Fabulous Rice Cakes from Paalakkad Gap
By Ammini Ramachandran

It was a beautiful morning. Low mist covered the tall peaks of Nilagiri Mountains. The sky changed from a gleaming red to a glowing orange as the sun rose. That morning I was driving down with my cousin to Ramasseri, an inconspicuous little village tucked along the Paalakkad Gap. Ahead of us, sprawling over midland-plains and mountainous highlands, lays this twenty-mile wide gap, the largest mountain pass in the mountain ranges that separates Kerala from the rest of India.more>



A Bequest of Trade Winds:
Kerala’s Islamic Legacy
By Ammini Ramachandran


Centuries before Mahmud of Ghazni (modern Afghanistan and northeastern modern Iran), lured by tales of the fertile plains and the fabulous wealth of Hindu temples first attacked northern India in 1000 AD, the coastal region of the Indian Ocean between India, the Persian Gulf, East Africa and the China Sea was an area of active commercial exchange. People along these coasts, blessed with wide open waters and natural harbors, excelled in maritime trade with distant lands. Both Indian merchants and the inhabitants of the Persian Gulf regions were active traders and intermediaries long before the birth of Christ.more>


Subdued Elegance of Kerala Cotton

By Ammini Ramachandran
India’s textile tradition is an elegant legacy perfectly preserved over thousands of years. Of all the arts and crafts of India, traditional handloom textiles are probably the oldest. Stretched across the country, each region in India has its own distinctive fabric and, a wide range of design and weaves particular to that region. Mention Indian fabrics and the first image that comes to mind is that of textiles in a spectacular range of beautiful colors - Magnificent bright colored silks of Kancheepuram and Mysore, gadwals, ikkarts, patolas, jamdanis - the list goes on. In sharp contrast to this multihued collection, Kerala’s soft gossamer thin off white cottons laced with golden boarders and elegant designs stands apart as a symbol of graceful sophistication.....more>


Monsoon Memories

By Ammini Ramachandran

Once again monsoon rains have arrived in Kerala breaking the lengthy spell of scorching summer temperatures. The arrival of monsoon clouds over the Arabian Sea is an eagerly awaited event .The muggy air seems to bear down upon one. After a dry spell, lasting for months on end, the parched earth calls out for the first drop of rain. Sun and even the red earth give off endless heat. Just about everyone begin to make meteorological predictions – everyone has their own theories about the impeding edvappathi, monsoon rains that are expected to start during the middle of the month of Edavam (first week of June) on the lunar calendar. And then, one day, the unbearable wait comes to an end. When the first raindrops of monsoon fall, it is almost as if the land and its creatures heave a collective sigh of relief. ....more>



Gentle Giants of Western Ghats
By Ammini Ramachandran
Legend has it that a true Malayali can tell one elephant apart from another, just by looking at it. Although this is an exaggeration, the elephant in all its majesty continues to hold sway in the malayali way of life. Intelligent, gentle and graceful by nature, elephant is our animal of splendor and gaiety, and is an integral part of life in Kerala. They are featured in art, literature, dance, music and above all in our festivals. While traveling through Kerala one would most likely encounter a local temple elephant in the middle of the road, carrying its fodder of coconut palm leaves in its trunk.....more>



Naalukettu A Magnificent Tradition of Domestic Architecture
By Ammini Ramachandran
Just across from the home I grew up stands our ancient tharavad, our old ancestral home. A sprawling structure with over thirty rooms and open verandas both inside and outside, it is constructed of red bricks and teakwood. With a history dating back more than three hundred years this beautiful two story naalukettu, quadrangular building with an open to sky central courtyard, emanates an air of peacefulness and tranquility. The doors of this unoccupied home remains open during the day, and everyone in the extended family has access to it. ....more>


A Hard Nut to Crack
By Ammini Ramachandran
Up on a tall peak of the Western Ghat Mountain range there is a shrine that every January draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. The devotees undertake an arduous journey, the final few miles of it on bare foot, over a rough and rocky terrain through low-lying fog accompanying a cold season's chill, to worship the Lord at Sabarimala. This shrine, perched on top of a mountain, is a monument to the unwavering faith of the worshippers of the Hindu deity Ayyappan. Arriving before dawn they approach the great shrine in darkness following the dim silhouettes and travel up the final hallowed eighteen steps carrying their irumudikettu (sacred bundles) on their heads. Tucked inside these bundles they bring the most sacred offering to the Lord - coconuts filled with ghee....more>



St. Francis Church and Santa Cruz Basilica:
Cherished Icons of Kochi's Christian Heritage
By Ammini Ramachandran

Christos e espiciarias! (For Christ and spices!) cheered the exuberant sailors of Vasco da Gama’s fleet when they anchored on the southwestern shores of India. Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama symbolized the emergence of the colonial era as he led an expedition of four ships through uncharted waters is search of spices. It is amazing that commodities sought for their qualities to season and preserve food, would become so directly associated with the message of Jesus Christ. However, the proselytizing part was disappointingly uncalled for: there were already plenty of Christians living on Kerala coast - Syrian Christians were a well established and flourishing community in Kerala for centuries.....more>







Timeless Treasures: Traditional Jewelry of Kerala
By Ammini Ramachandran

Draped in mystique and enriched with romance, India has an endless tradition of personal adornment spanning thousands of years. From simple gold garlands to the sparkling brilliance of jewels in pure gold encrusted with gems, there is an impressive array of jewelry; for the wearer it is often not just an ornament but also an amulet, protecting her/him through the joys and sorrows of life. For generations of Indian women, gold and precious stones have had a value beyond their cost.



Paradesi Synagogue: A Splendid Memento of Spice Trade
By Ammini Ramachandran

Taking a walk along Jew Town in Kochi (Cochin) is like taking a stroll down the lanes of antiquity. A narrow street lined with quaint Dutch style houses and picturesque little shops that sell spices and antiques leads to the doors of the 436-year old Paradesi Synagogue. Curved brass columns, intricately carved teak ark, Belgian crystal chandeliers, hanging silver, brass and glass oil-burning lamps and Torah crowns of solid gold set with gems, all make it one of the most beautiful synagogues. The most prized possessions of this Jewish Synagogue are two copper plates, inscribed in ancient script, containing details of privileges granted to the Jews during the reign of King Bhaskara Ravi Varman (962 - 1020 A.D.). ....more>



Sacred Food: Rice and Rituals
By Ammini Ramachandran

Ravished by our last meal, and anticipating the next even as we hungrily devour the rice before us, people in Kerala never get tired of eating rice. There is as much pleasure in anticipating a meal, and reminiscing about it afterwards, as there is in devouring. The relationship we have with rice is magical and mystical. As the rice cycle moves from plowing to seedlings to planting and fertilizing, to scarecrows in lush green fields as the grains ripen, and then to golden stacks of harvested rice drying in the sun, so does the village life. We celebrate and honor this grain of life from planting to harvesting to consuming.....more>




Bounty of Tropical summer
By Ammini Ramachandran


On the outermost reaches of southwestern India, the soundtrack of summer has a deeper bass and heavier beat than the rest of the year. Bright rays of sunshine come fluttering through the swaying leaves of coconut palms. Sun and even the red earth seem to give off heat. As the heat index climbs, pace of life quiets down and afternoon siestas become the norm of the day. Still some of us wait for this summer all year long. It is also the time when golden yellow mangos hide seductively under lush, green leaves and giant, thorny green jackfruits dangle languidly from tree trunks. Thankfully, Nature comes to our rescue; it offsets the unbearable swelter with a sucrose-filled bounty....more>




Afloat a Kettuvallam on Lake Vembanad
By Ammini Ramachandran

The sky was a magnificent blue and the Arabian Sea its reflection, except for the roll of white foam that splashed against the sands on the beach. Clear skies shimmered through palm leaf canopies as we drove past coconut groves. On a cool December morning we were driving along the coastal road from Kochi to Aalappuza for a houseboat holiday in Lake Vembanad. Vembanad Kaayal (as it is called in Malayalam) one of Asia's largest freshwater lakes and Kerala’s largest, spreads across coastal central Kerala and opens out to sea at the port of Kochi. We boarded our Kettuvallam (houseboat) at Aalappuzha around noon. We left the shore and glided through small canals into Lake Vembanad. The view in front of us was simply magnificent- ...more>






More Articles...>