Malayalis
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Languages | |
| Malayalam (മലയാളം) | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Dravidian people |
Malayali or Malayalee(മലയാളി) is a name given to the inhabitants of the state of Kerala. The word Malayali orignates from Tamil, Malai means Hill and Aali means person. Malayali literally means a person hailing from a Hill Country in Tamil. It is synonymous with the word Keralite. Malayalis can be either Hindus, Muslims (Mappila muslims and others) or Christian (Nasarani and others). A small number of Malayalis are also the Cochin Jews. Also, Malu can be referred to as sherene,shawny and or reena.
Emigration
Malayalam is the language spoken by a majority in the state of Kerala in the extreme Southwest of India. It is also spoken on the Indian islands of Lakshadweep, and in Mahe, which forms part of the union territory of Pondicherry. Malayalis have emigrated to various parts of globe due to scarce job oppurtunities and small size of Kerala. Malayalis have now settled all over India. Earlier Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai (Madras) have been the favourite destinations in India. Now large numbers are also settling in Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. A large number of Malayalis have also emigrated to the Middle East, Europe and North America.
Population in India
According to the Indian census of 1991, there were 28,096,376 speakers of Malayalam in Kerala making up 96.6% of the total population (up from 95.99% in 1981). There were a further 38,392 (4.8%) in Pondicherry, 43,678(84.5%) in Lakshadweep and a further 2,198,730 in other parts of India (mother tongue figures. not known how many uses the language actively). In all, Malayalees made up 3.59% of all Indians in 1991. Of the total 30,377,176 Malayalam speakers in India in 1991, a total of 30,325,637 spoke the standard dialects, 17,295 spoke the Yerava dialect and 34,244 spoke non-standard regional variations like Eranadan. 1 28.85% of all Malayalam speakers in India fluently spoke another second language. 19.64% of the total knew 3 or more languages. 26,073 Malayalam speakers in Andaman and Nicobar made up 9.29% of it's population in 1991.
Population Abroad
There were 79,860 speakers of Malayalam in USA, according to the 2000 census. The 2001 Canadian census reported 7,070 people who had Malayalam as their mother tongue. There were 2,968 Malayalam speakers in Australia in 2001 2 . The 2006 New Zealand census reported 2,139 speakers. 3 134 Malyalam speaking households were reported in 1956 in Fiji.There are also considerable malayali population in Arab regions.
Art and Culture
The folk art and classical dance form of malayalees are world famous.This was one of the reasons why Kerala was inducted in the 50 life time destination list compiled by National Geographic Society.
Kathakali
Malayalees ie all of Kerala is perhaps represented in the eyes of the world by this art form.Kathakali originated from Ramanattom (“Rama”= the hindu god, Sri Rama; “nattom”= enactment”) and Krishnanattom ("Krishna"= the hindu god, Krishna; “nattom”= enactment). History has it that Raja (ruler) of Kottarakkara (a province in Kerala) sculpted Ramanattom when the Zamorin (then ruler of Kozhikode, another province in Kerala) refused to allow a performance of Krishnanattom in the former’s palace. Subsequently, Kottayam Thampuran (ruler of Kottayam, another province in Kerala) composed several plays on Mahabharatha thereby making these distinct from stories based on Ramanattom. Thus, Kathakali was born. Kathakali shares a lot of similarities to both Ramanattom and Krishnanattom. But it also incorporated several outside elements, which is thought to have contributed to its popularity. In particular, the increasing use of Malayalam, which is the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called Manipravaalam) made it more popular among the masses. During its evolution, Kathakali also imbibed elements from folk and martial arts which existed at the time in Kerala. Characters with vividly painted faces and elaborate costumes re-enact stories from the Hindu epics, Mahabharatha and Ramayana. Kathakali is featured in the award-winning Indo-French-German produced film Vaanaprastham. Kathakali is traditionally performed in the Hindu temple, but nowadays may also be seen in theatre performances.
Theyyam
Malayalees of north Kerala employ this art form.The Theyyam or Theyyattam is a popular ritual dance of north Kerala,particularly presented in the Kolathunadu(of the present Kannur and Kasargode districts). As a living cult with centuries old traditions, ritual and custom, it embraces almost all castes and classes of Hindu religion in this region. The term Theyyam is a corrupt form of daivam or God. It is a rare combination of dance and music and reflects important features of a tribal culture.
Mohiniyattam
Mohiniyattam (also spelled as mohiniaattam, mohiniattom or mohiniyattam) is a traditional dance form from Kerala, India. It is a very graceful dance meant to be performed as a solo recital by women. The term Mohiniattam comes from the words "Mohini" meaning a woman who enchants onlookers and "aattam" meaning graceful and sensuous body movements. The word "Mohiniattam" literally means "dance of the enchantress".
Ottamthullal
Ottamthullal is a type of performing arts from Kerala, India. Also known as the "poor mans Kathakali", Ottamthullal was created by the Malayali poet Kunchan Nambiar, as an alternative to the Chakyar koothu, as a protest against the prevalent socio-political structure and prejudices of the region. In Ottamthullal, a single actor wears colorful costumes, while reciting thullal (dance songs), all the while acting and dancing.
Chakyar koothu
Chakyar Koothu is a performing art form from Kerala. It is a kind of mono act and a traditional equivalent of a stand-up comic act. However, unlike the stand-up comic, the performer has a wider leeway in that he can heckle the audience."Koothu" means dance - which is a misnomer, since there is minimal choreography involved in this art form; facial expressions are important, though. Traditionally, it was performed inside a Hindu temple and the performer begins with a prayer to the deity of the temple. He then goes on to narrate a verse in Sanskrit before explaining it in the vernacular Malayalam. The narration that follows touches upon various current events and societal factors with great wit and humor.Koothu was traditionally performed by the Chakyar community.
References
See also
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