ONAM CELEBRATIONS OF KERALA- THE MYTH, THE TRUTH AND THE HISTORY

ONAM IN KERALA:
TRUTH, MYTH, AND HISTORY
DR.RAJU M. MATHEW

MYTH,TRUTH AND HISTORY
• Onam- the Myth : Lord Vishnu incarnated as Vamana, a dwarf Brahmin to save Kerala from the
rule of Mahabali, an Asura King who was sent to the dark world on the concession that during
every Onam eve, he can visit Kerala and his people who celebrates his arrival . Onam was the
ultimate victory of the Lord Vishu over the Lord Siva and his beloved Mahabali.
• Onam- the Truth: The first Brahmin invasion of Kerala, killing the ruler, Mahabali and making his
people salves of the Brahmins.
• Onam- the History: The Bible, the Old Testament, tells that it was Abraham who formulated the
ideology of “chosen people” and “ promised land” and it was Moses who effectively created the
priestly class and effectively implemented the deadly ideology of Abraham, claiming that the
Israelites were the chosen people of their deity or God with the right to exterminate all other
people or loot them or rape their women. This is the basis of Fascism and Modern Religious
Terrorism.
• A dissident group of Israelites marched towards a different direction and invaded India, the land
of Sanadhana Dharma and the land of the Supreme God, the Brahman. They projected
themselves as the people of Brahman or “ the Brahmins” and performed the priestly duties. The
Brahmins were not Aryans but the Semitic people or the children of Abraham following the
ideology of the chosen people and promised land.
• They invaded the southern part of India, Kerala, the most prosperous land and the land of the
most sexy and beautiful women. To them Kerala was the ‘Promised Land, for the “Chosen
People”, the children of Abraham. They defeated and killed the benevolent Emperor, Mahabali,
looted the wealth, raped the women and enslaved his people and finally introduced the deadly
caste system.
• For the enslaved people of Kerala, Onam is the day of celebration of their lost glorious days
without any caste system. For the victorious invaders, Onam is the day of their victory over the
Emperor and his people and introduction of slavery in Kerala. Onam was celebrated for buying
and selling salve men and women for the next one year.

THE MYTHOLOGY OF ONAM AND MAHABALI
• The Mythology of Onam tells the story of the glory and prosperity of the Pulayanar Kingdom under
the King Mahabali in Kerala where everybody was happy and lived in prosperity with high cultural
and intellectual esteem without any caste or creed differences. The original settlers of Kerala were
the Pulayas of the Dravidian race. With the Brahmin Invasion of Kerala, the people had been made
slaves to serve the invaders who had projected as priests and rulers – the Brahmins and
Kshathriyas.
• It was Moses, the greatest military strategist of the ancient Israelites, who had created the priestly
classes and put them at the top of the Israelites., as narrated in the Old Testament. However, a
rebel group of Israelites who protested against Moses, had run away and invaded India with
horses ,chariots, bows and arrows. They had brought cows, ploughs and wheat with them and
projected themselves as the men of the Indian supreme god, Brahmhan and came to be known as
‘Brahmins’.
• The Brahmins and the Kshathriyas were not Aryans but Semitic people who wanted to extend their
supremacy over the prosperous and powerful Dravidian King, Mahabali of Kerala in the southern
part of India. They were jealous of King Mahabali, the ruler of Kerala. They with the leadership of
the treacherous and cunning Vamana, dethroned and murdered the King Mahabali and looted his
precious wealth , raped the women and the entire people were made salves who had been
scattered in different parts of Kerala.
• In order to glorify Vamana, the Brahmins had elevated him as the incarnation of the Lord Vishnu, an
Indian version of Abraham’s desert tribal deity who had been elevated by Moses to the status of
‘Lord God’, the creator of every thing, including the Laws and Covenants and the Protector and the
God of the Jews.
• Onam is basically a celebration of Kerala, remembering the glorious ruler Mahabali, the prosperous
life of the people under him without any caste or creed differences and their tragic end too. It is the
celebration of the victorious Brahmins and the slavery of the Dravidians. For the outsiders, it is a
harvesting festival with colors. But it is a black history coded in simple and colorful words with the
stains of blood. The Mythology of Onam is a coded history of Kerala.

KERALA HISTORY - FABRICATED
• Unlike the West or the Arab world, no historical document or evidence can be
preserved in Kerala for the frequent rain and the presence of termites everywhere in
Kerala. That is why; Kerala developed its own mythologies to tell the future generations
about some major incidents and tragedies like invasions, massacre, looting, rapes and
slavery.
• The two well known and deep–rooted mythologies are ; one on the victory of Vamana
over the King Mahabali and the other on the victory of Parasurama over ‘the Sea’.
Both Vamana and Parsurama were glorified as the incarnation of the Lord Vishnu.
Though ‘Onam’ is the national celebration of Kerala, it is all about the greatest tragedy
of the people of Kerala, surrender and the introduction of caste system, making the
Brahmins the supreme owners of the entire land, cows, gold and women and making
the natives mere salves.
• Historians of the ancient or medieval Kerala have been white washing the brutal crimes
committed against the people of Kerala by the victorious Brahmin invaders. They have
deliberately been fabricated evidence to glorify the invaders and degrade the people
of Kerala.
• However, the two well known Mythologies tell more truth about the ancient Kerala
than the fabricated history of Kerala. The history of Kerala is very much related to the
arrival of the Brahmins, the prolonged slavery of the Pulayas, the rise of the Nairs, the
emergence of the Ezhavas or Thiyas, the growth of Christians and the Muslims and the
decline of the Brahmins that have lasting impacts on the making of the present Kerala
society –its socio-political developments. Though the people of Kerala belong to the
‘Dravidian race’, they are quite distinct from the other Dravidian people of Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh too.

DECODING HISTORY FROM MYTHOLOGIES
• Kerala, also known as Malabar, has a very long history. The Jews, the Arabs and the
Chinese traders came to Kerala for its precious spices, rose, teak and sandal woods
and medicinal herbals. King Solomon and Queen Sheba were in fond of them .
Even the Chinese came to Kerala to learn ‘Kalaripayattu’ and ‘Kalari or Marma
chikilas (treatment).
• Two major Aryan invasions had taken place in Kerala – the first one was aimed at
destroying the prosperous Dravidian or Asura Kingdom of Mahabali as narrated
in the Mythology of Vamana and Mahabali. The second one was to exterminate
Buddhism from Kerala and to establish caste system with eternal dominance of the
Brahmins over the entire Kerala society, as narrated in the Mythology of
Parasurama who recovered Kerala from the sea with his axe.
• The lasting impacts of those two invasions can be seen even in the 21st century.
Even though Buddhism was totally annihilated from Kerala, the second invasion
paved the way for the emergence of the Muslims and the Christians on the one
hand and a divided Hindu society with the Nairs and Brahmins at the top with
greater freedom, the Ezhavas at the middle with limited rights and the Pulayas at
the bottom as slaves. It also resulted in the decline of the Brahmins.
• The Pulayas, originally the most prosperous and cultured people of Kerala, have
been subjected to slavery worse than the African salves in America. While the
African slaves in America could rise to any level, the Pulayas , known in different
names in different parts of Kerala, still remain socially, economically and politically
backward for they had been disintegrated besides denying education, social
mobility and ownership of land. Nobody in the entire human history has such a
dreadful and prolonged oppression and exploitation, in which both Islam and
Christianity or even Communism have become helpless witnesses.

THE ONAM CELEBRATIONS OF KERALA
• The creative genius of the Pulayas helped them create the
Mythology of Onam and Mahabali to narrate their glorious and
prosperous past under Mahabali, marked without any caste or
class difference and also their present pathetic conditions.
• The mercenaries of the invading Brahmins and Kshathriyas were
a low caste warring tribe in Andhara, known as Naikanaras or
Nairs. Since the wives of the Nairs and the Brahmins in Kerala
were originally from the Pulayanar Kingdom, they had been
celebrating Onam as a Hindu festival, giving some role to the
Brahmins and popularizing the Mythology of Mahabali and
practicing some of their early songs and dances. Now the entire
people of Kerala are emotionally attached to ‘Onam’.
• The Pulayas, known indifferent names such as Kanakkans,
Kurichi, Kani, Kaniyan, Parayan, Vetton, Vannan, Arayan, Yettali
and etc in the different parts of Kerala, in spite of their
prolonged slavery, hardship, denial of education and social
mobility, have still maintained their artistic and intellectual
caliber.

THE FALL OF THE VEDIC GODS AND
THE RISE OF THE EPIC GODS
• Even before the Semitic invasion of the Brahmins and Kshathriyas in India, the people
had followed a way of life based on a set of eternal values, called Sanadhana Dharma.
The Brahmin and Kshathriy invaders found that Sanadhana Dharma was a stumbling
block to attain their dominance over the society. That is why; they had introduced the
Vedic Gods like Indira, Fire, Rain and etc; the Vedic Hymns and the Vedic Sacrifice,
including animal sacrifice that had later abandoned to meet the challenges of Buddhism.
• The common people found it difficult to grasp the Vedic Gods and Hymns and they
started to embrace Buddhism on a massive scale. Even though, the two great epics –
Ramayana and Mahabharatha dealing with war andcrimes were popular, both Rama and
Krishna were just epic heroes without any divinity.
• Both Sankara and Ramanjua, the two great Hindu philosophers, had found that
Buddhism cannot be annihilated just by force alone without attracting common people in
the fold of Hinduism manipulated by the Brahmins. As a strategy to arrest the inflow of
the common people towards Buddhism, by early ninth century AD, they deliberately
elevated the epic heroes to the status of ‘Gods’ as incarnations ,even degrading the
Vedic Gods. Though it had helped common people keep in the fold of Hinduism, it had
created a lot of confusions to the Brahmins besides affecting their role and status.
• As a solution, the Brahmins introduced the Trinity Hindu God consisting of the Brhama,
Vishnu and the Black Dravidian God, Siva and the epic heroes had been made the
incarnation of Vishnu. That had resulted even violent clashes between the worshippers
of Vishnu, an Indian version of the Semitic God and Siva, a Dravidian God. Krishna, the
Black Dravidian God had been made the incarnation of Vishnu. However. both Rama
and Krishna had tragic ends (suicide or deadly snake bite) in spite of their incarnation as
Vishnu.

DECLINE OF THE BRAHMIN SUPREMACY
• The Brahmins and their men in Kerala as separate race or class could not keep
their racial or cultural identity. Their wives, drawn from the erstwhile Pulaya
Kingdom , had retained most of their cultural identity ; they were not much loyal
to the invader husbands and were not ready to reject their deep rooted Tantric sex
practices also.
• By seventh century A.D., the Brahmins lost their dominance over the society and
there were only a few hundred Brahmin families in the entire Kerala that too
without much power and glory; the family of ‘Sankaracharya’ was one among
them. Though the Brahmins in Kerala were the worshippers of the Vishnu, some of
them had became the ardent worshippers of the Lord Siva and they fought each
other.
• All those conditions lead to the spread of Buddhism from Sri Lanka and its wide
popularity among the entire people of hinter land of Kerala, though in the early
stage Buddhism was confined into certain pockets in the major trade and business
centers without any influence in the main land.
• Gradually the Buddhists established their monasteries in Thrikannpuram,
Sabraimala, Malayatoor, Kodungaloor, Ponnai and Ezhimala for the enthusiasm of
the Buddhist monks like Nagarjuna. Several Local rulers had even converted to
Buddhism, including the ruler and the people of Munjanad, near the present
Nilakkal, near Sabarimala. Sabari was a great Buddhist monk and saint too.
Swamy Ayyappa was a disciple of Sabrai, though he belonged to the petty kingdom
of Pandalam. For the arrival of Buddhism in Kerala from Sri Lanka, crossing the sea
and its wide spread like a sea, it was called the Sacred Sea or ‘the Sea’.

SPREAD OF BUDDHISM IN KERALA
• With the decline of several rulers and the spread of
Buddhism, thanks to the missionary works of the Buddhist
monks like Nagarjuna from Sri Lanka, a large number of
Pulayas and even some Nairs converted to Buddhism. Some
rich families following Jainism had also converted to
Buddhism.
• Ayurveda had been popularized; almost all households had
been encouraged to build up their own herbal garden,
known as ‘Kave’ and also conserve water through wells and
ponds attached to each house and temple also known as
Pally.
• Most of the pallies had their own small schools to impart
religious and general education, known as Pallykoodams.
Most of the place names in Kerala end with ‘pally’ like
Karunagappally, Kanjirappally Karthikappally and etc had
well known Buddhist temples. These places were busy
trade centers too.

THE MYTHOLOGY OF PARASURAMA
• The Mythology of Parasurama tells that an incarnation of the Lord Vishnu carrying
Axe, recovered Kerala spreading from Kanniyakumari to Gokarnam from the Sea
with the help of his axe. Later he repented for the crimes that he committed and
gifted the entire Kerala to sixty four Brahmin families.
• Parasurama, a prince of the Gupta empire in the central India, invaded Kerala with
a large army; looted the wealth; killed men; raped women and annihilated
Buddhism and converted the Buddhist temples and monasteries into Hindu
temples for the enthusiasm and encouragement of Sankaracharya, a Brahmin
scholar from Kalady by the end of 8th century AD. Buddhist statues were broken
and thrown into the ponds of the temple.
• A large number of the ardent Buddhists were executed; some others escaped to
the thick forest and became ‘Adivasis’ (early settlers) including ‘Chola Naikens’.
Some Buddhist families in the Northern Kerala converted into Islam and in the
Central Kerala into Christianity. Buddhists had found very great similarity in the
teaching of the Christianity.
• Like the Buddhists in Kerala, both the Islam and Christian converted Buddhists
called their place of worship as ‘Pally’ and the schools attached to the Pally were
called as ‘Pallykoodam’. Like the Buddhist women, both Buddhist converted Islam
and Christian women used long white cloth to cover the body and stitched top
with long hands. In spite of their conversions into Islam or Christianity, they
retained most of their culture and way of life, including the celebration of Onam,
developing herbal gardens, using Ayurveda, making daily bath and etc.

SABARIMALA BECAME A FOREST PILFGRIMAGE CENTRE
• Nilakkal was the capital of the Munjanad Kingdom, having close relationship with
the Pandalm Kingdom. A prince of the Munjanad Kingdom had married a
princess of the Zamorians of Calicut and became its ruler. Sabarimala, in the
neighborhood of Nilakkal was a Buddhist monastery under the saint like Buddhist
monk , Sabari. For the influence of Sabari, the entire Munjanad Kingdon had
converted to Buddhism.
• Besides, Ayyappa an influential Prince of the Pandalam Kingdom also became a
disciple of Sabari against the wishes of the Kingdom. Vaver was the leader of the
Muslim Community of Erumely who was a close friend of Prince Ayyappa of the
Pandalm Kingdom.
• Such developments had provoked the Brahmins and some neighboring Hindu
kingdoms. As a retaliation, they destroyed the Buddhist monastery and killed
‘Sabari’ and also attacked the Munjanad Kingdom. The people made mass exodus
deserting Nilakkel. As a protest, the Prince Ayyappa spent the rest of his life in
Sabarimala as a monk. Both Nilakkel and Sabamala had became thick forests.
With the death of the Prince Ayyappa, Sabarimala became a Pilgrimage centre.
• The majority of the people of the Munjanad Kingdom converted to Christianity as
a means to safeguard from the attack of the Hindus who spared both the Muslims
and the Christian from attacking and a majority of them had made an exodus
through Erumely Petta, a Tamil Muslim trade pocket, carrying their precious
wealth and moved towards Kanjirappally, a well known Buddhist trade centre. The
other group moved towards Mavelikkara.
• .

TREAURES OF PADBHANABHA SWAMY
TEMPLE- THE LOOTED WEALTH
• The people of the Munjanad Kingdom moved forward from Erumely and
settled at Kanjirappally, a Buddhist and Tamil Muslim trade centre.
Gradually a large group of Christian families moved towards Pala and
Thodupuza and another group moved to Kottayam who later became
Orthodox or Jacobaite Christians.
• The Buddhists also made Kanjirappaly as their strong hold ; they became
very rich and powerful, including the family of ‘Kuplithans’. Marthanda
Varma became the powerful ruler of Travancore after destroying the Ettu
Veetil Pillas.
• Marthands Varma made the entire spices trade under the control of the
Travncore Government to destroy the economic strength of the
Buddhists. The Buddhists in Kanjirapply opposed such a move and that
provoked the King, Marthandavarma. He sent a large army to destroy the
Buddhist centre in Kanjirappally and looted their precious wealth which
later became the wealth of Padbhanabhaswamy Temple at
Thiruvanthapuram. Now it has become the centre of controversies and
litigations.

THE LAND OF PLEASURE GIRLS
• Even before the age of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and
the invasion of the Aryans, a dissident group of Semitic tribe,
from central Asia, Hinduism, more specifically ‘Sanadhana
Dharma’ without any caste system had been practiced in India.
Kerala, also known as the Malabar, was the most prosperous
place in India and it was well known in other parts of the world.
• The Jews, the Arabs and the Chinese traders came to Kerala for
silk, spices, precious woods, medicinal herbs , ivory and etc. It was
also known as the land of ‘pleasure girls and sweet toddy for the
widely prevailing practice of ‘tantric sex’. There were several
tantric school to train girls in the art of tantric sex, dance, songs,
cooking and entertaining the guests. Such kind of girls had high
social status and respect even in the court of the King. For them,
Kerala was also known as ‘The Land of Pleasure Girls’.
• Both Brahmins and the Kshathriyas of the North and Central India
were jealous of Kerala, especially the Pulaynar Kingdom and its
ruler ’Mahabali’. The immense wealth and the sexy women of
Kerala prompted them to invade Kerala.

SLAVERY OF THE PULAYAS
• In the fierce battle, lead by the Brahmins using horses, Mahabali was
defeated and executed; the wealth was plundered ; women were raped.
The Brahmins were made the owners of the land, wealth and women.
Brahmins made some of the beautiful unmarried women as their wives
and the rest were put under the custody of the Nairs, retaining their
ownership with the Brahmins.
• Those who captured were made slaves, known as ‘Pulayas, to serve the
Kshathriyas and their warriors or armed men. Knowing the fall of
Pulaynar Kingdom, under Mahabali, a mass exodus of the people of the
other parts of the Pulayanar Kingdom had also been taken place to the
northern part of Kerala where they were came to be known as
‘Kanakkans’ ‘Kurichi’, Kaani, and other names and later some of them
became forest tribes s or untouchables

THE RISE OF THE NAIRS
• The Brahmins were made the supreme over the Kshathriyas and their
warriors who had to take care of Brahmins. Some of the warriors were
made the helpers of the Brahmins to do sacrifice or prayers ;some of
them were entrusted in playing musical instruments in temples,
including drums. They were given a higher status than the rest of the
warriors who came to be known as Nairs, The Nairs were originally a
fighter tribe from the Andra Nadu came as fighters to defeat Mahabali.
• Gradually some Nair families acquired wealth for their influence over the
Brahmins, mainly through their women who had great influence over
their men and became landlords with ownership rights rested with
prominent women, called ‘Marumakkal Thayam’.
• Some of the Nairs emerged as the rulers of certain localities, known as
‘Nadu’ or ‘Desam’. There were hundreds of such kind of Nadues or
Desams in Kerala and later some of them became prominent to become
kings. While the rulers of a conglomeration of Nadues in Travancore
and Cochin became kings, in Malabar area they came to be known as
Zamurians.
• Unlike the northern India, there is no Kshathriyas in Kerala, as
everybody had merged with the people of the Kindom of Pulayanars and
assimilated with its culture through women, though the kingdom was
vanished.

EZHAVAS AND THYAS –
THE NON-PRCRTISING BUDDHISTS
• A brutal and cold-blooded religious prosecution of the Buddhists in the entire
Kerala taken place during the ninth century AD. Though a large number of them
converted either into Islam or Christianity, a majority of the Buddhists both in
the Northern and Southern Kerala were not ready to convert either into Islam or
Christianity and remained inactive for fearing the Brahmins and their
mercenaries.
• Gradually they adopted some of the Hindu practices, they were not considered
as the pure Hindus or low caste Hindus. For their Buddhist leniency, remained
just like islands in the sea and their affiliation to the Buddhists of Sri Lanka, they
came to be known in Southern Kerala as ‘Ezhavan’ (islander) and as ‘Thiyan’
(islander - the word theve menas island) in the Northern Kerala. They were also
called ‘Chnadalas’. Their status was just above the Pulayas but without any
ownership rights. Their main occupation was coconut climbing and toddy
making.
• Thanks to the missionary work of a great Ezhava leader, Narayana Guru, the
socio-economic conditions of the Ezhava and Thiya community have changed
drastically. For their Buddhist background, they also have set up several schools
and other institutions like the Christians. They have also set up powerful
organizations capable of doing business in terms of several millions. Now over
30% of the government jobs is held by them, even pushing back the other
reservation categories, especially the Pulayas and the Adivasis (early settlers).

SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN KERALA
• Christians in Kerala can be brought under three major categories : Syrian Christians, Latin Christians and
Knanaya Christians. Syrian Christians believe that they were originally Brahmins converted to Christianity
by St. Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ who established several pockets of Christian
converts in the first century AD in Kerala.
• Even during 10th century BC the Jewish and the Arab traders came to Kerala for spices, ivory and
precious teak and rose woods. Woods and ivory from Kerala were used for the construction of
Jerusalem Temple by the King Solomon.
• Even in the beginning of the first century AD, Christianity came into Kerala through the Arab Christian
traders and some of the Jews settled in Kerala , besides some Brahmin families also converted to
Christianity. The Christians in Kerala were under the bishops of Syria, following the oriental practices till
the dominance of Portuguese. That is why; they have been known as’ Syrian Christians’. However, by 345
AD, 72 families of the Palestinian Christians came to Kerala under Canai Thommen and settled in
Kerala, retaining their identity without mingling with the other Christians in Kerala and they are known
as Cananaya Catholics. Consequent on the Protestant Revolution, a section of them formed Cananaya
Orthodox Church.
• During the fall of Ottoman Empire and prosecution of Christians in the Arab world, especially in Persia
and Palestine, some Arab Christians came to Kerala and settled in Trichur and Alleppy . They were
integrated to the fold of the Syrian Christians and engaged in trade or business.
• During the prosecution or extermination of Buddhism in Kerala during the beginning of the ninth
century AD, a large number of Buddhists from Kunda in South to Kunnankulam in North , converted into
Christianity to escape from religious prosecution, as Christians had been given special protection by the
rulers of the Chera Kingdom. They became a part and parcel of Syrian Christians in Kerala.
• Consequently, the Syrian Christians became a dominant group engaged in successful agriculture and
trade . Because of the Buddhist influence, they set up several Pallies (Churches) and along with
Churches, they also established schools (Pallukoodums) to offer both general and religious education
that lead to their overall advancements. That had helped the Syrian Christians to build up a cadre of duly
educated priests with both general and religious education who played a pivotal role in their overall
advancement in many fields.

LATIN AND ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS
• The Portuguese missionaries in the beginning of the 19th century converted
several fisher men in the costal areas of Kerala besides the Pulayas in the
hinterland of Kerala , besides some Thiyas as Catholic Christians . Since they
followed the western or Latin practice they came to be known as Latin Christians.
For the influence of the caste system of the Hindus, these Christians have been
treated as ‘lower castes’ in Kerala with low socio-economic status, though there is
no caste system in Christianity. There has not been much free mingling or social
mobility between the Syrian Christians and the Latin or Anglican Christians.
• The Portuguese missionaries had also been interfered in the affairs of the Syrian
Christians. A section of the Syrian Christians formed a separate church free from
the interference of the Portuguese. Later it became a Protestant Church called the
Orthodox Church. The Syrian Catholics also got greater autonomy and came to be
known as Syro-Malabar Church.
• Later, Orthodox Church was split first into two warring groups -Orthodox and
Jacobites besides a splinter group known as ‘Marthomite Church’. Besides these,
there are several brands of Protestant Christians in Kerala. After the dominance of
the British, the Anglican Church of England also converted a large number of
Pulayas and Nadars into Christianity mainly in Kottayam and Thirivanthapuram.
Even some Syrian Christians also joined with the Anglican Church.
• Later, a section of the Orthodox and Jacobite Christians became Catholics, under
the Pope, retaining some of their customs and practices, especially in the Central
and Southern Kerala . They are known as ‘Syro-Malankara Catholics.

MUSLIMS IN KERALA
• Kerala had long lasting trade relationship with the Arab and the Jewish world even before the
birth of Jesus Christ. The Arabs had a glorious past in trade, geographical explorations,
mathematics, astronomy, medicine and dissemination of knowledge even in pre-Islamic period.
• With the birth of Islam, the Arabs also brought Islam as a religion of peace and tolerence into
Kerala in the beginning of the eight century AD. The Chera kingdom with its capital at
Mahaodayapuram (the present Kodugaloor) give freedom to the Arab Muslims to practice Islam
in Kerala as had been in the case of the Arab Christians, though it was a strong hold of Buddhism.
• With the invasion of the Brahmins under the leadership of Parasurama to annihilate Buddhism
and establish the Brahmin dominance, thousands of Buddhists had been brutally murdered;
hundreds of their temples and several monasteries had been destroyed and even some of them
converted into Hindu temples, including Kodugaloor, Guruvayoor, Permupavoor, Sabarimala.
Even the Padbanabasway Temple at Trivandrum was orignally a Buddhist temple and a school.
• Since the Brahmins spared both Islam and Christianity which had special status in Kerala, several
Buddhists in Ponnai and Chavakkad had converted to Islam and Ponnai becme an Islamic centre.
In Tamil Nadue, also some Buddhists engaged in trade with the hinder land of Kerala also
converted to Islam. They set up Muslim pockets, called Petta in Erumely, Kanirappally, Poonjar
(Erattupetta) and Moovattupuzha. The Muslims in Kerala had intimate relationship with
Christians for their Arab background on the one hand and their Buddhist background on the
other besides their trade connections. Though Muslims called their house of worships as ‘Pally’
just the Buddhsit and also setup schools to give basic oral instruction in Arab and Koran, called
‘Othupallykoodams.
• .

GROWTH OF ISLAM
• Compared to Christianity, Islam was a small religion in Kerala till the invasion of
Tippu Sultan, the Muslim ruler of Mysore in the Northern part of Kerala. During
the invasion of Tippu Sultan, hundreds of Hindu families, including Brahmins and
wealthy Nairs, were forcefully converted to Islam. Thus the Keies in Tellicherry
and the Koyas at Calicut were originally upper caste Hindus converted to Islam.
However, the ‘Thangal Families’ are believed to be from Saudi Arabia and even
related to Mohammed Nabi. Besides, several Pulaya families and fishermen
communities in the Malabar also converted to Islam. As a result, the Muslims
outnumbered Christians. However, their socio-economic status is not much
different from that of the Pulayas.
• Except a few hundred rich Muslim families –landlords and traders- the rest of
the Muslims in Kerala remained very poor and uneducated with low social
status, just like Pulayas. Unlike Christians, the schools setup by the Muslims had
been limited for imparting education on the basic aspects of Koran orally without
providing any general education. As a result, even the Muslim clergy men
remained uneducated , except some basic knowledge of Islam or Koran and as
such they could not play any social or economic role other than upholding
orthodoxy.
• After India attained independence, Muslims in Kerala had started schools and
colleges to offer non-religious education; a certain percentage of the government
jobs has been reserved exclusively for Muslims. The Gulf boom helped a large
number of poor Muslims migrate to the Gulf countries as construction workers or
drivers or helpers that changed the economic status of the Muslims in Kerala.

ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM
• Muslims in Kerala are basically ‘Sunni Muslims’ without any Shiite
Muslims, though there are some Sufi Muslims and Ahmediyas. The
progressive Muslims in Kerala are branded as ‘Mujahid’ and the
conservatives as ‘The Sunnis’; both of them split into several groups and
fight each other using their own medias and mosques and political
organs.
• For the financial and ideological support of Pakistan, Islamic
fundamentalism has spread among a large number of young Muslims in
Kerala, both educated and non-educated. It is a strategic move on the
part of Pakistan to destabilize India on the one hand and block the
migration of Muslim workers of Kerala to GCC countries. It has nothing to
do with the faith or religion.
• Since the GCC countries have adopted a tough stand against Islamic
Terrorism and Fundamentalism, Muslims in Kerala have been looked
upon with suspicion in GCC countries and their job or business
possibilities in the GCC countries are declining fast and nearing an end.
Within two to five years, most of the migrant Muslim workers or business
people from Kerala are forced to return to Kerala, causing very great
social and economic crisis not only for Muslims but for the entire Kerala.

THE KERALA MINDSET
• The mindset of Kerala has been evolved through the mythologies of
the victory of Vamana over Mahabali and the victory of Parasurama
over the sea. They tell about the two Brahmin invasions to Kerala
from north India for enslaving the original settlers of Kerala, branded
as ‘the Asuras’ and their king, Mahabali and then for the total
annihilation of Buddhism from Kerala, branded as ‘the sea’.
• The tantric sex widely practiced centuries ago still haunt the people
of Kerala while they uphold sexual morality based on the British
middle class morality of the 18th century. The crimes and brutality
committed by the Brahmins against the Pulays still persist in the
mindset of Kerala even though the Brahmins have lost their power
and glory. In the true sense, Kerala mindset is not better than the
irrational and unscientific primitive tribal mindset, though the people
think that they are rational and progressive with their leftist leaning.
• The major communities in Kerala – the Nairs, the Ezhavas, the
Christians, the Muslims and above all Pulayas, known in different
names, are the bye-products of the two great invasions and
oppressions as depicted in the Mythologies of Vamana and
Parasurama, The art, culture, the way of social life and etc have been
molded by these two Mythologies in stead of a futuristic society.

UNDOING INJUSTICES AND HYPOCRACIES
• The Kerala society is basically an unjust and immoral society as it has not yet ready
in doing justice and ensure better living conditions and thereby correcting the
past crimes committed against the original settlers of Kerala and the men of
Mahabali- The Pulayas. In spite the so called socio-economic progress and the so
called great contributions made by the Christians, the Muslims, the Nairs, the
Ezhavas and even the Communists, the Pulayas in Kerala still live like salves far
worse than the African salves of America during the time of Abraham Lincoln.
• The Pulayas and their sub-categories deserve at least a hundred world class
schools, ten colleges and one University exclusively for them, declaring them as
the heritage people . Besides providing quality education, their creative talents
and entrepreneurship must be developed and thereby brining them to the main
stream.
• There is nothing like pure race or caste in Kerala thanks to intermingling and
cross-fertilization. Realizing the common cultural, religious and racial backgrounds,
the people in Kerala, the Nairs, the Muslims, the Pulayas, the Ezhavas and the
Christians, must develop mutual love, support and respect for building up a just
and progressive society.
• All communities in Kerala must be ready to extend their help in supporting the
Pulayas, in stead of making them the sympathizers of Maoism or Islamic
Terrorism for they are the true men of Mahabali and the victims of Vamana and
Parasurama for the Brahmin domination, though the Brahmins have been side
tracked in Kerala society, probably as the price of their centuries old crime and
cruelty to the humanity.

REFORMERS AND CREATIVE MINDS
• This presentation, decoding the two well known
Mythologies to unearth the painful or dreadful
history of Kerala may help the people of Kerala
get aware of their common racial and cultural
root, develop mutual help and support and build
up a progressive and future oriented society with
reforms and innovations. It may help creative
minds like artists, poets, novelists, dramatists,
historians, sociologists and film or TV serial
show makers bring out wonderful works.

ONAM CELEBRATIONS OF KERALA- THE MYTH, THE TRUTH AND THE HISTORY

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