Kerala and Religion

Kerala is, in so many ways, a different India: Ninety-one percent of the population is literate, English is written and spoken almost everywhere, political protests and demonstrations occur in the streets almost daily, kathakali and theyyam performances take your breath away, seafood is readily available, NATURAL BEAUTY is everywhere, and most non-veg places serve beef (yes, beef!).

One of the most fascinating things about Kerala, though, is its take on religion. The state has a hearty mix of Hindus, Muslims, and Christians. It's also the only place with a Nestorian settlement and a Jewish community (in fact, the Sassoon family, of the Vidal Sassoon brand, were Jewish Indians from Cochin). Here, religion is not much of a problem. Remember Shahji, my tiny canoe-driver from Alleppey? He was devout Muslim, chatted about Hindu philosophy, and took me to visit a church and a temple. But no place is the religious equality more noticeable than Munnar. Munnar has three major hills upon and between which it was built. And on each hill, a prominent building for each of the three religions: a Muslim masjid, a Christian church, and a Hindu mandir. Throughout the day and night, we can hear Hindu chanting, the Muslim call to prayer (for namaz/salat), and church bells. It's an amazing mixture of religion.

However, as you go further north, things change. Islam becomes the most prominent of the religions, simply because northern Kerala had much trade with Arabia. There are a few things I've noticed about all this:

1. All the masjids (mosques) in Kerala are green. Some have some dark forest green, but most are a sickening pastel green. Why green? Because this is the major color of Islam? Then why pastel?

2. The further north you go, the fewer Hindu temples and Christian churches you'll see. In fact, on my way from Ernakulam (Cochin) to Kalpetta (through Calicut), I did not see a single temple. And in the whole city of Kalpetta, I have yet to find one.

3. So many skullcaps and burqahs/hijabs! Oh, and more people like Osama the more north you go in Kerala.