That's a lot of corrections; here is another - the "earlier" form of Catholicism in India is not Catholicism at all, instead, it's an Eastern Orthodox church (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Thomas_Christians), incidentally also called Nasranis - which is what was painted on the walls of Christian houses in Syria. Catholicism came in with the Portuguese (similar to Goa) and schisms. I wish you'd get that right, Christians are 20% of the state after all...
Otherwise, lovely article that makes me want to go home and see Munnar.
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We visited Kerala ~ a decade ago, in search of natural landscapes and biodiversity in India. Although that doesn’t exist anymore, we had an excellent time along the coast in Goa and in Kochi, and in the hill towns in the Gnats.
I’m not surprised that prosperous Indians would find Kerala appealing! India is a swirling and overwhelming place, at least for nature-loving North Americans, and we enjoyed our time there, even as we took refuge, towards the end of our trip, in a quiet B&B in a slightly leafy part of Bangalore.
I was transported by this article. It's curious that the author did not mention that the local language is Malayalam, a wonderful palindrome as a friend of mine from Kerala pointed out many years ago.
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This foodie travel essay brings back memories from the 1950s and '70s. As a child of eight, I traveled with my parents in Kerala. At the time, the state had the distinction of being the only place in the world where the Communist party had won power in free elections. This was such a rarity that Khrushchev made it a point to visit when he came to India. It had the highest literacy rate in the country because of the investment in education by the previous Maharaja's administration. Kerala was also where Gandhi had famously fasted to open temples to "untouchables". In the 1970s, I spent three months in the muggy season before the rains in Cochin. It was stifling. But the daily commute by ferry across from the modern commercial town (Ernakulam) to the old city of Cochin was cheap and delightful. And the lobster and spicy fish were delicious.
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2017 Nobel Prize Winner in Economics Richard Thaler & his Wife France Leclerc,Cruised the backwaters visited Kerala & said`this place was truly a heaven on earth'.
Kerala's unusual socioeconomic and demographic situation was summarized by author and environmentalist Bill McKibben:
'Kerala, a state in India, is a bizarre anomaly among developing nations, a place that offers real hope for the future of the Third World. Though not much larger than Maryland, Kerala has a population as big as California's and a per capita annual income of less than $300. But its infant mortality rate is very low, its literacy rate among the highest on Earth, and its birthrate below America's and falling faster. Kerala's residents live nearly as long as Americans or Europeans. Though mostly a land of paddy-covered plains, statistically Kerala stands out as the MOUNT EVEREST OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, there's truly no place like it.'
A Vibrant Jewish Community enriched Kerala,the oldest Synagogue was built in 1567,Paradesi Synagogue.
Of the 5 Apostolic origin churches in the world(churches started by the Apostle of Christ Jesus) one of them is in Kerala,started by the Apostle Thomas in 52AD.
The offshoot of this ancient church is the Syrian Christians whose legacy of setting up Schools,Colleges,Medical Institutions & it's diaspora of immigrants to every corner of the globe has enriched Kerala beyond measures.
Kim should have tried Coconut oil for translucent skin and long tresses.
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It is nice to see an article that is overall very positive about my home state. I shall not repeat what others have said but would like to point out that the owner of Dhe Puttu which the author has discussed and shown photos of and recommended at the end of the article is owned by the actor Dileep who is now one of the main accused in a case where a young woman actor was kidnapped and molested /raped in a moving car. He spent 80 days in jail and is right now out on bail. His friend Nadir Shah has also been questioned by the police though not arrested. The case hit the headlines a few months ago and is not yet closed. So I find it strange that the author recommends this restaurant in the Times without any mention of all of this.
Regarding Munnar, it was the site of a major uprising by women workers on the tea plantations. I am posting a link to an article I wrote about this on my blog in L'Humanite in English : These hills are alive with the sound of slogans
http://humaniteinenglish.com/spip.php?article2872
And yes, many Indians can read, write and speak in English thanks to all those years of colonialism. And there are pockets where people are fluent in French and Portuguese too.
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Kerala is wonderful--one of the most special places in truly "Incredible India"and the world. If this article inspires you to go---great!!
Still, I have "issues" with this writer's report. A few are listed below:
"explaining the finer points of mountain driving in India, which required faith, acceptance and a good horn." Is that actually what your driver said? Sure it wasn't "Driving in India requires three things: good horn, good brakes, and good luck!"? This is a standard funny, true, greeting, of driver to passengers. It was lost in unnecessary translation from the humorously astute statement of people I consider the heroes of India's tourism sector: its drivers.
Following the recommendation in "If you go" of car hire with driver, there is "Car rentals are available too." For the vast majority of foreign visitors, traveling in a car as driver rather than passenger would be pure insanity.
Two Kochi restaurants, both in the big city area of Ernakulum, are noted, but there's not a single mention of neighboring and far more charming Fort Kochi which includes wonderful eateries both in its neighborhood streets, and in the areas close to the seaside.
The backwaters (not "backwater") is a large area spread over many miles. Decades after they became popular, houseboats are now so ubiquitous that they contribute to huge traffic jams along the lakes and waterways. Backwaters lodging alternatives include beautiful lake and canal-side hotels and homestays
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“Most of my friends say Kerala is the soft landing for India because then you are used to India and ready for all of its glorious chaos in other places,”
I cannot agree more, this is a very good advice for anyone planning to go to India for the first time. From Dubai or Doha, Kerala is only four flight. Kerala is a unique state in India in so many ways. The airports in kerala are small,much easier to navigate. cities and towns are less chaotic when compared to other places in India. the best time to go is from December to February. Most people understand English even if they don't speak or speak with Indian accent. There is more religious harmony in this state, all major religions are well represented. health care and hospitals are very good. Start your india trip with Kerala first, then go to other places in the south and north, you will have a much better experience.
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The article is really well written and I loved reading it, but just wanted to point out that contrary to popular belief, most of India is not vegetarian. This is something Indians themselves find hard to believe, but surveys have shown otherwise. You can read this story for more info-
http://m.huffingtonpost.in/2016/06/14/how-india-eats_n_10434374.html
Also, Bollywood music has songs which are in Hindi, and since Kerala is not a Hindi-speaking state, Bollywood music has never been popular. In fact it has its own thriving film industry called ‘Mollywood’!
India just has too many different things thrown together, so it’s really difficult to get all the facts right at times!
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Most people in India think. like the author, that most Indians are vegetarians. However, a recent survey reveals that vegetarians form less than 30% of the population.
"She looked to have Indian roots, but her English was perfect." Really?
Let me correct that for you - "She looked to have Indian roots and her English was perfect."
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Prashant, you are right, of course, to say that the default assumption should be that Indians who speak English speak perfect English.
With that, I will also say that I often encounter Indians who speak English in a way so different from the American and British dialects of English that I, for one, have a great deal of trouble understanding them. There are typically three ways the Indian dialect of English can cause comprehension difficulties for American listeners:
1. The Indian speaker of English may speak extremely fast.
2. The Indian speaker of English may pronounce the English words with a strong Indian (Hindi?) accent.
3. The Indian speaker of English may put the emPHAsis on the "wrong" sylLAbles, using not the standard American/British emphasis pattern.
4. The Indian speaker of English may opt to omit some syllables entirely from the English words, as if they are using perhaps Hindi rules about how to form contractions and speak colloquially, rather than English rules. Sometimes the syllables they opt to omit are essential parts of the phonemes, from the American speaker's point of view.
These habits of speech, if used together, can make the Indian dialect of English nearly unintelligible to American speakers of English, even though the Indian dialect of English is from the Indians' point of view perfect, and mutually perfectly intelligible.
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You need not be thin-skinned, Prashant. Not everyone is able to perfectly express him-/herself, even in their native languages. Keralites are proud of their diverse heritages, and may receive high compliments regardless of how they are delivered.
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Really jarring . I've mentioned it too.
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Random American takes a trip to a tourist destination in India. "Discovers" that Indians also go there (geez, who would've thought it possible). Discovers (that word again) that, gasp, the people there also speak English. OMG.Now the American's mind is completely boggled. This is totally unexpected. It is the discovery of the New World.
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I live part time in India.
Have been to Tirupatham - (can never get its spelling) or that tongue twisting name of that capital city.
Its a getaway to the southern most point in India - Kanyakumari - a holy place for most Indians.
Kanyakumari is also a starting point of the longest railway ride in India which goes all the way up to Assam - another tea country.
Food is good in Kerala and cheap.
One thing - about that spoken English language there.
Understanding locals speak English takes some practice. The native language sounds like shaking a jar with marbles in it.
And the locals do not and will not speak Hindi - the unofficial official language of India.
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Oh, this article just makes me want to pack my bags and go! Thanks for the journey to Kerala, albeit brief.
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Americans also speak with an accent, duh.
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Thomas (of the doubting Thomas fame), who was a disciple of Jesus actually built the first churches in India in the AD 50's...pretty cool history! Check it out!
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No mention of the fact that one thing that distinguishes Kerala from the north is its turn to its own brand of communism after independence in 1947. Kerala's culture is not based on a stultifying religion based culture that permits cattle to foul the streets and a caste system that keeps a majority ignorant and poor, but on education and equality. Not perfect, but a darn sight better than other areas of India.
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Thank you for this interesting insight! India is a nuclear power and a BRICS nation, and has sufficient resources to fight its pernicious and pervasive poverty. Regrettably, it appears that India's upper classes prefer to maintain the status quo.
I am so glad to read that the situation in Kerala is different.
I was coming here to write something similar...thanks! The impact of the communist philosophy should not be understated. It is key to understanding this marvellous part of India.
Nice piece but the reporter and NY Times fact checkers need to do more of their homework - the Christianity that is uniquely prevalent in Kerala is Syrian Orthodox christianity (Mar Thoma; Jacobite), which began in the 4th or 5th Century AD, well before the Portuguese (or the British).
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"She looked to have Indian roots, but her English was perfect. I thought maybe she was from Los Angeles or London." I stopped reading at this point. India is the second-largest English-speaking country in the world. A majority of the people living in the bigger cities choose English as the medium of instruction in school. Very disappointing from NYT.
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I too gasped when I read about good English spoken by an Indian was a surprise to the author of this article.
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Agreed. English-educated Indians speak English far better than most Americans.
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I have not heard perfect English in Los Angeles. Oh well.
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A wonderful, wonderful place to visit. Dont miss the houseboats. It is an experience. We caught fresh water fish, and they were in the pan only a couple of minute later. The cooks on the boat showed us five different ways to cook fish, three different ways to extract coconut milk, how to eat, lie lazily on the deck and fall asleep.
Gods country it is. I haven't even mentioned the one destination I loved the most, the caves.
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I bet the fish experienced less fun than you.
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Despite the correction, there's the potential to misunderstand a key fact - Christianity (Syrian Orthodoxy, more than Catholicism) and the unique Kerala cuisine were NOT brought by the Portuguese in the 1500s, rather, more like 1500 years before that by the Syrian Christians, purportedly led by the Apostle Thomas.
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Kerala cuisine is influenced more by middle eastern connections - Jews, Muslims and Christians used to travel to and from Kerala even in BC times as there was a natural stream in the Arabian Sea that connects Middle East to Kerala shores. Many people in Kerala are of mixed race due to these interminglings as well.
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I believe it was the Apostle Jacob. Chacko is a common surname in Kerala and it means Jacob.
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A fellow Keralite, suggested a clarification to ME...the cuisine wasn't necessarily introduced as it is 2000 years ago...they contributed the beginnings of a culture (and food) which evolved over 2000 years. Thanks George
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I hate to quibble with a piece that sheds some (any!) light on Kerala, a place I deeply love and spent many summers in as a child, but the phenomenon of Indian tourists travelling to Kerala for a taste of the holistic good life is hardly new. I remember the proliferation of Ayurveda-minded resorts in the backwaters around Kottayam over twenty years ago--and I'm sure others more familiar with the region can trace it back even further. And though the mania for Western-style organic produce may be new, I have very vivid memories of visiting spice gardens over 25 years ago on a high school trip to Thekkady. Again, I'm glad that Kerala is getting its moment in the (Times') sun, but I wish the central conceit of this piece had been considered a little more carefully. The details of the food, culture, and landscape are so lovely, the story of Ms. Gomez so inspiring--it would have been nice to have the general message of the piece vibe with them a little more.
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I echo Rohan's considered comments. When I first visited Kerala more than 50 years ago, organic foods were not so advertised, but where everywhere to be found. What I lament about Kerala today can be said of many beautiful places around the world... the loss of natural surroundings. For example, the beaches of Kovalam were absolutely pristine in the mid-60s... not a hotel in sight... just fishing villages... with ever friendly people mending their nets. Ugh, if only those crowded buildings of today were built 500 meters back from those glorious beaches. Still, there is so much to love about God's own Country!!
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There is a retired physician from my husband's hospital and her engineer husband living 2 blocks from us. They grew up in Kerala and maintain a family home there, which they visit for a few months each year.
When they return, she brings me spices from her backyard: whole nutmeg, cardamom, and bark from her cinnamon tree.
Her ways of flavoring and serving rice are magnificent.
Kerala is on my bucket list.
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