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Kerala hailed,
as God's own country, by many, deserves this
accolade because of many features geographical
and
sociological. A long coastline in the west and mountains
on the east forming clear natural boundaries. Religion
has played a crucial role in Kerala's culture. There
are mainly three religions in Kerala - Hinduism, Christianity
and Islam. As far as the religion of Kerala is concerned,
the origins could be traced to Hinduism.
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Then came in
the Islamic faith and Christianity with its various
sects. The other Indian religions like Buddhism;
Jainism had some influence among the Hindus and
was found scattered with their migration to Kerala.
According to the 1991 census
57.38% of the population of Kerala are Hindus,
23.33 Muslims and 19.32 Christians. The earliest
settlers of Kerala were the Proto-Australoids,
the Mediterranean, Dravidians, and the Aryans in
321-297 BC.
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HINDUISM,
the world's oldest religion dates back to about
5000 BC. The sacred texts include the Vedas, Epics
and Puranas, apart from other philosophical treatises.
Hinduism is a way of life and is based on the principle
of Sanathana Dharma. The Hindus worship the Supreme
Being under three forms, Brahma- the creator, Vishnu-
the preservator and Shiva - destroyer.
Earlier inhabitants
(Dravidians) of Kerala followed primitive animism
and spirit worship to propitiate the Gods. With
the arrival of Aryan settlers from the north India,
the human forms of worship and caste division were
evolved. But history is silent about worship of
Goddess (Baghavathy). Only in Kerala and West Bengal
Goddess form the main deity. Mythology doesn't
say much about Baghavathy. For many Keralites,
Baghavathy is the family deity. Most of the festivals
in Kerala are in depiction of Baghavathy.
Even today
many temples in Kerala has mother (Baghavathy)
and animism (snake worship) as their main deity.
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Muslims : Islam is
believed to have entered into India through Kerala. There are
historical records of commercial trading between Kerala
and Middle East during 7th Century AD. The Jews and
Arabs of the Pre-Islamic period were among the pioneers
of spice trade with Kerala. The religion of Islam was
also by these traders from Middle East, who later settled
in Coastal belt of Kerala. To this day Muslims are
very proficient in trade and commerce. Muslims in Kerala,
as anywhere else in the world, are close-knit unit
clear-cut religious and political agenda.
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Christians : In the
absence of clear historical records, it is believed
that Apostle of Jesus, St. Thomas himself, introduced
Christianity in India in the year 52 A.D. The early
Christians (St. Thomas Christians) were called Syrian
Christians because they followed the Syriac liturgy,
a dialect of Aramaic, the language of Jesus. With the
arrival of Portuguese (1498) and the establishment
of their political influence, the Latin rite emerged
as an important factor and a large community of Latin
Christians sprang up and grew, particularly in the
coastal areas. The work of St. Francis Xavier and the
synod of Diamper (1599) played an important part in
the Latinisation of the church. In the beginning of
19th century, when the British spread its influence
in Kerala, the Church Mission Society (CMS) of London
actively associated them in the workings of Syrian
Church. After some years of close co-operation, the
missionaries broke their connection with Syrian Bishops
and church. It was on their initiative the Anglican
Church came into existence.
Some priests of the Syrian Church under the influence
of missionaries advocated reforms, including the
replacement of Syriac by Malayalam, which was disfavored
by Bishops and Clergy of Syrian Church. Following
this the reformers formed a new church known as Marthoma
Syrian church as distinct from the Anglican Church
and the Roman Catholic Church. |
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THE
OTHER Indian religions like Buddhism
and Jainism had some impact among the Malayalee Hindus,
but with the Aryan migration to the south. There
was dissemination of all these religions.
Jainism
Though there is evidence of practice of Jainism in Kerala before the arrival
of Aryans. History is silent about it. The Famous Jainmedu temple in Palakkad
is the manifestation of Jainism in Kerala. Today few families of Jain community
are found around Palakkad in Kerala.
Judaism
The traders from Middle East bought Judaism into Kerala during 7th Century
AD. Later these traders settled in Kochi. Jew Town in Kochi, is the testimony
of the Judaism in Kerala. Today it is one of few places in World where Jews
are living in peace. There is a Synagogue in Jew Town. Today, Jew town is
one of the popular tourist locations in Kerala, where one can find many interesting
antiquities of Kerala/South India.
Nowhere in India, or may be in the entire world,
can you witness such tolerance and co-operation and
religious amity as seen in Kerala. Only in Kerala
can one find people of different communities coming
together and celebrating each other's festival with
pomp. Onam, the traditional festival of Hindus, Christmas
and Ramzan - all these festivals are celebrated by
all the communities in Kerala.
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