Radhika K. M.’s sketches of Kerala’s lesser-known architectural marvels combine detail with a sense of liveliness. From ancient places of worship to traditional homes in Thrissur and Alappuzha, the sketches remind us that Kerala’s heritage goes beyond a few tourist destinations.
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Meena Bharani: Red Devotion
K. R. Sunil captures the emotions, intensity, and the frenzied atmosphere of Kodungallur’s Meena Bharani in his series of photographs.[…]
Read moreHow Christian Familism Prevails: Reflections on ‘Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha’
Nidhin Donald explores the themes of Christian familism and individual agency, secular institutions, and reason in the 2019 film Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha
Read moreSabarimala and the Left Democratic Front in the 2019 Elections
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, how did the incumbent LDF’s support for women’s entry into Sabarimala turn the tables for a government that otherwise enjoyed popular support? K. K. Kailash uses survey data to understand the role of religious sentiment in Kerala’s public sphere.
Read moreAgainst Aachaaram: When is your cloth clean/pure/both?
Traditional elites harboured peculiar notions of purity and pollution in pre-modern Kerala, which were revised by the neo-savarna of twentieth-century. This article reflects on notions of personal hygiene, cleanliness and clothing, using two excerpts from early-modern Kerala.
Read moreCan Syrian Christians be Black? Racialized Discrimination in Global South Asia
Sonja Thomas delves into the rarely acknowledged racial dynamics in India, and how the complex interrelationship between caste and race have impacts not just within India, but internationally.
Read moreAyyappan and A History of Desire in India
How can revisiting the various age-old legends about Ayyappan nuance the debate on women’s entry to Sabarimala in contemporary Kerala? The following is an excerpt from Madhavi Menon’s book, Infinite Variety: A History of Desire in India (Delhi: Speaking Tiger, 2018).
Read moreQuestioning the “Public” nature of Educational Institutions: The need to break the wall of dominance
How accessible is Kerala’s much-lauded public education system? Sreejith reviews O.P Raveendran’s new book that explores this question by[…]
Read moreTraditional Maternity Carers of Malabar: Caste, Religion and Knowledge
The impact of caste, religion and the changing dynamics of medicalization on eattummas–the traditional Islamic postnatal caregivers of north Malabar.[…]
Read moreMonsoon Islam
Sebastian R. Prange The histories of Kerala and the wider Indian Ocean world are inseparable: they have shaped one another[…]
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