Krishna Kerala

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

@breath_punctual @AgentSaffron Tiled roof being ubiquitous is a modern phenomenon in Kerala. Most dwelling including temples likely had thatched roofs using coconut palm leaves.

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

@breath_punctual @AgentSaffron Accurate

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

@AgentSaffron I don't know if the rest of the country knows this, but there is an entire month in the Malayalam calendar named "Scarcity Month" (panja mAsaM) where our ancestors historically tried to survive torrential rains and starvation by literally cooking random grass and leaf dishes.

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

@AgentSaffron Excessive rains and floods every other monsoon meant famine and food scarcity were the norm in historical Kerala.

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

@MaYhemm____ The puram is confined to temples these days. Not long ago, every home used to host the deity with all the elaborate pre-conditions with respect to rituals, vrata etc that this entailed. I think there is scope for Ganesha Chaturthi as a more accessible public festival in Kerala.

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

On modern public Hindu festivals in Kerala | nityakarman https://t.co/fjO1me40dB

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

@Siradhvaja South Indians in general and Malayali-s in particular believe everything about their religious practices are unique and special and, worse, other people sharing such practices somehow reduces their importance. Apropos, Theyyam-s also exist in as far away places as Nepal.

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

Gaṇapati is the kuladevatā of the Brahmin clan who served as rājaguru to the Second Cēras and who later went on to establish their own kingdom (Edappally Svarūpam) in central Kerala. This suggests the second Cēra-s potentially considered Ganapati as their own patron deity.

[Curwen Ares Rolinson @huntersrolinson]

esp. - , as applies the root

[Curwen Ares Rolinson @huntersrolinson]

esp. - , as applies the root

[Curwen Ares Rolinson @huntersrolinson]

A few days late, but on Tilak's effort viz. Ganesh Chaturthi - from that recent article on Shivaji [contra the New York Times] that I'd written

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

@Siradhvaja @ROALY @palaachyan None of this makes polluting water bodies acceptable. Use of natural biodegradable materials and ensuring no single water body is overburdened is essential.

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

@Siradhvaja @ROALY @palaachyan And Kerala Hindus do a lot of their rituals associated with water bodies including Pitr-tarpanam in rivers and the ocean that involves discarding leaves, rice etc into the water body, ritual bathing of idols and, once upon a time, discarding clay idols (of Onathappan) in water.

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

@Siradhvaja @arya_amsha It's also expensive and creates pointless status competitions. Traditional Kerala marriages of Non-Brahmin Malayali-s are very simple affairs that lasts minutes rather than days. A good thing in my opinion.

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

@Shaneeeeekutta @pattaazhy Ayyappan is not seriously worshipped by Malayali-s anymore. Very few Malayali-s follow the vrata strictly these days. Tamils still do it the most sincerely. Just google Tamil and Telugu Ayyappa stuff.

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

@BharataPutran There exists active and vibrant Ganapati traditions/sampradaya-s among Avarna-s. Aitihyamala records instances of Avarna Acharya-s that gave Ganapati Diksha/mantra-s to Nambdudiri-s. As was the case even with the famous Suryakaladi Bhattathiri-s.

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

@Siradhvaja Mandating clay idols and natural dyes/colors is a no brainer.

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

@PunishedKebbin @Siradhvaja Likewise, Gaṇeśa Caturthī has been observed for decades in parts of Palakkad and Kasaragod. It would not surprise me if it eventually became one of the biggest festivals among urban Malayali Hindus uprooted from their native temple's taṭṭakam (Hindu parish).

[Krishna Kerala @krishnakerala]

@PunishedKebbin @Siradhvaja Few today remember the Tiruvātira processions of devatā-s and bhūta-gaṇa-s once widespread across Kerala. Yet Janmāṣṭamī processions, with a history of barely 50 years, serve much the same function. One might even regard the latter as having emerged in the wake of the former.