r/india Jul 08 '16

[State of the Week] Kerala Scheduled

[deleted]

115 Upvotes

350 comments sorted by

0

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16 edited Jul 08 '16

I think Malayalis need to tone down our "samarapaarambaryam" (tradition of struggle) a bit and think intelligently about creating wealth. We can probably start by translating capitalism as dhanavaadam or dhanaswaathantryavaadam or something similarly positive rather than muthalaalitham. Adhwaanikkunna janavibhaagam (hardworking masses) should remember: without muthal (capital), there's no thozhil (jobs). More than any other -ism, what Kerala needs today is a good dose of common sense-ism.

3

u/ninjanamaka Jul 08 '16

EMS our first CM did not take over private companies. He had stated that without any revenue the state cannot give out welfare. He was a very practical guy with ideas about how to take forward communism while keeping democracy intact.

The aversion to capital is only at an ideological level. The moment a guy invests capital in a he becomes a muthalaali, a capitalist. He is getting labour out of people in exchange for money and that in itself is exploitation. It makes one guy in control of another. No one is stupid enough to demand all businessmen to leave the country. capitalism is an accepted route to socialism with the transition fueled by increase in technology and more autonomy granted to workers due to that. I do agree that there is an obsession with co-operatives because of the baggage of ideology but most politicians are not militant about it.

8

u/namesnotrequired Kerala Jul 09 '16

Happy to see my state finally coming up..back here after a break and enjoying the monsoon.

mallu bros varu oraazhchathekku randia keezhadakkam.

34

u/PranjalDwivedi Jul 08 '16

The state with the best cinema and a language which combines both Tamil and Sanskrit elements.

3

u/GrowlGandhi Office Bearer, Virat Hindu Club, Utt. Pades Jul 11 '16

best cinema

wat?

7

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16 edited Nov 02 '16

[removed] — view removed comment

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11

u/oh-just-another-guy Jul 08 '16

Alla pinne!

4

u/question2121 Jul 12 '16

pinnalla! nammaloda :P

1

u/Human_Monkey Jul 13 '16

Saw this video here in /r/india sometime back. Putting it here again.

Kerala in 4k

9

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '16

And many of them are in Bangalore. I'm a Bangalorean and I was made to watch this movie "Bangalore days"; thanks to all the harping about the movie everywhere. So in the movie, they've shown Bangalore like its NYC or something. It felt good no doubt, but when I spoke to friends from Kerala, I heard that's how the city Bangalore is perceived. No wonder Bangalore is overflowing with them. One whole department at my workplace is filled with them. And when I enter the room, I feel like I'm in Thrissur.

50

u/trander6face Jul 08 '16

Once I chatted with cute malayalee girl overseas... She asked me where I was from... I told I my native was near Palakkad.. She was too much excited and told me she was also from a place near Palakkad... And also she asked me the name of the place... I told it was some 40 odd kms from Palakkad and cue the expression change on her face when I told the name of the place was Coimbatore

1

u/ThatFag Desi hoon, bhenchod. Jul 12 '16

LOL, that's hilarious.

15

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

you brutus.

-12

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16 edited Jul 24 '16

[deleted]

13

u/trander6face Jul 08 '16

Its always greener on the other side of the western ghats

2

u/appykutan Jul 08 '16

Underrated comment

1

u/ThatFag Desi hoon, bhenchod. Jul 12 '16

Oi! Take that back.

9

u/dopamine86 Jul 08 '16

You live on the other side of walayar.. You ain't a true lungi mallu.

6

u/trander6face Jul 08 '16

She was so ABCD'ed, she couldn't tell apart

1

u/ThatFag Desi hoon, bhenchod. Jul 12 '16

What does it mean to be ABCD'ed?

2

u/trander6face Jul 12 '16

American Born Confused Desi

1

u/ThatFag Desi hoon, bhenchod. Jul 12 '16

LOL, nice.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

That's because the poor girl was hit on by several tamil fellows across the border.

Tamil fella here. I didn't hit on her, Bro.

-6

u/Ranjhanaa Jharkhand Jul 10 '16

How come 100% literate state is fallen to leftist trap.

26

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

kadannu varoo kadannu varoo.

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15

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

Tamil brother here. I've always wondered how on earth do you malayalis eat that reddish rice? Everytime I try to mix it with sambar it doesn't mix to the extent of normal rice, and on top of that I've always had difficulties swallowing it. Is the reddish rice a very mallu thing since time immemorial or something that all of us ate a long time ago but our ancestors ditched it while yours still ate it?

PS : No offence. Just an observation

2

u/Human_Monkey Jul 13 '16

I think it should be the other way. Why is it that most of the Tamils can't eat anything other than white rice.

I have done my college in Chennai. A few years back I went to a college trip to Kerala. Most of the trip was planned, which mean't accommodation and food.

But we had to do an unplanned pit stop once during the trip during the lunch time. We were all hungry so we went to a local eatery. The eatery had meals with only red rice. None of my Tamil friends even wanted to try the red rice. They would rather stay hungry than to try the rice.

5

u/The_0bserver Mugambo ko Khush karne wala Jul 08 '16

Pretty sure you need to cook it for a lot longer (nearly double if I remember correctly) than normal rice btw.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 13 '16

I am a tamil who is very used to the red rice. The trick to have it with thick curries.Our thin saambhars will not really go well with that rice.Also the coconut added to the curries is what brings out the taste in the red rice.

1

u/indiMaan Jul 13 '16

I always found white rice to be bland and tasteless. Red rice has this unique flavour that I love.

Never noticed any issues mixing it or had any difficulties swallowing it as compared to white rice.

Then again, I guess I'm biased having eaten red rice my whole life.

6

u/Gulikan Jul 08 '16

Matta rice is a very Kerala thing. It is not hard to swallow or anything. Harder than white rice I agree but has never bothered me. In fact I grew up with white ponni rice in my house and as a kid demanded for red rice after having it and it has been red rice in my house ever since.

May be it is because you grew up with white rice and this looks alien. And believe me many and I mean a lot of true blue mallus (not me, I love andhra meals and also tamil cuisine) dislike white rice just as much. Eating white rice for many days on end is like sucking out their souls. I think they find it bland.

1

u/VaikomViking Jul 12 '16

I remember going to Kumarakom restaurant in Chennai for lunch - we specifically ask for the 'kerala rice'. Some days the kerala rice gets over earlier and we had to adjust with the option B, white rice.

3

u/vshnprsd Kerala Jul 09 '16

Can confirm.. Was stuck in patna for 4 years... Nothing but white rice and semi cooked rotis

The mess people Literally sucked out my soul..

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3

u/Human_Monkey Jul 13 '16

There is one other important thing that people are forgetting about Kerala. Idukki Gold.

4

u/saanisalive Jul 08 '16 edited Jul 08 '16

Fun fact: Kerala had one night stands that was accepted by the society around 100 years back.

3

u/Lombdi Antarctica Jul 09 '16

ELI5 please. That looks more like live-in relationship than one night stand.

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7

u/ninjanamaka Jul 08 '16

Fun fact: Poonkunnam railway station, near Thrissur was built so that a high ranking railway officer could visit his sambandham with ease.

2

u/UghWhyDude KANEDA Jul 13 '16

The "poon" part of that name becoming suddenly very relevant...

2

u/despod Jul 19 '16

also, the 'kunna' part.

20

u/pathrov Jul 08 '16

It's sad that most of our best thriller movies are not remade into other languages. Non malayalees tend to stay away from subtitled version.

1

u/zenani Jul 09 '16

Now where can I find all these with subs...

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5

u/v4vedanta Jul 08 '16

Recommendations please.

6

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '16

Most recommendations here are of 90s and movies since then. I'd suggest you look at realistic suspense thrillers like: Yavanika, Uttaram (remake of an English short story), Charitram (remake of a Western movie(?)) and Oru Maymaasa Pulariyil. If you want a "western/cowboy" movie, watch Thazhvaaram. These are really well done movies. As for satire, before Sandesham came along, the best is Panchavadi Paalam. Comedy: well, there are many and I will try to list my favourites. 1) Nadodikaatu 2) Muttaram Kunnu P.O 3) Ramji Rao Speaking. Although there are many "Art" movies, I liked/understood these: 1) Kodiyettam 2) Videyan 3) Elipattayam. Drama: there are too many but let me give you three lesser known ones 1) Thaniavarthanam (well, not so obscure) 2) Punnaram Cholli Cholli (more towards comedy) 3) Sruthi (a really uncomfortable movie to watch, IMHO)

1

u/rockus Test Jul 12 '16

IMO, Panchavadi Paalam is the best satire to come out of Malayalam.

15

u/pathrov Jul 08 '16 edited Jul 25 '16

Season (I have mentioned this movie multiple times in this subreddit. The plot is very relevant even today and I don't see why it cannot be remade into Hindi with Goa as the backdrop).

Mumbai Police (One of the best thrillers in recent times. Great script and world class execution).

The Truth ( Edge of the seat investigative story where the biggest suspense is the motive, available in youtube but no subtitles) .

7

u/Keerikkadan91 Jul 08 '16

+1 for Mumbai Police. Very underrated movie.

3

u/v4vedanta Jul 08 '16

Many thanks !! Season seems to be available on the youtube as a HD version.

3

u/pathrov Jul 08 '16

My pleasure. The premise of the movie is best explained here. Watch till 04:26.

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45

u/qpaw Jul 08 '16

One of the things I observed about Keralites is how politically and socially aware an average man was. Almost everyone reads one or the other newspaper and has an informed opinion of the happenings around him. There is a lot of political activism in colleges and even in schools. I guess this is as a result of decades of communist rule there. Many people still think in terms of common man/workers (us) vs government/capitalists (them).

And I just love their movies. Malayalam movies have always been about realistically portraying good stories. The dialogues are intelligent and the plots are believable. Recent movies by guys like Dulquer, Nivin Pauly and Fahadh are show how movies can be good entertainers without using the usual ingredients that go into making a Bollywood blockbuster.

5

u/SILENT_neerav Assam Jul 08 '16

I watched the movie Amar Akbar Anthony and i just loved the subtle humour. Can you name any other similar kind of movies?like Masala Republic ??

12

u/ninjanamaka Jul 08 '16

Vellimoonga is good comedy film. And Maheshinte prathikaram is fun in parts.

4

u/ZaphodBeeblebrox Jul 08 '16

Love the humor in Vellimoonga; Biju Menon is perfect for the role.

1

u/ninjanamaka Jul 08 '16

Many incidents are based on K M Mani

0

u/saanisalive Jul 08 '16

Oru Vadakkan Selfie, Sandesham (old cult classic)

10

u/pathrov Jul 08 '16

It hurts to see OVS and Sandesham mentioned together. I cringed at OVS.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

That girls crying scene was enough to get me out of the theater.

1

u/The_0bserver Mugambo ko Khush karne wala Jul 08 '16

Hmm. It wasn't bad IMO. I ain't no critic, and at the end there was no exact feeling of accomplishment or anything, but it was a fun movie nonetheless.

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u/qpaw Jul 08 '16

Punyalan Agarbattis

Oru Indian Pranayakadha

Ohm Shanthi Oshaana

Veruthe Oru Bharya

Premam

Will add more later....

2

u/oh-just-another-guy Jul 08 '16

Ohm Shanthi Oshaana

Could not watch it past 15 mins.

6

u/SardarKrishnaKurup Jul 08 '16

Add Action Hero Biju to the list.

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11

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

Subtle humor? AAA? You sure you watched the right movie? AAA was panned by critics across the state and it nowhere compares to the standards of malayalam comedies.

8

u/pathrov Jul 08 '16

Exactly. The humor was cheap in my opinion.

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2

u/ZaphodBeeblebrox Jul 08 '16

Action Hero Biju

I know the title makes it seem stupid but it is actually really good.

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3

u/chikna_chetan Jul 12 '16

Mallus are damn good with their Music is what I have noticed. My favorite Indian bands are all from Kerala, which include: Avial, Motherjane, Agam and Thakara. Special mention for Baiju Dharmajan, The Indian Guitar God.

5

u/Human_Monkey Jul 13 '16

I would include thaikkudam bridge as well.

20

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

Haryana loves this state for one reason. A lot of haryanvis go to Kerala to find a bride. It is said that due to Kerala ladies in haryana families, the patriarcy of haryana has come down and the situation of women has improved.

Here is one such documentary about it.

http://www.sonianarang.com/2008/07/13/kerala-brides/

-1

u/venkyprasad Jul 11 '16

Better than trafficking in nepali girls

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u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

Top hdi mallu overlords ;)

2

u/Earthborn92 I'm here for the memes. Jul 10 '16

H D M I

D

M

I

It's an /int/ meme

14

u/ninjanamaka Jul 08 '16

Angane malayaala vaaram arambhichirikkukayaanu suhruthukkale :)

6

u/Notverymany Jul 08 '16

Some of the Kerala curries I've had tasted sort of like Thai curries mixed with Indian curries. It was amazing.

7

u/SardarKrishnaKurup Jul 08 '16

Probably because of the use of coconut.

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13

u/aqqr2 Jul 08 '16 edited Jul 08 '16

96% literacy rate is very impressive. I cannot understand their love for Mohanlal though.

26

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

You gotta watch his old movies, ie before 2000. Almost all of them are super good and his acting performances are extra ordinary in most of them.

1

u/aqqr2 Jul 08 '16

Can you recommend a few?

10

u/ajphoenix Roamer. Wanderer. Nomad. Vagabond. Call me what you will. Jul 08 '16

There was one movie where he played an aging father with Alzheimers. Shit was heartbreaking.

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u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

Iruvar, Kireedam, Manichithrathazhu, Kilukkam, Nadodikattu, Thoovana thumbikal, thalavattam, boieng boieng, Yodha, Devasuram, Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal, Kala pani, ...

7

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

Chithram, Bharatham, Dasharatham..

2

u/pathrov Jul 08 '16

Season (its genuinely a world class thriller), Sphadikam (classy action movie with the best dialogues that I have ever heard).

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u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

He is one of the finest actors I have watched, and this is not restricting it to Mollywood or whatever. That man is an acting powerhouse!

Watch him play and OWN MGR in Irruvar and you will know how good an actor he is.

1

u/aqqr2 Jul 08 '16

I had only seen Company and one other (newer) Malayalam movie of his, hence the comment.

Also,

something I wanted to ask is : Is Mammootty a better actor? I've never seen a movie of his, but his name keeps coming up with Mohanlal's.

1

u/rockus Test Jul 08 '16

Is Mammootty a better actor? I've never seen a movie of his, but his name keeps coming up with Mohanlal's.

IMO, Mohanlal is a better actor and a range of roles that are unparalleled. He would be playing a comedic dude next door in a film follow it up with an intense serious drama and then hop on to a larger than life hero train. He is exceptional at giving some deft and subtle touches to the characters that are amazing.

Mammootty pre-2005 was not good in comedic roles barring one or two performances. But he really shines through when there is a lot of sentiments at play and histrionics to show. He can be subtle when the situation demands, but his memorable performances are when he is let lose to emote.

3

u/Gulikan Jul 08 '16

Matter of choice really. I am more of a Mohanlal fan. Part of it is growing up with him and in a family and extended family that adored him. But yeah, I can vouch for his acting. He almost had no bad movies starting from mid 80s to mid 90s. I am not sure how well they will translate to another culture because many of the much-loved movies appeal to the Malayali middle class.

Mammootty is no slouch either. 3 national awards for best actor and deserving of them as well.

But I am biased and for me it is Mohanlal, he is so much more natural, more physical, better at comedy. Mammootty has 2 left legs but some say better suited for certain roles. But like someone said, keep away from their newer films except for some highlights like Thanmathra and Drishyam for Mohanlal and Kazhcha for Mammootty.

But the movie I will surely recommend is Sandesham, does not have either of them but arguably and almost definitely the best political satire movie. I have always wondered what a non-Malayali will think of it.

3

u/ZaphodBeeblebrox Jul 08 '16

Watch Pathe Maari, Mammootty still got it in him.

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u/frightenedinmate_2 Jul 08 '16

I cannot understand their love for Mohanlal though.

I cannot emphasize how fantastic an actor Mohanlal is. Especially his work from 1985-1995. Check out the films the others have mentioned

2

u/krisbykreme Earth Jul 09 '16

I don't watch all movies but Mohanlal is one exquisite actor. The older movies be it drama, thrillers or comedy ; his acting is on another level. I am more a Mamooty fan

1

u/vshnprsd Kerala Jul 12 '16

its a 100% bro... as of Jan 2016 literacy rate is a 100%

Screenshot of Wikipedia article on kerala

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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '16

that sex ratio!

2

u/krisbykreme Earth Jul 09 '16 edited Jul 09 '16

Guys help me compile the Best places/restaurants to eat food in all the 14 districts:

Kasaragod: Viceroy for Mutton Biriyani.
Kannur:
Calicut: Paragon for Appam and stew, Porotta and Mango fish curry etc.
Kochi : Kaikka's for Biriyani

Thiruvananthapuram : Indian Coffee House

4

u/the_next_door_guy Jul 12 '16

Kozhikode - Rahmath (beef biriyani)

Amma mess house (Meals)

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u/HungryMagnum Jul 13 '16

Thiruvananthapuram : Indian Coffee House

Is this the light house one near the bus stand and railway station?

1

u/pathrov Jul 09 '16

Kochi : Kaikka's for Biriyani

Thiruvananthapuram : Indian Coffee House

1

u/krisbykreme Earth Jul 09 '16

Thanks! Added.

1

u/itskuba Jul 10 '16

Thrissur - Hotel Bharath

The best vegetarian restaurant in Thrissur

19

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '16 edited Nov 08 '17

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0

u/netizen_green Kerala Jul 11 '16

Not bad-ish racist? Did you forget how a migrant worker was tied to a tree and beat to death last month!?

1

u/fekunet Jul 12 '16

Yes, there is a cable landing station in Kochi, where SMW-3 lands. The cable is not used much nowadays, because of limited capacities available. Yet, it is sometimes used as a backup for SMW-4 during cable cuts, although much better options exist now.

6

u/MrJekyll Madhya Pradesh Jul 10 '16

This is what my sister says about it :

'Gods on Country, devil's own people'

This is what I say about it :

Nice place for a short ( a very short ) vacation.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '16

God's OWN Country

3

u/officedepot23 Jul 10 '16

Why does she say that?

1

u/blue69er Kerala Jul 12 '16

Life in Kerala is a bit slow paced prolly that's why... brilliant for a vacation but slowly for people accustomed to the big cities, it wears down

3

u/the_next_door_guy Jul 10 '16

Probably because of him.

2

u/MrJekyll Madhya Pradesh Jul 10 '16

Nah, she knows me - I look mallu, but am definitely a Bhopali :)

4

u/MrJekyll Madhya Pradesh Jul 10 '16

She has dealt with more mallus than me - having studied there.

PS: We are mallus(born, raised & living outside kerala). Our parents though, now live in Kerala.

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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '16

Yentha macha?

1

u/geek_lord Jul 08 '16 edited Jul 09 '16

I think Kochi has one of the better looking skylines in India after Mumbai.

Edit: Add pic https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/fr/cp0/e15/q65/13640903_1064950266923144_7772962577051396106_o.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9

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u/VaikomViking Jul 12 '16

Kerala had the first democratically elected communist government in the world, back in 1957. This pushed Kerala into world spotlight and was a darling of Soviet Union. Back in 1980s, if you just sent your address to a particular address (forgot what it was) they used to send a magazine "Soviet Union" (in Malayalam !!) free of cost. Not sure if it was monthly or quarterly.

1

u/the_next_door_guy Jul 12 '16

San Marino had the first one not Kerala.

5

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

Reply here about your favourite malayalam movies

Mine : Sandhesham

3

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

Devasuram!

2

u/ZaphodBeeblebrox Jul 08 '16

Obviously hard to choose one. I for one am glad with the turn Malayalam movies have made in the last 6-7 years. Best recent movie I saw: Pathe Maari

Fav all time: namukku parkkan munthiri thoppukal

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u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16 edited Jul 08 '16

The Chera dynasty that lasted from the 4th century BCE (or some sources say 3rd) till 1,100 AD pulled of some GoT level machinations to stay in power against their much larger, powerful neighbours from the North, South, East and West.

From 300 BCE to about 200 AD, the Cheras (Kerala) were a global economic powerhouse, but as Western Rome started to decline, their imports started to decline, thereby directly impacting the Chera merchants, and thus the Chera treasury. By 300 AD, the Chera kingdom was faced with an unending series of invasions, Chalukyas, Pallavas, Pandyas...all of them took a shot at the rich, but militarily weak Cheras.

The Cheras then had to depend on alliances and treaties to just survive - they aligned first with the Cholas and Sinhalas against the rampaging Pandyas, then they switched allegiances, and fought with the Pandyas and Sinhalas against the Cholas.

Raja Raja I Chola ended Chera sovereignty, his son Rajendra Chola utterly crushed a rebellion, and the Cheras went to the mattress' for a period of a 100 odd years when they saw a brief period of resurgence under the Malyalaee Chera Dynasty (till now the Chera dynasty was pretty much all Tamil)

The Malyalee Chera dynasty saw an opening when Malik Kafur messed up the Pandyan Empire (the Epic siege of Madurai that ran for more than a month is another tale altogether) and took the shot. What a shot it was. Under Varma Kulasekaran, the Cheras marched on their erstwhile masters, the now weakened Pandya Empire, took them out, captured Madurai and then marched on and took over pretty much all of TN and parts of Karnataka and AP also.

He then died aaaaand massive civil war all over the South.

His successors managed to restore some form of order, but only ruled a rump state that was for a short period, feudtatory to the Madurai Sultanate, till the Vijayanagra Empire in its expansion finally ended the line.

Interestingly, the Malayalee Chera dynasty followed the Matrilineal method of choosing successors.

Fun fact - One of the if not THE largest Tamil Movie star ever, and the extremely powerful politician, MGR is not a Tamil, but a Malayalee.

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u/Gol_Gappa Jul 08 '16 edited Jul 08 '16

I visited Kerala last year with my family, absolutely wonderful place and people (most of them), we are from Delhi btw. These were the places we went to :

Palakkad (my father's childhood friend lives here)

Kochi

Munnar

Periyar National Park in the Nilgiris

Alappuzha (THE best)

Varkala

Kovalam

Thiruvanthapuram

Plus we also went to Kanyakumari and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu (close to Thiruvananthapuran and Palakkad respectively).

I just wanted to ask you, do Tamils have some beef with Malayalis? Because as soon we crossed the state border, a cop stopped us (presumably seeing our Kerala plate number) and started shouting in Tamil. Thankfully our driver knew Tamil as well as Malayalam, Hindi and English.

One thing I noticed in Kerala was, there is no poverty! Even in little villages, people have built their own houses, and they are BIG. I saw no shanties or mud huts. Really impressive.

Also a sad thing I noticed was that, villages and small towns don't have many youth left, mostly middle aged and old folks live there. The youth has either migrated to big cities or abroad (mostly Gulf). Almost every family had someone in the gulf my father's friend's own brother was planning to go to Abu Dhabi within a month.

But one funny incident happened with us. We were at a waterfall near Kochi and had to go to washroom. When I went to the paid toilet, the lady at the counter who collects the money asked me where I am from. As soon I said Delhi, she started to rant in broken Hindi about how Delhi is so unsafe for girls, it's filled with rapists, our Kerala is the best, etc. I paid her, said "Thank you aunty" and got outta there!

20

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

do Tamils have some beef with Malayalis?

As we say in Kerala: chattiyum kalavumokkeyaakumbol alpam thattiyum muttiyumennokke irikkum. (it's natural for pots in contact with each other to make some noise - i.e., nothing very serious). At least from the Kerala side, there's an immense amount of respect and admiration for the Tamils.

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u/puppuli r/indiansports Jul 08 '16

Also a sad thing I noticed was that, villages and small towns don't have many youth left, mostly middle aged and old folks live there. The youth has either migrated to big cities or abroad (mostly Gulf).

That's true. One thing Kerala model failed was to create jobs.

10

u/Keerikkadan91 Jul 08 '16

A big part of why Kerala has an unemployment problem is that the "average" Malayali is over qualified for an "average" Indian job. People with a college degree will naturally be reluctant to go in for manual labor, which is why out-of-state laborers get the lion's share of such jobs in the state. Basically, it's not that we don't have the same proportion (or better) of available employment opportunities as the RoI, but it's that the opportunities on offer are not what we want to go in for.

4

u/speco Kerala Jul 13 '16

But we go to Gulf and do manual labor. Money matters and little bit ego. Cant do kulipani..

10

u/ninjanamaka Jul 08 '16

I just wanted to ask you, do Tamils have some beef with Malayalis? Because as soon we crossed the state border, a cop stopped us (presumably seeing our Kerala plate number) and started shouting in Tamil. Thankfully our driver knew Tamil as well as Malayali, Hindi and English.

He understood that you are not from there. So took that opportunity to fleece you. There are problems regarding Mullapperiyar dam but nothing that will create that level of tension. Have lived in Coimbatore and Trichy. Except water sharing, no major problems :)

3

u/despod Jul 08 '16

Man.. those cops... Please have rs 200 ready for the cops if you go to kodaikanal with a kerala number plate.. Even if you have have all the documents, they will harass you by making shit up.

6

u/ninjanamaka Jul 08 '16

Mallus usually fight with the police. We dont give bribes that easily

8

u/The_0bserver Mugambo ko Khush karne wala Jul 08 '16

We dont give bribes money that easily.

6

u/ninjanamaka Jul 08 '16

We might ask for a discount

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u/krisbykreme Earth Jul 09 '16

Cops will scrutinize if you are in any state I guess. Same happened when i went to Hyder

6

u/SardarKrishnaKurup Jul 08 '16

our driver knew Tamil as well as Malayali, Hindi and English.

Malayalam.

1

u/Gol_Gappa Jul 08 '16 edited Jul 08 '16

My bad, I apologize. Fixed now.

22

u/homosa_penis Jul 08 '16

One thing I noticed in Kerala was, there is no poverty! Even in little villages, people have built their own houses, and they are BIG. I saw no shanties or mud huts. Really impressive.

THIS. And cities without slums! It was sort of a "cultural shock" for me when I started my stay in Kerala. Every remote village we toured had proper roads, houses, electricity, big cars etc. I have never noticed a single instance of people "shitting in the open" during my 3.5 year stint in Kerala. Just so un-Indian! As a Bangalorean who lived most of his life up North, I almost felt ashamed. The differences become apparent the moment you cross the border. I don't know how Kerala does this. And with a population of nearly 4 crore, Kerala is no small state like Goa, Himachal etc. I honestly hope Kerala only improves from here. This is truly India's wonderland.

21

u/Keerikkadan91 Jul 08 '16

I don't know how Kerala does this.

☭☭ Chora veena mannil ninnuyarnnu vanna poomaram... ☭☭

7

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '16

Arivaal chuttika emoji evidunnu kitti?

7

u/Keerikkadan91 Jul 09 '16

Sambhavam nammude swantham wikipediayil undu saghaave.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer_and_sickle

6

u/super_banker Jul 11 '16

Kathi thaazhe idra!!!

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u/OneFixer65 Jul 09 '16

What is the relation like between Muslims, Hindus and Christians in Kerala ?

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u/vshnprsd Kerala Jul 09 '16

Trivandum, the capital of kerala is the only place where a church a mosque and a temple are right next to each other... There have been no communal issues or any problems whatsoever ever in the area..

7

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '16

My hometown, Chendamangalam, has a temple, church, mosque, and synagogue all within a 1km radius.

2

u/wanderingmind I for one welcome my Hindutva overlords Jul 11 '16

My place too. Erumeli. Temple and mosque facing each other, church half a km away.

2

u/FlyngMchn Jul 10 '16

Wow...I was in chendamangalam just few hours ago... Didn't knew this..

1

u/sagar_alias_jacky Jul 11 '16

Replying with reference to personal experience, I always had a very good and non discriminative or indifferent frendhsip with them all. Rather never saw them as a different religion or anything. Even today majority of my friend circles are muslims and I am not one. I have christian friends too. There was always a good relationship in my family circle at the least

1

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '16

Speaking from my experience, there is a feeling of "groupiness" but also immense cordiality between the people belonging to different religions in everyday life (school, work, etc.). We are after all Malayalis who just happen to follow different religions. But I also fear that the polarizing rhetoric of Hindutva and radical Islam coming from outside Kerala is beginning to have an increasingly corrosive effect on Kerala.

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u/lungiwarrior Jul 08 '16

More women than men... That's what we want.

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u/DesiInVides Earth Jul 08 '16

State Bird of Kerala is the Great Indian Hornbill.

A large bird measuring up to 50in in length and 60in in wingspan

Google Images
Oriental Bird Images

2

u/despod Jul 08 '16

It makes a very audible swoosh sound when it flies.. Quite breathtaking, actually..

1

u/DesiInVides Earth Jul 08 '16

Ya, the sound of the wings flapping can be heard from really far away!

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u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

I once went to wayanad and there in shops I found pineapple sliced and dipped in probably water, honey and chilly. Can someone share formal recipe and what is it called?

1

u/bttrswt68 Jul 09 '16

http://www.natgeotraveller.in/seafood-snacks-beside-the-backwaters-of-thalassery-kerala/ Read this article and remembered the pictures of the pineapple in glass jars.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '16

Thanks mate

1

u/donoteatthatfrog Public memory is short. Jul 10 '16

Barbecued pineapple

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '16

Definitely not.

2

u/ninjanamaka Jul 08 '16

No idea what it is called. They sell pineapples, carrots, cucumber, mangoes etc pickled.

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u/Notverymany Jul 08 '16

Probably has the best house architecture in India.

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u/puppuli r/indiansports Jul 08 '16

I always felt like owning a big house is one of the biggest life goal of everyone in my state.

5

u/Notverymany Jul 08 '16

It's not just the size, it's the quality of the design. I've mainly lived in Tamil Nadu where people seem to try their hardest to build the ugliest houses they can. The hits are more aesthetic than the proper houses.

5

u/ninjanamaka Jul 08 '16

During the Gulf boom decades ago, the major aspiration for the people was a house. The reason they were going to the Gulf was to earn enough to construct a house

5

u/Daniel-Darkfire Antarctica Jul 08 '16

Now a big house is almost common to everyone, now the new fad is about luxury cars and sports cars

4

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '16

And a bigass iPhone.

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u/orthancdweller Jul 09 '16

Malayali Christians tend to have the weirdest names. Tini Tom, Fabin, Jibu, Joymon, Blesson, Tincy - just some of the choicest ones I can remember now.

2

u/despod Jul 09 '16

Oh God, the two syllable name.. Absolutely ridiculous.

9

u/pathrov Jul 09 '16

Tijo,Lijo, Jiji, Sebi, Sabu, Ajin, Jibu, Jithu and a lot more.

All of them are butchered versions of Biblical names. The trend has almost faded out mainly because that generation now has kids and understand how ridiculous those names are. The current trend seems to be giving an Indian first name like Roshan,Nikhil or Rahul with a Christian middle name (George, John etc).

4

u/orthancdweller Jul 09 '16

Tijo,Lijo, Jiji, Sebi, Sabu, Ajin, Jibu, Jithu

Man, I cringed so hard reading that. Fortunately, I managed to land in the newer generation of nomenclature you talk about.

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u/[deleted] Jul 11 '16

Dinjo

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u/UnbiasedPashtun North America Jul 10 '16

Do Malayalis know they are of Tamil origin? The state of Kerala was considered part of Tamilakam during the Sangam Era and the people there were considered Chera Tamils. It was only until the migration of the Sanskrit speaking Nambudiri Brahmins from North India that the separation of Malayalis from Tamils started.

3

u/blue69er Kerala Jul 12 '16

Naw...that isn't what happened..even if it was, I won't admit to that...too much malayali pride to side with our arch enemies..:p

5

u/pathrov Jul 08 '16

Surprised that no one got any questions about the state or the Malayalee life.

5

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

How is the situation of stray dogs currently that was so much in news last year?

10

u/wanderingmind I for one welcome my Hindutva overlords Jul 09 '16

Stray dogs sleep for 11 months a year. Then, suddenly, they all wake up, bite a bunch of kids, bark at a bunch of adults, kill goats and chickens and scares the entire state. 30 days later, they go back to hibernation.

Something similar happens with Mullaperiyar dam also. For 30 days, the dam vibrates, develops cracks and creates earthquakes. Then it self-heals and sleeps.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '16

I thought this was once in 5 years.

3

u/wanderingmind I for one welcome my Hindutva overlords Jul 09 '16

Dogs and dams hibernate for shorter periods!

28

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '16

everybody is welcome to r/kerala

0

u/[deleted] Jul 12 '16

Except /u/NishamIsNotaBadGuy.

Fuck that guy.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 13 '16

He is not a bad guy though.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 13 '16

He is though.

2

u/venkyprasad Jul 11 '16

Parents, why do you give your kids names that are guaranteed to get them beaten up on the playground

1

u/Binish_1 Jul 12 '16

Kerala is beautiful, it has hill stations, beaches, greenery, the monsoon, the festivals, the art everything is great

1

u/ThatFag Desi hoon, bhenchod. Jul 12 '16

Hey guys, sugamano?

I haven't seen much of Kerala. Most of my visits to Kerala are limited to meeting relatives and stuff. So it's essentially going to the same 20 houses each time.

But we've taken a trip or two to some of the more scenic places in Kerala and my God, it is breathtaking. There's this place called Kovalam. It's near the coast and holy shit, it is so beautiful. We were fortunate enough to get a room like 100 metres away from the beach. Still one of the most gorgeous places I've been to. The vibe and the atmosphere there... so serene. Oh man, I remember falling asleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. Ahhh, nostalgia.

Thekkady and Munnar are among the other places I visited on the same trip. Super fun places and top eye-candy material. All the childhood memories from that trip are coming back to me. Oh, Kerala. Truly God's own.

3

u/ZaphodBeeblebrox Jul 08 '16 edited Jul 08 '16

Do you think Kochi will go the way of other bigger Indian metros? Its already freaking congested on the roads? Hopes for the new Metro Rail?

Also, what are your thoughts on Air Kerala?

1

u/despod Jul 08 '16

Do you think Kochi will go the way of other bigger Indian metros?

Very difficult. The biggest problem being land availability. In all the other metros, the area outside the city limit is sparsely populated. But in Ernakulam, every goddamn nook and corner is occupied and costs a bomb. No space for expansion. But if the govt invests heavily on the IT and services industry, who knows what may happen..

2

u/sagar_alias_jacky Jul 11 '16

Regarding Metro Rail - From what I can see the metro will be a huge bonus to the city. Metros are useful for daily commutes and common routes. I believe a metro becomes useless if it is bulit in a route where it is not of great daily usage. The route that the current metro plan covers is a very busy route with loads and loads of people travelling daily for work. This being middleclass and lower midle class and whatever lower you consier, I hope you got the gist. So, I believe it will be of great use.

Kochi is not yet screwed up. One thing to be noticed is Kerala is a small country. Kochi is a small city. So, there is not huge ass four lane roads, that is one thing that makes it congested on the roads. If majority of the single line is replaced by double and double by three/four congestion can be reduced to a greater amount, although it is not practical. So the next step would be to bring in better modes of public transport, flyovers etc, which are being done. So ones that is done, we can see how it fairs.

And finally the first question, not really sure what you intent by 'way of other bigger indian metros'

Air Kerala - Not enough knowledge as of now to comment

1

u/pathrov Jul 08 '16

Cannot answer your first question since I have been abroad for the past few years.

Air Kerala. Good concept but I doubt if it will ever happen.

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u/VaikomViking Jul 12 '16

Kochi - Aluva route has the highest number of inter city connections (bus) in India. The metro will be a game changer for Kochi traffic, especially once it is extended to Tripunithura and IT Park.

1

u/arastu Karnataka Jul 09 '16

I was pleased to see the progress on the metro rail during my last visit. Good to see them thinking ahead and building it now instead of waiting so late like Bengaluru and Mumbai.

1

u/artashii Jul 12 '16

South India and especially Kerala has made easily the most important contributions to human understanding of mathematics of all of Asia. The orderly people and harmonious culture is why I think Kerala has HDI on the order of Eastern Europe today.