Kumarakom – The Land and People

There is no reliable scientific history of ancient Kerala. This lack of scientific understanding of ancient Kerala society was sought to be remedied by a mythological story of the origin of Kerala. The story runs as follows.

Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu was renowned for his physical strength. He acquired his name from his weapon, a parasu (axe). He was engaged in a 21- year battle, killing many people. Finally he retired to the Western Ghats where he undertook a long penance. Distraught with his murderous activities he beseeched the gods for help. The sea God Varuna responded, pledging to give Parasurama land, which equalled the distance, he could throw his axe. When Parasurama threw the axe from Gokarnam it fell at Kanyakumari, India’s southern tip. With that the seas receded, exposing the strip of land that formed Kerala.

Parasurama’s act of throwing away the weapon was symbolically the repudiation of war and therefore, for many, Kerala was created as a land of peace and harmony. The whole of this land was then given by him as a gift to the Brahmins to atone for his sins. The Brahmins settled on the land. The great hero then fixed up the rules of conduct for these newly settled Brahmins as well as for others, making Brahmins the lords of the land, others their loyal dependents; the dependents of these Brahmins are the present day Namboothiris, while the others are the present day Nairs and other castes.

This story of the origin of Kerala, it is obvious, was concocted by the landlords, most of whom were either the Namboodiris or very close to them. These landlords had the advantage of being the only educated people in medieval Kerala.

They, therefore, put the whole story in writing – Kerala Mahatmyam (Greatness of Kerala) and Kerala Pazhama (Antiquity of Kerala) being the two most notable works in this regard. The story thus got wide currency not only as one, which passes from mouth to mouth, but also with the authority of the written word.

Parasurama as presented in Kathakali Dance

According to a theory accepted by all the acknowledged authorities on the history of Kerala, the Malayalees of all castes, except the scheduled castes, are immigrants: the highest caste, the Namboodiri, it is said, came and colonised Kerala sometime between the second century B.C. and the eighth century A.D.; the Nairs are supposed to have come earlier than the Namboodiri, though in this case there are some historians who argue that they are not immigrants at all; the Ezhavas too are said to have come sometime just before or just after the beginning of the Christian Era: the Jew, the Christian, the Muslim, etc., are all, of course, either immigrants themselves or converts.
Like Kerala, Kumarakom and many parts of Kottayam District bordering the Lake Vembanad seems to have been submerged under water, the Arabian Sea having extended considerably into the interior of the area. Marine fossils including coral reefs have been found near Lake Vembanad, and this is considered proof of the fact that the tract was once under sea. Some of the local place names are also cited as proof of the withdrawal of the sea. Thus Vaikom is literally taken to mean “new land ” and Kaduthuruthy, at present an inland town,”sea land”. Perhaps, the old legend according to which Kerala was a gift of the Arabian Sea to Parasurama has its origin in this geological fact of elevation of land from the sea.

Even if the theory of the recession of the sea and the consequent rise of the land area is not seemingly convincing, there is a possibility that the area in question was at one time an extensive swamp interspersed with sand-banks and mud-banks at various places. The rivers like the Periyar, Pampa, Meenachil, Achencoil etc. originating in the High Ranges in the eastern part might have brought down in spate immense quantities of sand and silt and built up huge deltas which eventually jutted into sea. Kumarakom was reclaimed from such shallow areas of Lake Vembanad forming landmasses using clay taken from the lakebed by hard working labourers. Being fertile land fit for cultivation of paddy and other crops they might have attracted colonisers in later years and became populated. Thus from the geological and geographical points of view the early history of Kumarakom and Kottayam assumes a special significance of its own.

The village Kumarakom, part of Greater Kuttanad exhibits all the characteristic features of the Kuttanad region. The name Kumarakom is derived from the words Kuminja and Akam, which mean the land, formed by the accumulation of sediments. It is a speck of depositional and reclaimed land in the entire region, which is a product of fluvial-estuarine agencies modified by human activities in the shape of reclamation. Hence this village is characterised by both natural and man-made landscapes.
In the 2nd century AD, there was a writing about a port named Koraura. Later the historian Kesari Balakrishna Pillai said that Koraura Port was the present Kumarakom. Later it lost its importance as a port as the lake was formed. Even today a portion of Vembanad Lake on the western side of Kumarakom is called Kappal Chall (Ship route). In the 12th century, Kumarakom was part of Vembolinadu.The Cholas defeated the Cheras and the rulers became free. In the 15th century it was a trade centre of Thekkumkoor Kingdom. In 1749, Thekkumkoor was defeated by Travancore; considering the strategical location, Ramayyan Dalawa, the Minister of Travancore, ordered the continuous military presence at Kumarakom.

A Geographical sketch of Kumarakom

The total area of the village Kumarakom is 51.67 Sq.Km. of which 24.13 Sq.Km. is still under Lake Vembanad . 15.75 Sq.Km. is polders (group of paddy fields). There are 45 such polders, the extent of which ranges from 3 acres to 400 acres. The paddy fields included in these polders are lying 0.5 m _ 2 m below mean sea level (MSL). Dewatering the land after strengthening the palm lined external bunds every year was necessary for paddy cultivation. The area of settlement of the village is 1179 ha (24%) and these areas are criss-crossed by tidal channels and streams. Its attractive palm-shady lake beaches, quiet resorts, backwaters, snake boat races and friendly village life draw travellers to Kumarakom.

Population in Kumarakom

The first census in Kumarakom was undertaken in 1891 and showed a population of 8332 and 1729 houses. The available population details of subsequent census of Kumarakom from 1941 are shown in Table 1 below:

Table 1: Kumarakom: Population (1941 – 2001)

Labour participation rate is 36% (overall). It is 51.34% among men and 21.06% among women. The corresponding figures for 1991 was 37.4% (overall), 51.2% among men and 25.4% among women. It shows slight decrease in overall employment rate due to the reason that more women lost their chances for employment. Major opportunities were in agriculture and allied areas. In 1991, 1156 men and 1777 women were agricultural workers. But in 2001 their numbers were seen reduced to 724 and 1142. The other occupations of the villagers are in lime-shell collection, fishery, construction industry, commerce and tourism. The literacy rate is 96.5%. The average family size in Kumarakom is 4.49 and the total households in Kumarakom are only 5120. The sex ratio is in favor of women. There are 1026 female for every 1000 male population in 2001.

Climate
The river Meenachil with its tributaries cut through the landscape. The river is fed by the monsoons and it irrigates and fertilises the region all the year round.

The geographical position of Kumarakom endows it with a tropical marine climate. Its proximity to the lake has a moderating effect on its temperatures, which are relatively stable from 22o C to 34o C. The months from October to April are the hottest and June, July and October are the wettest months. While there is little variation in temperatures, rainfall is a different matter. Being a monsoon region, Kumarakom experiences either dry or wet seasons. The abundant rainfall of the two annual monsoons means that droughts are rare. This village receives the southwest monsoon around 1 June. Waterways are replenished and the land is nourished during monsoon. The northeast or winter monsoon occurs in November and early December. Its fall is much less than it’s earlier counter part. The average monthly rainfall and temperature are as shown below.(Table 2)

Table 2. Average Monthly Rainfall and Temperature in Kumarakom
Month, Temperature C, Rainfall (mm) Max. Min.

January 32.8 22.4 45.4
February 33.4 23.9 53.3
March 34.4 24.6 0
April 33.8 24.2 155.6
May 33.0 24.4 285.0
June 30.8 23.2 665.2
July 30.9 23.3 544
August 31.4 24.4 231.4
September 30.9 23.8 265.5
October 33.1 24.6 393.8
November 31.9 23.8 199.8
December 32.5 22.5 32

The land Kumarakom was formed only a few centuries ago. Physiographically, this area is quite unique. It was not part of the gift of gods to Parasurama. It was the creation of hundreds of hard working labourers. They made the land and also created the history of the land.

There are two roads from Kumarakom running east and north. They are (1) Kotayam-Kumarakom Road which is a link road to the Main Central (MC) Road (Thiruvananthapuram – Angamali), and (2) The recently accomplished Kumarakom – Vechoor road which connects Kumarakom to Alappuzha via Cherthala and Kochi via Vaikom or Cherthala. This road joins the National Highway 47 at Cherthala. The other main link roads inside Kumarakom are (1) Kumarakom – Attipeedika towards south (2) Kumarakom – Konchumada towards southwest (3) Kumarakom – Choolabhagam towards northeast. These roads are busy with regular transport services and private vehicles. The road to Konchumada is being extended to Pallikkayal the southern tip of Kumarakom. This road will open the shortest route to Alappuzha by boat from Pallikkayal through Vembanad Lake. One can reach Kumarakom from the nearest railway station Kottayam by a 14 km. road journey or the Kochi International Airport through NH 47 and through Vechur, Thanneermukkom bund road and Cherthala driving 70 km. by road. There are many secondary roads linking the main roads and interior areas of all wards in Kumarakom.

The inland water transport is common through motorised and non-motorised boats. There are regular ferry services from Muhamma, (Alappuzha district) to Kumarakom crossing lake Vembanad.
There is a Digital Electronic Telephone Exchange having optical fiber connectivity in Kumarakom with an equipped capacity of 3100 lines and working connections of 3015 lines.

The tele-density is about 11/100 populations. Bharath Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), Reliance, Tata, Escotel, BPL and Airtel have base stations in Kumarakom providing full coverage for their mobile services. Other mobile phones get coverage in the lake area of Kumarakom.

Kumarakom is being promoted by the Kerala Tourism Department as one of the `Four Gateways’ (the other gateways being Kovalam, Thekkady and Kochi). This is one of the six backwater tourism resorts in Kerala. Among the 11 potential tourist sites, as identified by the Tourism Department, Kumarakom ranks sixth in terms of the total tourist arrival.

It is the vast and beautiful lake Vembanad that attracts tourists to Kumarakom. But the perplexing question is this, why is Kumarakom more attractive, enjoyable and relaxing to the tourists compared to other villages adjcent to the same lake? Why has Kumarakom been the chosen place for the honourable Prime Minister to have his holidaying for more than a week? Well, the answer is simple and quite interesting. The Arabian Sea is on the western side and Kumarakom lies in the east. The breeze always blows from west to east and so Kumarakom gets cooler breeze and more powerful waves. Moreover, the lake has its maximum length and breadth (6 kms.) at Kumarakom. Here lies the reason behind the beauty of lake Vembanad at Kumarakom.

Once the majority of the people of Kumarakom depended on the lake Vembanad for fishing, collecting sand and mud for reclaiming land or for filling the shallow areas and also for collecting lime shells. The lake was then the main work place and means of transportation for the people as the road access was limited.
The placid lake has been a home to many kinds of fishes, other creatures and water birds. Now, there is a fish sanctuary on the
northern side of the lake Vembanad , to promote the breeding of various fishes. There are different ways of fishing in the lake, which is quite interesting. One of the most prominent ways of fishing is Vellavali. Vella is a traditional fish catching device. It is a long coir decorated with tender palm leaves. When the vella is pulled through the lake bottom frighten the pearlspot fish and the fish instinctively hide its head in the silt making turbidity in the lake bottom. On seeing this turbidity the fisherman who follows the moving vella can catch the fish with naked hands and throw to the vallam (canoe) following the fisherman. Shell collection (shells are used for making cement) is done mechanically by dredgers and physically by people who dive and collect it from the lake in a country boat for their livelihood.

Nature’s bounty is now the main tourist attraction. Kumarakom provides a favorable environment for rich aquatic life. Some of the mangrove and associated species found in Kumarakom are Rhizophora apiculata, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Sonneratia caseolaris, Avicennia officinalis, Acanthus illicipholius, Kandelia candel, Baringtonea recemosa, Hibiscus tiliaceus, Thespesia populnea, calophyllum inophyllum and Ceribera odollam. Mangrove ecosystem provides a multitude of ecosystem services ranging from protection of shores to providing suitable habitats for several species of aquatic flora and fauna as well as certain birds and mammals. Notable among the mammals found in the area is Otter (Lutra lutra). There are about 90 species of land birds and water birds in Kumarakom. Nearly 40 % of these are migrants, some of them being long distance migrants, flocking to Kumarakom from the Himalayan region and beyond.

Marvellous lake beaches, tasteful inland fishes, birds splendid in number and varieties, cruise on the backwater etc., are the publicized attractions for tourists here. But beyond all that the life of the villagers, the history they created, unique style of their agriculture, social actions, religion, festivals and the models they designed in developmental planning and village governance are all worth knowing, seeing and experiencing. This book leads to such unexplored areas of this small but peerless village.

Table 3. Flora of Kumarakom Tourist Complex Area
Courtesy : Prof. N.Ravi, Verbena, Mundakkal Middle, Kollam-1

Species Family

I. True Mangroves
1. Avicennia officinalis L. Verbenaceae
2. Bruguiera gymnorrhiza Merr. Rhizophoraceae
3. Rhizophora apiculata Bl. Rhizophoraceae
4. Rhizophora mucronata Lamk. Rhizophoraceae
5. Sonnerita caseolaris (L.) Engl. Sonneratiaceae
6. Kandelia candel (Linn.) Druce

II. Marshy and Mangrove Associates
1. Ardisia littoralis Andr. Myrsinaceae
2. Barringtonia racemosa Rox. Barringtoniaceae
3. Canavalia obtusifolia DC. Febaceae
4. Cerbera odollam Gaertn. Apocynaceae
5. Clerodendrum inerme Gaert. Verbenaceae
6. Derris scandens Benth. Fabaceae
7. Derris trifoliate Lour. Fabaceae
8. Dolichandrone spathaceae (L.f.) k.chum. Bigniniaceae
9. Excoecaria agallocha L. Ephorbiaceae
10. Hibiscus tiliaceaus L. Malvaceae
11. Ipomaea paniclata R.Bt. Convolvulaceae
12. Lagenandra Ovata Dalzel Araceae
13. Melastoma Malabathricum L. Melastomaceae
14. Pandanus tectorius Soland. Pandanaceae
15. Premna latifolia Roxb. Verbenaceae
16. Stenochlaena palustre L. Polypodidiaceae
17. Thespesia populnea Solan ex.Corr. Malvaceae

III. Non-Mangroves
1. Anamirtha cocculus W & A. Menispermaceae
2. Centrosema pubescens. Fabaceae
3. Cayaratia tenuifolia Gagnep Vitaceae
4. Flagellaria india L. Flagellariaceae
5. Mikania micrantha Kunth. Compositae
6. Mucuna gigantean (Willd.) DC. Fabaceae
7. Sapium indicum Willd. Euphorbiaceae
8. Stictocardia tiliaefolia Hallier. Convolvulaceae

IV. Hydophytes.
1. Aponogeton crispus Thumb. Aponogentonaceae
2. Centella asiatica (L.) UrB. Apiaceae
3. Cyperum cephalotes Vehl. Cyperaceae
4. Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Lamb. Pontederiaceae
5. Hydrilla verticillata Royle. Hydrocharitaceae
6. Hygroryza aristata Nees. Poaceae
7. Lemna gibba L. Lemnaceae
8. Limnocharis flava (L.) Buchenan. Limnocharitaceae
9. Monochoria vaginalis Presl. Pontederiaceae
10. Najas graminea Del. Najadaceae
11. Nymphaea nouchali N. Burm. Nymphaeceae
12. Nymphoides indica (L.) O Kuntze. Menyanthaceae
13. Pistia stratiotes L. Araceae
14. Salvenia molesta Mitchell. Salviniaceae
15. Urticularia flexuosa Vahl. Lentibulariaceae

V. Common Plants (Weeds and Garden escapes)
1. Allamanda Cathartica L. Apocynaceae
2. Breynia rhamnoides M.Arg. Euphorbiaceae 3. Calophyllun inophyllum L. Clusiaceae
4. Clerodendrum viscosum Vent. Verbenaceae
5. Dregea volubilis (L.f) Benth.ex.Hkf. Ascelepiadaceae
6. Eupatorium odoratum. Asteraceae
7. Glochidion zeylanicum A. Juss. Euphorbiaceae
8. Hygrophila quadrivalvis Nees. Poaceae
9. Ixora coccinea L. Rubiaceae
10. Leersia hexandra Sw. Poaceae
11. Melothria maderaspatana Cogn. Cucurbitaceae
12. Morinda citrifolia L. Rubiaceae
13. Mimosa pudica L. Mimosaceae
14. Panicum repens L. Poaceae
15. Paspalum vaginatum SW. Poaceae
16. Stereospermum tetragonum DC. Bignoniaceae
17. Urena sinuate L. Malvaceae
18. Vernonia elaegnifolia. Asteraceae

VI. Plants under Cultivation.
1. Annona glabra Forsk. Annonaceae
2. Cocos nucifera L. Arecaceae
3. Garcinia cambogia Desr. Clusiaceae
4. Glyricidia sepium (Jacq) Kunth ex.Walp. Fabaceae
5. Hevea brasiliensis Muell.-Arg. Euphorbiaceae
6. Mimusops elengi L. Sapotaceae
7. Musa paradisiacal L. Musaceae
8. Polyalthia longifolia H.k.f.2T. Annonaceae
9. Streblus asper Lour. Moraceae
10. Syzygium caryophyllaeum Gaert. Myrtaceae
11. Tectona grandis L.F. Verbenaceae
12. Theobroma cacao L. Sterculiaceae