From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
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The Kerala Portal
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Kerala is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. It is one of four states that compose the linguistic-cultural region known as South India. First settled in the 10th century BCE by speakers of Proto-South Dravidian, Kerala was influenced by the Mauryan Empire. Later, the Chera kingdom and feudal Nair city-states became major powers in the region.The states Cochin and travancore joined together to form thiru-cochin.finally malabar also joined in this state to became Kerala.the States Reorganisation Act of November 1, 1956 elevated Kerala to statehood. Social reforms enacted in the late 19th century by Travancore and Cochin were expanded upon by post-Independence governments, making Kerala among the Third World's healthiest, longest-lived, most gender-equitable, and most literate regions. |
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Adi Shankara, also known as Ādi Śaṅkarācārya ("the first Shankara in his lineage"), c. 788 – 820 CE, was the first philosopher to consolidate the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta, a sub-school of Vedanta. His teachings are based on the unity of the soul and God, in which God is viewed as simultaneously personal and attributeless. In the Smārta tradition, Adi Shankara is regarded as an incarnation of Shiva.
Adi Shankara toured India with the purpose of propagating his teachings through discourses and debates with other philosophers. He founded four mathas ("abbeys") which played a key role in the historical development and spread of Hinduism and Advaita Vedanta. Adi Shankara was the founder of the Dashanami monastic order and the Shanmata tradition of worship. His works in Sanskrit, all of which are extant today, concern themselves with establishing the doctrine of Advaita ( Sanskrit, "Non-dualism"). Adi Shankara quotes extensively from the Upanishads and other Hindu scriptures in forming his teachings. He also includes polemics against opposing schools of thought like Samkhya and Buddhism in his works. ( more...)
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St. Angelo's Fort was built in 1505 by Dom Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy of India and is on the Arabian sea about 3 km from Kannur town. The fort changed hands several times. In 1663 the Dutch captured it and sold it to the Arakkal Royal Family in 1772. The British conquered it in 1790 and transformed it into one of their major military stations on the Malabar Coast. It is fairly well preserved as a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. A painting of this fort and the fishing ferry behind it can be seen in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The Dutch captured the fort from the Portuguese in 1663, then later sold the fort to king Ali Raja of Arakkal.
In 1790 the British seized it and transformed it into their chief military station in Malabar.
In the 19th century, the British established the Cannanore Cantonment, which includes the St. Angelo Fort.
Photo credit: Kjrajesh
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{{Wikipedia:WikiProject Kerala/to do}}
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Did you know... |
- ...that Transparency International ranked Kerala as the least corrupt state in the country in 2005?
- ...that according to tradition, it is believed that Thomas , the apostle of Jesus Christ established the Church in India in 52 AD?
- ...that Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama was buried in St. Francis Church in India?
- ...that Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary in Kerala, India, receives migratory birds from far away Siberia?
- ...that the Mattancherry Palace, popular as Dutch Palace, in Kochi, India, was built by the Portuguese and renovated by the Dutch?
- ...there is a belief that a dip in the waters of Papanasam Beach (pictured), one of the beaches in Kerala, washes away sins?
- ...that the hull of the kettuvallams, Kerala houseboats, (pictured) are built of wooden boards tied together by coir rope?
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Wikipedia in Malayalam |
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