KERALA URBAN SKETCHES

– AN INCREDIBLE PLURALISM, AN ESSENCE OF DISTRICTS OF KERALA

Ar. Vivek Venugopal

“Cities in South Asia are characterised by physical and visual contradictions that coalesce in a landscape of incredible pluralism”

- Rahul Mehrotra

Illustrations provided below depict the relationship between the tangible and the intangible elements of 14 districts of Kerala. Based on the understanding of the district’s cultural, ecological and architectural associations, the essence of the place was portrayed via the medium of pen and ink on A1-size paper. The sketches shown below also reflect the naming of the place or the sthalapuranam which is a Sanskrit word where "Sthala" means any place or region and "Purana" means story.

Alappuzha

“Alleppey, the Venice of the East”.- Viceroy of the Indian Empire, Lord Curzon

The name Alappuzha was derived from the geographical position and physical features of the place which means “the land between the sea and the network of rivers flowing into it”. The name Alappuzha is derived from Aal (Sea)+ puzhai (River-mouth) ("The joining place of a river and the sea")

Ernakulam

The term ‘Ernakulam’ is linked to different sources, either temple-oriented or mythological. Komattil Achutha Menon attributes the origin of the word to a type of mud called ‘Erangiyal’. It’s also said that Lord Siva was addressed in Chennai as ‘Erayanar’ in the past, in Kerala too, this was followed and it later came to be known as ‘Ernakulam’. The place is also referred to as ‘Kochi’ which is a combination of two terms, Koch & Azhi (small river- mouth).

Idukki

Idukki gets its name from the Malayalam word ‘idukku’ which means a space between two high spots. The perennial river Periyar flows through a narrow gorge between two granite hills, the legendary KURAVAN and KURATHI where the Idukki Arch Dam is constructed. For a long time, this region was the wild west of Kerala, with its treacherous, inhabitable hills, steep gorges and abundant wildlife.

Thrissur

The name ‘Thrissur’ is a short form of the Malayalam word Thirusshivaperoor, Respected-Shiva-Name-Place). The name owes itself to the most prominent feature of the city, that is the Vadakkumnathan Temple, which has Shiva as its presiding deity. It is an important cultural centre, and is known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala, also this place is famous for the Thrissur Pooram festival, one of the most colourful and spectacular temple festivals of Kerala.

Thiruvananthapuram

The name ‘Thiruvananthapuram’ is derived from the Malayalam word thiru- anantha-puram, which means ‘City of Lord Ananta’, Ananta is the serpent Shesha on whom Lord Padmanabha reclines. This iconic representation is the chief deity in the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India". Thiruvananthapuram is also known in the literature, and popular reference as Ananthapuri derived from the Sanskrit word Syanandurapuram, meaning "The City of Bliss".

Wayanad

The name originated from a combination of two words, ‘Vayal’ and ‘Nadu.’ Which means land of paddy fields. As the name says, this magical beauty of paddy fields attracts more travelers here. Remembrance of Ancient Life -Edakkal caves, Sanctity of Jain Temple, Pazhassi Raja Smrithi Mandapam, and Chain tree of Lakkidi are some of the most prominent places of Wayanad, it is known as the green paradise in Kerala.

Kannur

The name was derived from Kanathur, an ancient village here, Others opine that the name is a combination of Kannan (Sree Krishna " a Hindu deity) and Ur (place), referring to the Sree Krishna shrine at Katalayi Kotta near Kannur. During British rule in India, Kannur was known as 'Cannanore', and under the Portuguese, as 'Kannanore'. Kannur is popularly known as “The city of Looms and Lores” also called ‘The Crown of Kerala’.

Kasaragod

It is the combination of two Sanskrit words kaasara (which means lake or pond) and kroda (which means a place where the treasure is kept). Kasaragod was known as Kanhirakode (The land of kāñiram trees) in Malayalam. Kaanjiram is Malayalam for Kasaraka trees (Kannada name) found in abundance here.

Kollam

Kollam derives from the Sanskrit “kollam,” which means pepper, because the place had been an ancient trading and exporting centre for pepper. “Kollam” is also supposed to have formed from “koyillam”, a telescoping of kovilakam (palace) and illam (brahmin house). Some believe that “Kollam” comes from the Chinese word “kolasam” meaning a big market. Yet another theory proposes that the Sanskrit “kollam” also meant a boat, and the place got its name owing to it being a port town where boats were harboured.

Kottayam

The royal palace of the Thekkumkur ruler was protected by a fort called Thaliyilkotta. It is believed that the name Kottayam is derived from a combination of the Malayalam words kotta which means fort (Thaliyilkotta) and akam which means inside. The combined form, Kottaykkakam, can be translated as "inside the fort".

Kozhikode

The name Kozhikode is derived from Koyil-kota (fort), meaning fortified palace. The name also got corrupted into Kolikod, or its Arab version Qaliqut and later its anglicized version Calicut. The Arab merchants called it Qāliq . Chinese merchants called it K lifo and hence The word calico, a fine variety of hand-woven cotton cloth that was exported from the port of Kozhikode, is thought to have been derived from Calicut. It is the historical capital of Kerala as the history dates back to 1498 AD when Vasco da Gama landed in Kappad, near Calicut.