As grandiose slogans go, Kerala has one of the best: “God’s Own Country,” they call it, an assertion of divine provenance that’s loudly proclaimed on countless signposts and bumper stickers across the state. In most corners of the planet, such a boast would sound unbearably self-satisfied, tourist-oriented branding at its tritest. But here in this prosperous state on the southwest coast of India, it doesn’t sound smug so much as sincere, precise even. “Rest your eyes on our natural splendor,” it seems to say, “and believe.”
The phrase invokes the stunning natural beauty for which Kerala is renowned, of course, but also alludes to the variety of faiths that thrive here: The coexistence of Hindus, Muslims, Christians and even some Jains is apparent in the busy juxtaposition of towers, minarets and spires that sit cheek by jowl in every city, town and village. If for no other reason, the state can lay claim to the title of “God’s Own Country” because there are so many gods who might be inclined to choose it as their own.
My girlfriend and I arrived in Fort Kochi, a famously quaint heritage city filled with the vestiges of its Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial past, just before Christmas. One evening we stumbled upon a Sunday school concert in front of the Santa Cruz Basilica, a grand edifice with a dazzling white facade and twin spires reaching to the sky.
It was an arresting sight — glowing paper star lanterns hanging over a large, busy stage where a choir of small schoolgirls dressed as angels performed Christmas carols for a rapt audience of hundreds. “Silent Night” has never sounded so out of place and yet so universal. This was followed by a troupe of teenage girls in colorful Indian dress who performed an elaborate folk dance, arms and torsos waving in intricate patterns. The contrast of Christian hymns and traditional pageantry should have seemed jarring, but instead it appeared to be a seamless expression of multifaceted identity. Full story...
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The phrase invokes the stunning natural beauty for which Kerala is renowned, of course, but also alludes to the variety of faiths that thrive here: The coexistence of Hindus, Muslims, Christians and even some Jains is apparent in the busy juxtaposition of towers, minarets and spires that sit cheek by jowl in every city, town and village. If for no other reason, the state can lay claim to the title of “God’s Own Country” because there are so many gods who might be inclined to choose it as their own.
My girlfriend and I arrived in Fort Kochi, a famously quaint heritage city filled with the vestiges of its Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial past, just before Christmas. One evening we stumbled upon a Sunday school concert in front of the Santa Cruz Basilica, a grand edifice with a dazzling white facade and twin spires reaching to the sky.
It was an arresting sight — glowing paper star lanterns hanging over a large, busy stage where a choir of small schoolgirls dressed as angels performed Christmas carols for a rapt audience of hundreds. “Silent Night” has never sounded so out of place and yet so universal. This was followed by a troupe of teenage girls in colorful Indian dress who performed an elaborate folk dance, arms and torsos waving in intricate patterns. The contrast of Christian hymns and traditional pageantry should have seemed jarring, but instead it appeared to be a seamless expression of multifaceted identity. Full story...
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