Kodinhi, India's village of twins

Day 11 of the "virtual (digital) tour" of places known for unusual customs, practices, mysterious phenomena. This post is part of the A to Z Challenge and Blogchatter A2Z 2026

Kodinhi is a village in the Malappuram district of north Kerala, and its claim to global fame lies in the unusually high number of twins born here.

The village has around 2,000 families, and there are more than 400 pairs of twins. The twin birth rate is about 45 per 1,000 births, compared to India’s average of 9 per 1,000.

THE DISCOVERY

How this phenomenon was discovered is interesting. In 2006, in a classroom, two twin sisters noticed that there were several other pairs like them. What started as simple curiosity soon turned into a small survey, which revealed that this was no coincidence.

By 2008, a village-wide effort confirmed the astonishing numbers. This led to the creation of the Twins and Kins Association (TAKA), a unique organisation in India that supports families with twins and multiple births.

Image courtesy: NDTV

THE REASON

Scientists, including teams from Europe, have studied the village and even collected DNA samples in search of answers. Yet, no conclusive corelation has been established as to why this particular place has such a high number of twins.

Some researchers suggest that something in the local water or air may play a role, but no specific element has been identified. Another belief is that the local diet could be a factor. In some parts of the world, foods like yam are thought to increase the chances of twins. However, Kodinhi residents largely follow a typical Kerala diet of rice and coconut, which makes this theory uncertain.

Genetics seems like an obvious explanation, but it does not fully fit. While some families have a history of twins, others do not. Interestingly, women from Kodinhi have been known to give birth to twins even after moving away from the village.

THREE OTHER PLACES

Kodinhi is not alone. Similar patterns have been observed in places such as Igbo-Ora in Nigeria, Cândido Godói in Brazil, and Hung Loc Commune in Vietnam.

Though this unusual phenomenon has brought recognition to the village, reports have suggested that it has also placed financial strain on families. Most residents are engaged in farming and small businesses, and raising twins often results in financial challenges.

(Information sources: BBC, The News Minute, Outlook Traveller, The Times of India, NDTV, Money Control, Wikipedia)

Previous posts in the series

Asur	Bhangarh	Channapatna dog temple
Dhinga Gavar	Edakkal caves	Floating stones
Ghost lights	Hakki Pikki	Idu Mishmi
Jatinga

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Enigmatic Edakkal 'caves'

Day 5 of the "virtual (digital) tour" of places known for unusual customs, practices, mysterious phenomena.

Located nearly 1,200 metres above sea level on the Ambukutty Mala in Wayanad, the Edakkal Caves are among India’s most intriguing archaeological sites. Despite their name, these are not caves at all.

A GEOLOGICAL FLUKE

The most peculiar characteristic of Edakkal is its structure. It is actually a natural fissure, a massive crack in the mountain. In the distant past, a gigantic boulder became wedged between two enormous rocks, creating a roof-like shelter. 

This explains the name; in Malayalam, Edakkal literally translates to "a stone in between".

AN SP's DISCOVERY

How it was discovered is an interesting story. In 1890, Fred Fawcett, the Superintendent of Police for Malabar, was on a hunting trip when he discovered a Neolithic stone axe. Following local leads up the hillside, he stumbled upon the rock shelter, revealing what is now recognised as one of the oldest prehistoric settlements in South India.

Image courtesy: Wayanad.com

ART GALLERY

Inside the rock shelter are hundreds of petroglyphs — images carved directly into the rock surface. There are some 400 of them. The oldest dates back to 6,000 BCE. 

Notably, Edakkal is the only known site in South India where carvings from both the Mesolithic and Neolithic eras coexist.

An interesting feature is the lighting; natural sunlight streams through an opening in the roof, illuminating all the ancient carvings.

LEGENDS AND LINKS

Some of the 400 signs carved into the walls bear a striking resemblance to the Indus Valley Civilization script, hinting at ancient connections across the subcontinent.

Local legend attributes the fissure to Lord Rama, who is said to have pierced the hill with an arrow. This is reflected in the name of the hill, Ambukutty, which means "pierced by an arrow".

Information sources: Wikipedia, Kerala Tourism, Wayanad district website)

Previous posts in the series: Asur, Bhangarh, Channapatna dog temple, Dhinga Gavar  

This post is part of the A to Z Challenge and Blogchatter A2Z 2026

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From office deadlines to travel timelines

I've always loved to travel, but while I was working, it was a challenge. Getting time off was tough, and even when I did, it was usually for only a few days. The thought of returning to the office was always on my mind.

Now that I'm retired, I have all the time in the world. In June I did a two-week tour of four places in Maharashtra, and the next month it was a road trip through Kerala.

THE WAY I TRAVEL HAS CHANGED

While on our way back from Mangaluru to Bengaluru in 2019

When I was working, any trip that lasted more than a day was usually by flight to save leave days. Now, it’s by train. I don’t mind however long the journey is.

Train travel requires a lot of advance planning. Bookings open 60 days in advance, and, unless you plan that many days ahead, chances of getting a ticket are slim.

The IRCTC website and app are good enough. Some third-party apps are helpful if you are waitlisted. They use AI to predict how probable it is to get a reservation against cancellation.

A few months ago, while planning my trip to Maharashtra, I hit a snag. My original plan was to visit Pune, Thane, Shirdi, and Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad), starting and ending in Bengaluru. But I realised there wasn't a direct train from Sambhaji Nagar to Bengaluru, so you'd have to go back to Pune. This made no sense. So, I reversed my plan: Bengaluru - Pune - Sambhaji Nagar - Shirdi - Thane - Bengaluru.

My seven trips abroad were solo official ones. Two personal trips, and the domestic ones have been with family. While some people love to go solo, others hate them. I'm flexible. Both have their pros and cons.

GETTING READY TO GO

The build-up to a trip is always exciting! The bookings for travel and accommodation, getting and packing the essentials like clothes, toiletries, first-aid kit, and ensuring adequate cash, though there is always the option of online. For foreign trips, it's a travel card and forex. If it’s multiple cities, then the entire sequence has to be planned to make the most of the time.

Before a trip, I do my research. I used to travel without much preparation and would later regret all the things I missed. Reading up on a place doesn't spoil the surprise; it only enhances the experience. Being there in person is still a whole different ball game with its own surprises.

I'm not a big fan of shopping. If I buy something, it's a unique souvenir or memorabilia. I especially love collecting fridge magnets or something that represents the place's unique character.

At the Museum of Goa in 2018

I always carry a book, either a physical one or an e-book, especially if I'm travelling alone. However, I rarely get a chance to read. My days are packed. I'm usually out by 7 or 8 a.m., visiting as many places as possible, and I'm back at the hotel by 7 p.m., exhausted. There's hardly any energy left for reading or listening to music, leave alone watching TV in the hotel room!

I don't make playlists or shopping lists, but I do create a "tour list" on Google Maps. I save places of interest to this list. It's incredibly helpful because it gives me a visual picture of which place is where. This makes trip planning much easier.

WHY I TRAVEL

The biggest reason I travel is to learn about local customs, traditions, languages, food, and landscapes. India is so vast, and each of its 28 states and eight union territories is incredibly diverse and multi-cultural. I still have 11 states and four union territories left to visit. Hopefully, I will get there soon!

This post is part of the Blogchatter Blog Hop

My favourite places are historical monuments and museums. They put the present in historical context and help me better understand the world around me. I also love landscapes, beaches, and mountains. They are great for taking photos and are perfect for relaxing and unwinding.

Travel is more than just a break from the monotony of daily life. It's a brand new experience that broadens our understanding of people, places, and cultures. 

There's a well-known quote attributed to the American writer Henry Miller: “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” He believed our perspective, not the place itself, shapes our experience.

This is why you don't always need to travel far. Our own neighbourhoods often hold surprising treasures just waiting to be discovered!

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Day 11 - Kanikonna - a visual Vishu treat

Cassia fistula. Courtesy: The Wire

'Kanikonna' or 'kani konna', is the Malayalam word for Cassia fistula, commonly known as 'golden shower' or 'Indian laburnum'. It is widely found in the Indian subcontinent, but more popular in the state of Kerala.

These trees draped in golden yellow flowers are so pretty and pleasing. Typically, the flowers bloom around this time, in time for the festival, but apparently they are blooming at other times of the year as well, said to be because of changes in weather patterns. 

These flowers are an inseparable part of the Kerala festival of Vishu, which falls generally on the 14th or 15th of April every year. This year it's on the 15th.

(By the way, Vishu is popularly, and wrongly, referred to as Malayalam new year festival. The Malayalam calendar year changes during Onam, and not during Vishu. This is the beginning of spring, in the northern hemisphere. Vishu is from the Sanskrit word Visuvam meaning equinox -- this time of the year, when the Sun has crossed over the equator to the north, and the duration of day and night is roughly equal.)

Vishu Kani. Courtesy: Wikipedia

On the eve of Vishu, homes set up what is called Vishu Kani. That's an assortment of items like fruits, grains, lemon, cucumber, vegetables, coconut, betel leaves, betel nut etc. along with some currency notes or coins, a small mirror, an oil lamp and an idol or photo of Lord Krishna (Lord Vishnu) placed in a metallic plate. It's traditionally set up by the eldest woman member of the family. 

On the day of Vishu, she wakes up first, and then wakes up others, and leads them blindfolded to the Kani for them to see it the first thing in the day. Nowadays, it's only the children who are led up blindfolded by their parents to the Kani. They demand that too because of the fun element involved. The belief is that seeing the auspicious Kani would set the pattern for the rest of the year. 

Also, every member of the family wears brand new dress on Vishu. It's referred to as Vishu Kodi.

There is also something called the Vishu Kaineettam. That's a small amount of money that elders give usually to children or to someone younger. What used to ₹1 in my school days, has now become ₹51 or even ₹101! Children, playfully, sometimes demand Vishu Kaineettam from elders in the family!

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This post is part of the blogging challenge in April every year, wherein bloggers put up one post a day, from A to Z, every day except Sundays. 

I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z. I am also on A2Z April Challenge.

Unique hometown sojourn

I left Kerala, my home state, way back in 1988 when I landed my first job in Bhopal. Ever since then, I have worked in many cities, wherever my work has taken me. 

In January-February, thanks to work from anywhere, for the first time in the past 32 years, we (my wife and I) stayed in Kerala for close to one and a half months. That was never possible before because the duration of "long leave" from the office is usually a week or 10 days or at the most two weeks.

For as many as 43 days -- from January 9 to February 21 -- we were in Kerala. Now I can say, "Though I haven't worked in Kerala, I have worked from Kerala." 

It was at times an odd feeling. Because I have always been in my hometown only on holiday. And this was the first time I was working as well. It took some time for me to adjust to this new reality.

My home is in the countryside, in the midst of trees. Every day, I used to wake up to fresh air wafting through the open windows and to the sound of birds. A walk on the undulating pathways in the neighbourhood, soaking in the early morning sunlight and the refreshing coolness of the verdant surroundings. The air is clean and the nights are pitch dark, the peace and quiet occasionally punctuated by the chirps of insects. 

The greenery can be truly energising. This was in the backyard.

Thanks to the pandemic, our visits to friends and relatives were very limited. In January and February, the number of daily cases was quite high in Kerala, though our neighbourhood was relatively free of it. We chose not to visit some people rather than risk spreading the virus. Now the numbers in Kerala has come down.

Kerala's temples are well known for their architectural beauty. Below is the Kallooppara Bhagavathy temple. 

One of my nieces made this out of paper:

Below is her artwork on a wall in the house. I am very happy that the parents didn't stop their children from drawing on the walls. You know at a particular age, kids prefer to draw on the walls rather than on a paper or drawing board. They grow out of it soon.  

Somewhere before Hosur in Tamil Nadu on our way back from Kerala. 

I wanted to click the setting sun, but I was a bit late to take out my camera.

We are back in the hustle and bustle of Bengaluru (Bangalore), with some wonderful memories of a (working) holiday in Kerala.

Manimala River

Manimala River, or Manimalayaar in the local language of Malayalam, flows through the central part of Kerala. The 92 km (57 mile) long water body is one of the 44 rivers that crisscross the small state of 38,863 sq km (15,005 sq miles). For a comparison, India's land area is 3.2 million sq km (1.2 sq miles).  

The above video was taken from this bridge (below) in Mallappally town.

A black day of twin tragedies in Kerala

It has been raining heavily in Kerala, bringing back memories of the last two years, especially 2018 when rain wreaked massive havoc across the state. And today, was a day of two rain-related tragedies. The day began with one and ended with another.

LANDSLIDE

Early morning, we got the news of a landslide burying the residential quarters of tea garden workers in a place called Pettimudi near the tourist hill station of Munnar in the Idukki district of central Kerala. 18 people died and 52 are missing.

Rescue workers at the site. Photo courtesy: The Hindu

Apparently, the incident happened late last night, as people were asleep. Since communication lines were disrupted, news filtered out very slowly and the enormity of the tragedy became apparent only today morning.

Several places in north Kerala are also battling incessant rain. Since many people have been evacuated, loss of lives has been minimised in those areas, but there is considerable loss of property.

PLANE ACCIDENT

In the evening around 8 pm came the news of a plane accident - an Air India flight from Dubai with 190 people on board skidded off the runway while landing in heavy rain in Karipur airport in Kozhikode in north Kerala, fell into a 35-ft gorge, and broke into two pieces. At least 15 people have died.

The wreckage of the plane. Photo courtesy: The Hindu

TABLE-TOP RUNWAY 

This airport is one of the few which has a table-top runway. They are called table-top because the runway is like the top of a table; a raised platform of land, surrounded by a precipice on all sides. This means the plane has limited space to land and the pilot has to be very careful.

I haven't been able to find out how many such airports are there in the world. But there are at least two in India. Besides the one in Kozhikode, where the accident happened today, there is one in Mangaluru in neighbouring Karnataka state. 

REPEAT OF 2010

Incidentally, in Mangaluru airport, there was a similar tragedy in May 2010, in which, again an Air India plane from Dubai overshot the runway and fell into a gorge. The plane caught fire killing 158 people; 8 survived. Luckily, in Kozhikode tonight, the plane didn't catch fire, and the fatalities have been minimised.

ALMOST HOME

This flight, which was involved in the accident today, was one of those special repatriation flights -- called Vande Bharat Mission -- that the government has been operating to bring home people who are stuck in various places abroad because of the cancellation of normal flights.

How sad. They must have been waiting for so long to be with their family and friends, and they were almost home.

Positive power of social media networks in rain-ravaged Kerala

We Are The World Blogfest

Many of you, especially those who are living in India, would have known about the torrential rain that battered the south Indian state of Kerala most of August, resulting in flooding of vast areas of the state. Over 400 people died, and property worth millions have been damaged.

Read more about the devastation in The New York Times and BBC.

BEACON OF HOPE

Amongst the calamity, what stood out as a beacon of hope and cheer was the way everyone got together as one, and lent a helping hand to others. There have been innumerable such instances across the state, which the media have been highlighting.

Many people came forward to write notes
for students who had lost their
notebooks in the flood. - The Hindu

One of the them is how a non-profit in the north Kerala district of Kozhikode, Incubation, initiated a campaign to provide the notes for different subjects that children had painstakingly written down in their classes but were lost in the floods.

A message on social media calling for volunteers spread rapidly among networks. The notes were then shared in PDF format with the volunteers who had signed up. They then copied the notes on to new notebooks, and handed them over to the coordinating agency, who then distributed them to children who had lost their school notes.

It is amazing that in virtually no time, nearly 10,000 notebooks, with all the notes, were recreated and handed over to the children.

Read more about this wonderful initiative:

Kerala pens history by writing notebooks for flood-hit children

‘Write’ help at the right time

To an unknown child, a notebook of compassion

A TOY STORY

Another similar effort was one that was championed by Ramesh Babu, a former captain of the Indian Navy who is currently a managing director of Mazagon Docks, a government shipbuilding company in Mumbai. (Incidentally, he was my senior in school.) His focus was on the toys that the children had lost. He contacted various agencies across the country, and thousands of toys are now on their way, all free of cost, for the children.

Read more:

Kerala flood relief has a made-in Mumbai toy story

These anecdotes are also a testament to the massive power of the social media to catalyse the good intents of people to bring about positive changes in our society.

(This post has been shared in two blogfests - Midlife Share The Love Link Party and We Are The World Blogfest)

Kerala diary 1 - Confusing numbers and ticketless travel

Train journey is always more lively than one by flight. And a day travel is better than one by night. The view from the window, of hills, barren land, rivers, bushes and trees, is an ample and welcome relief from the clutter of vehicles and concrete buildings of the city. The journey itself is a sort of perfect getaway.

Where is my coach?

While boarding the Inter City to Ernakulam this morning, I found the numbering of coaches confusing. Though coach D followed coach C, the numbers went in the descending order rather than ascending. That is, after C1 came D11 then D10, D9 etc.

This is confusing. A person looking for coach C would end up in the wrong end of the train if he followed the numbers. Since alphabetically C comes before D, he would look for C coach before D1. But actually the C coach was before D11. That's absolutely strange.

If alphabets followed a particular order, it would make sense for the numbers too to follow the same order.

Now you don't need a ticket to travel

As the ticket examiner did the rounds, I saw that many people had the printed paper ticket, though while booking online IRCTC clearly discourages you from printing out the ticket. A few of us showed our mobile phone. But he did not look at the SMS confirmation. He only checked our identity card -- PAN card in my case. He asked me which was my seat number and he verified what I said on the list he carried. He wanted to see the identity card of passegers who brought printed tickets too.

The advent of internet and mobile phone has done away with the physical, printed ticket that was once upon a time mandatory to travel. Now you just need to know your seat number and have your identity card.

It's too cold

The chair car is too cold and I can't find a  regulator. There isn't one, it looks like. There should have been one for the blast of cold air streaming out of the two vents overhead. The train has reached Dharmapuri. The sun is up and the warm rays are finding their way in. Hopefully it will help matters.

Uncertainties of getting official work done in Kerala

If you have to get any official work done in Kerala, or attend a public function, or write an exam; just be warned about the unforeseen disruption.

A few years ago, one of my friends in Tiruchy had to write a competitive exam in Kochi. He missed the exam since there was a bandh on the previous day and he couldn't reach Kochi in time. I won't be surprised if someone told me a story of a wedding getting postponed because of hartal.

Not a very nice thing to say about my home state, but the fact is that it's simply difficult to get work done: the biggest threat being the strike. Any of the two dozen parties or unions can call for a hartal anytime on any issue.

So, when I had to go to Ernakulam (from Bangalore) to get some documentation work relating to property done at the village office and the subregistrar's office, taking a cue from others' experiences, I took a few days' extra leave.

And my fear turned real.

On Sunday night, a Kerala minister T M Jacob, a very senior, respected and popular politician, passed away. As a mark of respect to the departed leader, the state government declared a holiday across the state on Tuesday, the day of his funeral; and an extra day's holiday on Monday only for offices in Ernakulam district. With the result I could not get anything done on Monday and Tuesday.

To a certain extent, bandhs and hartals can be foreseen, though not always. Deaths can never be foreseen.  For me, this was a totally unforeseen tragic event. Since I had taken a few days' extra leave, 90% of what I had to do, I could complete, and I am leaving back for Bangalore today. If it was a bandh I could blame the political parties. Here, in my case, I couldn't blame anyone for the untimely tragic event.

But the fact is even when there is no bandh or such disruptions, the amount of time that is lost in getting official work done at government offices is huge. Too much of documentation and paper work is one major factor. A good networking of all government offices will help. Details of property and such other particulars should be easily available at the click of a button.

Hopefully, the universal identity number that we all would get one day, will ease matters.

Vidyarambham

Today is Vijayadashami, the day celebrated by Keralites as Vidyarambham.

In the north, the entire 10-day festive season is very spectacular. But in Kerala, the Navaratri season is rather low-key restricted to pujas in temples and homes. The 9-day period comes alive during the last three days, during the time of Saraswati puja. Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge and learning.

Vidhyarambham (initiation into learning) is a very unique celebration in Kerala, though in other parts of India too there are similar functions, wherein books are kept for pooja and children are initiated into learning. In Kerala, however, it is almost a state-wide festival.

Though the celebrations are basically of Hindu nature, non-Hindu parents too put their children through the Vidyarambham function. Today is a day when Keralites celebrate knowledge and learning.

Vidyarambham is function during which children, around the age of three, are initiated into learning by an elderly person who adorns the role of a guru. Most families ensure that children go through this ceremony before they even join play school.

It is a short ceremony that follows Saraswati Puja. The child sits on the lap of the guru, who writes 'Hari Sri' on the child's tongue with a gold ring. The guru then helps the child to write 'Hari Sri Ganapathaye Namah' with the right index finger on a bed of rice. As the guru says these words, the child is helped to repeat it. Some follow this with the first three letters of the alphabet.

The guru is usually the parent, grandparent or a person associated with education like teachers, professors, writers or poets or any other scholarly or religious person. It's a pleasant sight as children in various moods __ playful, obedient, curious, crying __ take their first steps into the world of knowledge.

Vidyarambham is a major function at Thunchan Parambu, 32 km from Malappuram in North Kerala, the birth place of Thunchath Ezhuthachan, who is considered the Father of Malayalam language. Many publication houses -- like newspaper offices -- and religious places too conduct the function.

Click here to watch Mata Amritanandamayi Devi at Vidyarambham last year.

Kerala must change

Today's New York Times has an article on Kerala: Jobs Abroad Support 'Model' State in India. Click here to read the article.

The Trivandurm datelined story by Jason DeParle starts off thus: "This verdant swath of southern Indian coastline is a famously good place to be poor." The author says: "It (Kerala) is poor, even by India’s standards, with an annual per capita income of $675, compared with $730 nationwide. (The figure in the United States is about $25,000.)"

My understanding has been that the large majority of Keralites don't live in poverty. It could be so in a few in interior villages, but that's too few when seen in the whole context of the state. If Kerala is poor, then what about many other states, which are actually poor?

People in Kerala have enough income, and to know that, all it takes is a drive through the interiors. Most of the families are more than self-sufficient financially. On the contrary, I think, it's the flush of funds in Kerala that has made Keralites complacent and resistant to any change.

The author follows up the "poor" statement above with: "But Kerala’s life expectancy is nearly 74 years — 11 years longer than the Indian average and approaching the American average of 77 years. Its literacy rate, 91 percent, compares to an Indian average of 65 percent, and an American rate (the United Nations estimates) at 99 percent."

The author also says: "Talk of the Kerala model began after a 1975 United Nations report praised the state’s 'impressive advances in the spheres of health and education.'..... Amartya Sen, a future Nobel laureate in economics, wrote widely on Kerala, arguing (in a book with Jean Dreze) that its “outstanding social achievements” were of “far-reaching significance” in other countries."

The dramatic opening sentence of the NYT article is misleading as the thrust of the article isn't poverty of Keralites. It's about how there's lack of employment opportunities in Kerala and how Keralites are going outside the state in search of jobs. If the author thinks that lack of employment opportunities in Kerala hasn't rendered the state poor, that, I think, is misplaced.

The Socialist policies have done Kerala a world of good. The author has to accept that fact. But where I would agree with the author is that today's socialists and Leftists can't live in the past, which they are doing. That's the problem with Kerala. This is where Kerala, its politicians and people have to change.

Migration to another place in search of work, per se, isn't bad. Today, in the globalised world migration happens in all directions. Look at the number of foreigners coming to India for
training in IT and on work. Keralites began to migrate to other places because the small state didn't have enough jobs for the large number of employable people, and at the same time, the rest of the country had a shortage.

Now the scene has changed. Many hitherto poor and educationally backward states have caught up, leaving Keralites with more competition outside the state too. That's why, employment opportunities in Kerala, should now be in focus.

The issue is not migration, the issue is lack of employment opportunities. The current policies not just that of the Congress-led United Democratic Front, but of the ruling Communist-led Left
Democratic Front) aren't entrepreneurship. Besides, there is the Leftists baggage from the past, which sees entrepreneurship in poor light. This has to change.

Looking at a pan-India level, lack of development is not a Kerala-specific issue. The contribution of anachronistic policies of the Leftists is only one part of the problem. Since Kerala has a Leftist
government, for some, the state is an easy example. For example, the author says suicide rates (in Kerala) are four times the national average. But suicides aren't because someone is poor or because one member of the family had migrated. What about the rich -- who live with the whole family and all material comforts -- committing suicide?

What Kerala must do is capitalise (pun intended) on the achievements that socialist policies have delivered. With the momentum that the state has gained, it should lead India in many fields, and be a model to the world itself.

What politicians and policymakers, in particular, and Keralites, in general, must guard against is the danger of the state slipping back. For that:

1. Politicians, especially those in power, should look beyond themselves and their party. People's comfort and well-being should take precedence over party policies. If an accepted practice has to be reversed because that will serve people better, politicians should have the guts to do it.

2. Kerala must work against the high level of inertia. The attitude of "Why we should change. Let things be as they are" has to go.

3. Kerala must be open to modern economic concepts. They may not be panacea for all ills, but it has its pluses too, which Kerala's Leftists must be progressive enough to accept and put into practice. For example, trying to curtail private entrepreneurship, when state enterprises are
themselves are functioning below par is akin to being a dog in the manger.

4. Kerala's trade unions (belonging to both Communist and Congress groups) should change their obstructionist policies. The trade unions have served their time, and served well. Let us be fair and acknowledge that. Now they must change. For example, they should stop the practice of calling for strikes at the drop of a hat. Stopping others from working is not just a negative and perverse attitude, it achieves nothing in today's world. It's a defeatists approach that will only lead to doom.

5. Finally, Keralites must bother as much about their responsibilities as their rights.

Fever scare in Kerala

People are dying in Kerala due to fever. Unimaginable, but true. Over 250 people have died in the last 3 months. Everyday on an average of 5 to 10 people are dying due to fever. Now, it is not just fever; the patients are reporting rashes and wounds as well, according to Malayala Manorama.

It is believed that this is a disease called chikungunya, caused by a virus spread by mosquitoes. This is not the first time Kerala is in the grip of fever. In the last three years it was rat fever and Japanese Encephalitis.

I don't think any state has ever called in the Army's medical personnel to help fight fever. Reactions like "this is just a media creation" don't help. The threat is real. During my recent Kerala visit, I found six people whom I know down with chikungunya. Two of my relatives in Bangalore have now decided to postpone their visit to Kerala because of the epidemic.

This is worrying because Kerala is known for its clean environment and high health standards. Public health indices are commendable. People are highly educated and well-informed. Even the remote villages have public health centres. People have good access to doctors and medicines. Basic infrastracture in smaller towns and villages is much better than in any state in the country.

People say the fever started off in areas where there are thick rubber plantations. The workers who scrape the trees as part of the process to obtain 'rubber milk' do not dispose the water used or leave them stagnant in nearby areas. I am told it's an ideal place for mosquitoes to breed. And when rain comes, there are puddles of water all around for the mosquitoes to multiply in infinite proportions and thereby for the virus the spread.

This is by no means a scientifically validated cause for the epidemic. But such instances are being pointed out to drive home the point that people, inspite of the perceived high levels of awareness, bother little to ensure cleanliness of the environment.

Many are cynical. Instead of approaching this issue scientifically some say it is a wholly exaggerated scenario; a few others say it is part of a terror plot. Instead of taking preventive measures some are busy recalling how they saw mysterious planes flying low, which they say were dropping "strange powders".

Expecting others, including the government, to clean the environment is one thing. But primarily the citizens have to be much more cautious and take steps to keep the surroundings clean. Indeed the state has to undertake an extensive cleansing drive. Also, the scientific community has to take this up and find a way out to get around the problem.

Highway mirage

A zoomed-in image of the mirage seen on the Alappuzha-Chenganassery State Highway. Mirage is an optical illusion, wherein one sees a non-existent pool of water over heated surfaces like roads, pavements, deserts etc. The air immediately above the road is much hotter, forcing the light rays to bend, a phenomenon called refraction. The pool of water is actually a distorted image of the blue sky. The light rays from the sky falling on the hot surface get distorted because of extreme heat and appear from a distance as a pool of water. Objects like vehicles are seen in this pool. Since the vehicles are seen below the normal surface, such mirages are called inferior mirage. What is pictured above is also called "highway mirage". The opposite is superior mirage, which is typically seen in very cold conditions. Objects are seen floating in such situations.

Alappuzha-Chenganassery highway

The Kerala State Highway from Alappuzha to Chenganassery is broad, smooth and a pleasure to drive on; except over a small stretch of about a kilometre which has been dug up for relaying. One is treated to a picturesque landscape, the greenery significantly enhanced during the monsoon. It was a hot afternoon, and the mirage was very clear, even the reflection of vehicles. A close-up of the optical illusion is posted above.

Changing Kerala

I am in Mallappally, 30 km south of Kottayam Kerala, for a family wedding. This morning we had been to a nearby village called Karukachal. As we were buying vegetables, two persons, in a car, came to an adjacent shop to buy chicken. They were speaking Hindi and new not a word of Malayalam, only a smattering of English. I was surprised to find that the lady at the shop did understand a bit of Hindi. My father-in-law explained that the scene was changing in Kerala. Many people, especially shopkeepers, can understand not just English but Hindi too. One reason is the commercial interest stemming out of increased tourists coming from the north. And, the other, the exposure to Hindi serials on TV.