Religion in Kerala
Religion in Kerala (2011)[1]
Religions in Kerala are a mixture of different faiths, most significantly Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. Kerala has a reputation of being, communally one of the most tolerant states in India. According to 2011 Census of India figures, 54.73% of Kerala's residents are Hindus, 26.56% are Muslims, 18.38% are Christians, and the remaining 0.32% follows other religion or no religion.[2] Various tribal people in Kerala have retained various religious beliefs of their ancestors. Hindus constitute the largest group in all districts except Malappuram where the Muslims are a majority.[3]
Hinduism
The mythological legends regarding origin of Kerala are Hindu in nature. Kerala produced several saints and movements. Adi Shankara was a Brahmin philosopher who contributed to Hinduism and propagated philosophy of Advaita. He was instrumental in establishing four mathas at Sringeri, Dwarka, Puri and Jyotirmath. Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri was another Brahmin religious figure who composed Narayaniyam, a collection of verses in praise of Krishna.
Hinduism is the largest religion in Kerala and Hindus make up 54.73% population of the state according to the 2011 census.[4] Various practises of Hinduism are unique to Kerala. Different cults of Shiva and Vishnu are popular in Kerala. Malayali Hindus also worship Bhagavathi as a form of Shakti. Almost every village in Kerala has its own local guardian deity, usually a goddess.
Hindus in Kerala also strongly believe in power of snake gods and usually have sacred snake groves known as Sarpa Kavu near to their houses.[5]
Hindus mostly attend these temples: Vadakkunnathan Temple, Guruvayur Temple, Sabarimala, Sree Poornathrayesa Temple, Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple, Chottanikkara Temple, Rajarajeshwara Temple and Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Temples in Kerala follow elaborate rituals and only priests from the Nambudiri caste can be appointed as priests in major temples. These priests are assisted by a caste known as Ambalavasis. Hindu women keep their head uncovered in temples, but it is not a strictly followed custom.
Sabarimala is a Hindu pilgrimage centre located at the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta District, Perunad grama panchayat in Kerala. It is one of the largest annual pilgrimages in the world, with an estimated over 100 million devotees visiting every year. Malayali Hindus have unique ceremonies such as Chorunu (first feeding of rice to a child) and Vidyāraṃbhaṃ[6]
The caste system in Kerala differed from that found in the rest of India. While the Indian caste system generally modelled the four-fold division of society into Brahmins, Vishwakarmas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras, in Kerala the Nambudiri Brahmins formed the priestly class.
Islam
Islam arrived in Kerala through Arab traders during the time of prophet Muhammad(AD 609 - AD 632). Kerala has a very ancient relation with the middle east even during the Pre-Islamic period. Muslim merchants (Malik Deenar) settled in Kerala by the 8th century AD and introduced Islam. The Cheraman Juma Masjid said to be the very first mosque in india situated in Kodungallur Taluk, in state of Kerala. According to a tradition, Cheraman Perumal, the last of the Chera kings, became Muslim and traveled to visit prophet Muhammad and this event helped the spread of Islam.
The Zamorin of Kozhikode encouraging Muslim traders to settle down in his kingdom to flourish maritime trade perhaps accounts for the relatively high proportion of Muslims in Malabar. The Muslims also manned the Zamorin's navy and were so intensely pro-Zamorin that one of them issued an order to bring up one male member in every fishermen family in his kingdom as a Muslim so as to get sufficient numbers in his navy.[7] There is also a significant Muslim population living in the coastal regions of central and southern Kerala. Historians believe that Tipu Sultan also help to convert many people to Islam, during his invasion of North Kerala.
Kerala Muslims are generally referred to as Mappilas in Kerala. They share a common language (Malayalam) with the rest of the population and have a culture commonly regarded as the Malayalam culture of Kerala with an Arabian blend.[8] Muslim population is the fastest growing sect in Kerala.[9] They form 26.56% of the population of Kerala.[10]
The modern theological orientations amongst the Muslims of Kerala are primarily divided into three; Sunnis, Mujahids (Salafis) and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, though all these belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. The Sunnis referred here are identified by their conventional beliefs and practices and adherence to the Shafi'i madh'hab, while the other two theological orientations, the Mujahids and the Jama'ats, are seen as movements within the Sunni Islam. A minor group of followers may be found with Tablighi Jama'at. Both Sunnis and Salafis again have been split to sub-groups.
Christianity
The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings say that Thomas the Apostle visited Muziris in Kerala in the first century in 52 AD to proselytize amongst Kerala's Jewish settlements and from this came Thomasine Christianity.[11][12] The 3rd and 4th centuries saw an influx of Jewish Christians from the Middle East. Knanaya communities arrived during this time.[13] Syriac Christians remained as an independent group, and they got their bishops from Assyrian Church of the East until the advent of Portuguese and British colonialists. The arrival of Europeans in the 15th century and discontent with Portuguese interference in religious matters fomented schism into Catholic and Orthodox communities. Further schism and rearrangements led to the formation of the other Indian Churches. Latin Rite Christians were those baptised by the Portuguese in the 16th and 19th centuries mainly from the fisher folk. Anglo-Indian Christian communities formed around this time as Europeans and local Malayalis intermarried. Protestantism arrived a few centuries later with missionary activity during British rule.
Buddhism
Buddhism probably flourished for 200 years (650-850) in Kerala. The Paliyam Copper Plate of the Ay King, Varaguna (885-925 AD)[14] shows that the Buddhists benefited from royal patronage in the tenth century.
The idol of Buddha at Mavelikara is 4 feet (1.2 m) tall, and is perhaps the biggest such statue in Kerala. The statue is in a seated posture, resembling Padmasana. A feature common to the idol is that hair has not been engraved on the head.
Jainism
Jainism arrived in Kerala around the 3rd century BC. The Jain religion was brought to the South in the third century BC by Chandragupta Maurya (321-297 BC) and the Jain saint Bhadrabahu, according to Jain traditions. They came to Sravanabelgola in Mysore. The Jains came to Kerala with the rest of the Chera immigrants starting in the sixth century.
Among the existing original Jain temples in Kerala, the most prominent is called Jainmedu, Vadakkanthara village, about 3 km from Palakkad. This temple was reportedly built by Inchanna Satur. This indicates significant population of Jains lived in Palaghat during the 15th century. Later, various members of Marwari business community built the Jain temple in Kochi.
Some historians claim many Hindu temples might have been once Jain temples. Several places in Wyanad have Jain temples -an indication that North Malabar was once a flourishing center of Jainism. Historians believe that the decline of Jainism started about the eighth century. Jainism seems to have completely disappeared from Kerala by the sixteenth century; the foreign visitors from Europe do not mention the Jains at all.
At present, Jainism in Kerala has a small following, mainly among descendants from the original immigrating Jains, and the North Indian business community, settled in and around Kochi and Calicut.
Jainism has a significant population in the Wayanad district bordering the Karnataka state. Amongst the existing original Jain temples in Kerala, the most prominent is called Jainmedu, Vadakkanthara village, about 3 km from Palakkad. The remnants of the Jain temple known as Chathurmukha Basti is a popular destination in Manjeshwaram, Kasaragod.[15]
Judaism
Judaism arrived in Kerala with spice traders, possibly as early as the 7th century BC.[16] There is no consensus of opinion on the date of the arrival of the first Jews in India. The tradition of the Cochin Jews maintains that after 72 AD, after the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, 10,000 Jews migrated to Kerala.[16]
The only verifiable historical evidence about the Kerala Jews goes back only to the Jewish Copper Plate Grant of Bhaskara Ravi Varman in 1000 AD.[17] This document records the royal gift of rights and privileges to the Jewish Chief of Anjuvannam Joseph Rabban. According to some historians, St. Thomas found first converts in Kerala to his new religion amongst many of the Cochin Jews. However these Jews who accepted Christianity retained the Aramaic language once spoken by Jews in Middle East. Later in 16th century many Jews from Portugal and Spain settled in Cochin. These Jews were called white Jews as opposed to the native black Jews.
The Portuguese did not look favorably on the Jews. They destroyed the Jewish settlement in Cranganore and sacked the Jewish town in Cochin and partially destroyed the famous Cochin Synagogue in 1661. However, the Dutch were more tolerant and allowed the Jews to pursue their normal life and trade in Cochin. According to the testimony of the Dutch Jew, Mosss Pereya De Paiva, in 1686 there were 10 synagogues and nearly 500 Jewish families in Cochin. Later Britishers too were tolerant. The Jews were protected. After the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, most Jews decided to emigrate to Israel. Most of the emigrants to Israel between 1948 and 1955 were from the community of black Jews and brown Jews; they are known as Cochini in Israel. Since the 1960s only few hundred Jews (mostly white Jews) remained in Kerala with only two synagogues open for service: the Pardesi Synagogue in Matancherry built in 1567 and the synagogue in Parur.
Tribal and other religious faiths
Various groups classified as tribes in Kerala still dominate various remote and hilly areas of Kerala.[18] They have retained various rituals and practices of their ancestors despite influences of mainstream religions.
Demographics
| Religion | Population | % | Population below 6 yrs of age | % | Dist. with highest Population | Dist. with lowest Population | Decadal Population change (percentage points) | Children born per women (TFR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindus | 1,82,82,492 | 54.73 | Thiruvananthapuram | Malappuram | -1.50% | |||
| Muslims | 88,73,472 | 26.56 | Malappuram | Pathanamthitta | +2.30% | |||
| Christians | 61,41,269 | 18.38 | Kottayam | Malappuram | -0.40% |
| Religion | Population | % | Population below 6 yrs of age[3] | % | Dist. with highest Population | Dist. with lowest Population | Decadal Population change (percentage points) | Children born per women (TFR)[19] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindus | 1,78,83,449 | 56.2 | 1,932,504 | 50.78 | Thiruvananthapuram | Waynad | -1.55% | 1.66 |
| Muslims | 78,63,342 | 24.3 | 1,178,880 | 30.99 | Malappuram | Pathanamthitta | +1.75% | 2.97 |
| Christians | 60,57,427 | 19 | 677,878 | 17.82 | Ernakulam | Malappuram | -0.32% | 1.78 |
2011 census details (2001 in brackets)
| Districts | Population | Percent Hindus | Percent Muslims | Percent Christians |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thiruvananthapuram | 3,301,427(3,307,284) | 66.94% | 13.72% | 19.10% |
| Kollam | 2,635,375(2,629,703) | 64.42% | 19.29% | 15.99% |
| Pathanamthitta | 1,197,412(1,195,537) | 56.93% | 4.59% | 38.12% |
| Alappuzha | 2,127,789(2,121,943) | 68.64% | 10.55% | 20.45% |
| Kottayam | 1,974,551(1,979,274) | 49.81% | 6.41% | 43.48% |
| Idukki | 1,108,974(1,107,453) | 48.86% | 7.41% | 43.42% |
| Ernakulam | 3,282,388(3,279,860) | 45.99% | 15.67% | 38.03% |
| Thrissur | 3,121,200(3,110,327) | 58.42% | 17.07% | 24.27% |
| Palakkad | 2,809,934(2,810,892) | 66.76% | 28.93% | 4.07% |
| Malappuram | 4,112,920(4,110,956) | 27.60% | 70.24% | 1.98% |
| Kozhikode | 3,086,293(3,089,543) | 56.21% | 39.24% | 4.26% |
| Waynad | 817,420(816,558) | 49.48% | 28.65% | 21.34% |
| Kannur | 2,523,003(2,525,637) | 59.83% | 29.43% | 10.41% |
| Kasargod | 1,307,375(1,302,600) | 55.83% | 37.24% | 6.68% |
See also
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Religion in Kerala. |
References
- ↑ "Population by religious community - 2011". 2011 Census of India. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner. Archived from the original on 25 August 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- ↑ "Population by religious communities – Census of India". Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- 1 2 "Increase in Muslim population in the State". The Hindu (Chennai, India). September 23, 2004.
Except Malappuram district, where the Muslims are a majority, Hindus constitute the majority in all other districts
- ↑ "Kerala Population Census data 2011". Census 2011 - Census of India.
- ↑ Archived December 18, 2002, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Vidyarambham celebrated in Kerala - India News - IBNLive". Ibnlive.in.com. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
- ↑ Pg 112, A short survey of Kerala History, A. Sreedhara Menon, Vishwanathan Publishers 2006
- ↑ Pg 461, Roland Miller, The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Vol VI , Brill 1988
- ↑ see Note-19, pg.40
- ↑ Panikkar, K. N., Against Lord and State: Religion and Peasant Uprisings in Malabar 1836–1921
- ↑ Medlycott, A E. 1905 "India and the Apostle Thomas"; Gorgias Press LLC; ISBN
- ↑ Thomas Puthiakunnel, (1973) "Jewish colonies of India paved the way for St. Thomas", The Saint Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India, ed. George Menachery, Vol. II.
- ↑ Mundadan AM (1984). Volume I: From the Beginning up to the Sixteenth Century (up to 1542). History of Christianity in India. Church History Association of India. Bangalore: Theological Publications.
- ↑ A social history of India S. N. Sadasivan APH Publishing, 2000
- ↑ Chathurmukha Basti, Kasaragod Malayala Manorama: Tuesday, November 29, 2005
- 1 2 Katz 2000; Koder 1973; Thomas Puthiakunnel 1973; David de Beth Hillel, 1832; Lord, James Henry 1977.
- ↑ "Sharon delighted with gift from Kochi". The Hindu (Chennai, India). September 11, 2003.
- ↑ Idukki - People and culture - Tribes
- ↑ "Population Research and Policy Review, Volume 22, Numbers 5-6" (PDF). SpringerLink. Retrieved 2011-08-24.