent was born, which may involve some genealogy research.
If one of your parents is Irish, and you would like to get an Irish passport, the process is easier. You need: their marriage certificate; a current official I.D; a copy of their death certificate if your Irish parent has passed away, a full long-form birth certificate of your Irish parent, showing your grandparents' names, places of birth and ages at birth.
You will also need: your own long-form birth certificate; documentation to show that you have changed your name, such as a marriage certificate, if this has happened; a notarized copy of your current passport, and at least three other notarized copies of proofs of identity, one of which must be a photo I.D; a bank/utility statement with your current address; and two signed passport photos.
Once you have established your Irish citizenship – which can take up to 18 months to process – you can apply for an Irish passport. This can take up to six weeks to process and you can do this through your nearest Irish consulate.
And then, you too can sashay through the EU passport section at Dublin airport after the overnight flight from New York!
A much easier way would be for one to simply wash up in Ireland pregnant, and manage to endear themselves to any number of Left-wing, Marxist "human rights" organizations. Or the Labour Party for example. The trick is that ONE HAS TO BE BLACK...LIKE DITERINE TEKUME FROM LIMBE, CAMEROON, WHO CLAIMED POLITICAL ASYLUM IN IRELAND ON 23 SEP 2009...THE VERY SAME DAY AS I (a descendent of Famine victims) DID...AFTER SHE SPENT MORE THAN SIX MONTHS LIVING IN HELSINKI, FINLAND!!! WHY THE HELL DOES DITERINE TEKUMU GET TO BE IRISH WHILE I, PATRICK DOWNEY DO NOT??? TO HELL WITH THE IRISH GOVERNMENT!!! TO HELL WITH THE IRISH MEDIA AND TO HELL WITH "IRISH CENTRAL" YOU GODDAMNED TRAITORS!!! TO HELL WITH YOU ALL!!!
kuzcoed: You're not disappointing me, except in the sense that I am always disappointed when I see people with low English reading and writing skills. Check out your local community college--they may be running Basic English courses. In your case, you're obviously a dope, since I never claimed that "all Nigerians in Ireland came through political asylum channel". Bit of an illiterate, aren't you, kuzcoed?
George, sorry to disappoint you. Not all Nigerians in Ireland came through political asylum channel to obtained Irish citizenship. Many Nigerians that I knew very well are doctors, lecturers, nurses to mention but few working in Ireland and over the years naturalised themselves as Irish citizens. So what you don't fully understood, you don't assumed.
yes george your right! they dont have to say they are somali now! just play the, me no english, sh-ite and away you go! within three days they will have a free house, medical card, transport and dole! and you know its not just them that should be shot its the stupid cu-nts that call it discrimination if you dont let them in! and yes! they are as useless here as they are in every other country they infect!
I don't know how many times Irish Central has recycled this topic. My advice remains as it was the last time this item was posted: The best way to get an Irish passport is to flush your own passport down the commode of the plane just before you land at Dublin Airport. Then scream "Political Asylum, I'm a Somali" as you go thru Immigration. Result? You get accepted as a refugee--all expenses paid--and a few months later you get your Irish passport. Don't believe me? Well, check out the entire west and north of Dublin City. You'll see thousands of Nigerians who successfully claimed to be Somalis (the countries are a couple thousand miles apart, but the dopes in Irish Immigration don't know the difference) and are now Irish citizens.
Great article and will need to read in it's entirety at a later time as I have more questions to ask than what I've seen here at the moment. I shall inquire with the Irish Counslate either here in Houston Texas or in New York.
We irish delude ourselves if we believe the rest of the world welcomes us like before. We were tested re the church and child rape issue and we failed miserably. We still support the catholic cult and all its institutions as if nothing had happened. Speaking to others worldwide- they expected every irish citizen to stay away from mass and giving the church money, but we did not. So, we are now seen as a disgrace among peoples on Earth.


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recipe reviews for:
"Egg noodles, carrots, celery, and chicken are simmered in broth seasoned with basil and oregano. Chicken noodle soup in 30 minutes!"
Cooking Level: Intermediate
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Holiday cookies, cakes, pies, and breads. Get recipes and inspiration.
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This classic chicken and noodle soup is simple and so satisfying.


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Directions to Mugaritz
If you have any trouble reaching us, do not hesitate to call (943 522 455 / 943 518 343) and we will do our best to help you.
Wherever you are travelling from, take the A-8 motorway (in the direction of San Sebastián-Irún) .
Exit at junction no. 3 (Oiartzun-Errenteria east).
When you have left the motorway, on your right, take the GI-2132 road (in the direction of Astigarraga-Hernani) and exit at km 10-11.
You will pass by the Alcampo hypermarket. Travel 4 km going up a small mountain pass. Right at the top of the mountain pass, take the turnoff on the right signposting Errenteria at 3 km.
100m from this exit, there area a Stop sign and a blue restaurant road sign (a spoon and a fork) indicating the restaurant is 1,200 m away. Go right. For reference, on your right you will see the Perurena bar/brasserie.
Without turning off the road at any time, drive straight ahead for 1 km until you reach Mugaritz restaurant, located on the right-hand side of the road. The house is white, with a large car park which can be easily seen from the brow of the hill.
If your car has a GPS system, the co-ordinates to be entered are:
- Longitude: 1º 55' 4'' West
- Latitude: 43º 16' 22'' North


text: On a night where Bobby Roode continued to reign supreme as the 'leader of the selfish generation', Ben Veal takes a look at TNA's second pay per view of 2012, Against All Odds… Date: Sunday 12th February 2012 Location: Impact Zone, Orlando, FL Coming straight off the back of two tapings in front of a near-capacity raucous crowd at London's Wembley Arena, TNA certainly had a tall order on their hands in delivering the PPV feel in front of a much-smaller, and muted, crowd in Orlando. Did they manage to achieve it? Let's find out.


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Image: Blackmargin Dartfish, Parioglossus marginalis
Blackmargin Dartfish caught at a depth of about 0.3 m, near Roseville Bridge, Middle Harbour, Sydney, New South Wales, 25 February 2012.
- Photographer:
- Katt Srinivasan
- Rights:
- © Australian Museum
- Order:
- Perciformes
Additional information
Thank you to Tony Gill for his assistance with identifying the fish.
Last Updated:
Tags fishes, ichthyology, Parioglossus marginalis, Blackmargin Dartfish, Microdesmidae,


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Kobayashi was one of the stars of the race at Suzuka - as he pulled off a number of spectacular and aggressive overtaking moves to deliver more valuable points for the team with seventh place.
And with his performance having excited fans and the media, Sauber is keeping its fingers crossed that there could be commercial benefits off the back of it.
Sauber's managing director Monisha Kaltenborn said: "Ideally you want the driver from the country he comes from to give that kind of performance. I think he did a great job, because he had a lot of pressure from the public, and we could see the amount of media attention he was getting.
"It is an ideal situation to have for the Japanese market. We understand the economic difficulties, especially in Japan, but we hope this performance can give them a push to support him."
Although Kobayashi made contact with other cars during his spirited drive, Kaltenborn said she was not too concerned that his efforts would end in him crashing out.
"When you see him do these kinds of things, for a minute you are a little worried and you hope that all goes well," she explained. "But on the other hand, you expect him to fight. We expect him to do these things – and he is of course quite daring."


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Hey Southwest Airlines! This is what happens when you don't charge extra for checked baggage.
Last week, the cops were called out to Little Rock International Airport after 50 human heads were found packaged and wrapped in the cargo hold of a Southwest Airlines jet headed for Fort Worth.
Guess that many melons — sans bodies — don't get the fly coach. They probably don't fit in the overhead compartment OR firmly beneath the seat. They'd definitely "shift" during flight.
According to reports, the heads were being sent by an Arkansas company — JLS Consulting — to a Texas firm for physicians' continuing education. Don't companies have to, like, tell someone when they plan on shipping body parts via the cargo hold? There's got to be some sort of protocol here. You don't just toss a few heads into a duffel bag and call it a day.
Or maybe you do.
Lucky these heads were found prior to takeoff. Chances are, the airline would have lost 'em anyway.
Now feel free to give us your best "heads on a plane" zinger. You know you want to.
- He didn't get it his way.
- You know what they say: "the deeper the voice…"
- Sex for hire up in Lufkin (mug shot goodness).
- Did someone say "FREE?"
- Journalists are lovin' it in Iceland.


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Term: Anomalous Experience
Anomalous Experience: An experience that cannot be explained by currently accepted Western scientific theories.
Many of the terms used in these subject areas do not actually describe "things" so much they do "functions." Similarly, a hand can be described as a fist, or an open palm, or a light hand or a heavy hand, and so forth—these describe functions of ... Relevance: 2% Whether spontaneous or deliberately activated, clairvoyance is always purposeful and empowerment driven. When focused outward, clairvoyance can reveal important physical realities not otherwise available to conscious awareness. When focused inward, ... Relevance: 2% Summary
The Law of Attraction Tarot is a complete system designed to help you better understand the principles of the LOA, to identify and analyze your goals, and to effectively achieve those goals. The full color book in the kit version ... Relevance: 2% Introduction. System, Memorization, and Visualization are key factors in all "training for success," no matter what the goal may be.
Step One: the Route. Starting from your sleeping area, plan a route in your home and memorize it ... Relevance: 2% From even before birth, we grow into our Psyche just as we also grow into our Psychic Potentials.
Our childhood experiences are the foundation of the Personality, but we live most our lives as adults and not as children. As the Bible says, we have ... Relevance: 2% Where in the world is magic? It is not in science, which denies the reality and value of anything not amenable to the scientific method. It is not in religion. The Church has historically looked upon magic as devilish, and in modern times regards it ... Relevance: 2% Magic is the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will, in a way that is not currently understood by modern science. Many people are fond of dividing magic up into specific categories such as "white magic" (beneficial, ... Relevance: 2% In recent years parapsychologists have conducted extensive research into what Charles Honorton, a pioneering investigator in this area, calls "internal attention states." Honorton and others have shown that ESP can be significantly enhanced if the ... Relevance: 2%
If you were to
ask a dozen "experts" to give a definition of hypnosis, they would give you a
dozen different answers. No matter what anyone says, there is no such thing as
an accepted definition of hypnosis. No one knows exactly what it is. ... Relevance: 2% Summary:
More than an art deck recreating some of Gustav Klimt's styles and techniques, the Golden Tarot of Klimt is executed with taste and the judicious and delicious use of gold stamping. It is close enough to the Rider-Waite-Smith for ease in ... Relevance: 2% The Sabbats are a combination of solar and earthly celebrations. The daily cycle of the sun and the seasons of the earth determined the rhythms of activity for our ancestors. They lived close to the land and on an everyday basis observed its subtle ... Relevance: 2% |


text:
Midweek Rates from $99
Escape to Cambria with rates starting at just $99
Romantic Escape Special
Enjoy wine and roses with that special someone
Book Early and Save
Be rewarded with up to 15% savings
Welcome to the Fireside Inn!
A Gem on California's Shimmering Central Coast
Ditch your day-to-day stress and escape to the Fireside Inn, where you will find yourself surrounded by an aura of utter relaxation and romantic charm. Nestled between the brilliant blue waters of the Pacific and the glorious green hillsides of California's wine country, our hotel weds the artistic atmosphere of Cambria California with the natural beauty of the nearby countryside and ocean. Leisure and business travelers alike will enjoy the friendly staff, convenient location and tranquil surroundings at our Cambria CA hotel.
Our finely appointed guestrooms and ample onsite amenities provide everything you need for a relaxing and exciting Central California Coast vacation. Free continental breakfast, complimentary high-speed Internet access, a heated pool, free parking and a number of convenient in-room features are awaiting your arrival in Cambria.
Nearby activities and attractions come in all shapes and sizes. Enjoy the true essence of California at monthly wine tastings, esteemed art galleries, diverse shopping options and delicious dining spots or satisfy your inner explorer with a wide range of outdoor activities like hiking or kayaking.
To learn more, contact the Fireside Inn on Moonstone Beach at 888-910-7100.
Please note that we are a 100% Smoke Free Hotel.


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Leave it to Moschino to add some fun to the seriousness of Fashion Week–the brand did just that with the Spring 2014 collection for its Cheap and Chic brand. A clear nod to the season with a vacation-ready vibe, the buoyant designs and detailing were standout: perfect for every occasion from poolside romps to high-fashion bashes.
The color palette was electric and girly with neons and pink hues galore. Retro-inspired round glasses, jewel-encrusted wedge sandals, red lips, and sleek chignons added a dose of polish, completing the looks perfectly.
Feathers adorned everything from the hems of dresses to point-toe pumps, adding a fun flair to the pieces as well as a bit of a naughty "come hither" vibe.
Flamingoes lent to the vacation feel on jumpsuits, shoulder bags, mini dresses, a graphic tee, and more.
Prints, kitschy graphics, and girlish detailing really anchored the collection from popular peplum to "Muse" and "Party" being sprinkled on tees and handbags for good measure. I definitely intend to buy into the latter: what's not to love about pairing a graphic tee with everything from skinnies to your favorite pencil skirt?
What do you think of Moschino Cheap and Chic's latest?
Images: Style.com
3 Responses to "Show Review: Moschino Cheap and Chic Spring 2014"
I love FRECKLES!!! and those pumps with the frilly things on them. I love seeing lines like this becuase every one is moving toward that mad max beyond thunder dome esthetic and thats not my thing i like bright and girlie!
I absolutely love this collection! Its bright, fun and playful, something that I am glad is slowly returning to fashion. I love the colors and all the feathers. Its one of my favorites I have seen for Spring 2014.
I love it :)… Love being girly from time to time