Of Floods and FestivalsDecember-January is the time of the tiruvatira festival in Kerala. As I wrote in a previous article, in the old days, the festival…Dec 17, 2024Dec 17, 2024
Of Family RelationsAs I wrote in an earlier article, Kerala’s matrilineal family consisted of the woman, her siblings, and their children living together as a…Sep 21, 20241Sep 21, 20241
The Great Military CommanderIn my previous articles on the last names Kartha and Kurupp, I wrote about their derivation from analogous titles in ancient Egypt. This…Sep 18, 2024Sep 18, 2024
The Chieftain and the DirectorIn my previous article, I wrote about the aristocratic title kartha of Kerala. In this article, I touch on another title: കുറുപ്പ് kurupp…Sep 14, 2024Sep 14, 2024
Doer or Mayor?കർത്ത kartha was a hereditary aristocratic title awarded to middling chieftains in Kerala’s complicated hierarchical power network.¹ As was…Sep 10, 2024Sep 10, 2024
Temples and Communism in KeralaToday’s diverse religions manifest a common thread: none of them are tied to economic governance. Taxes, salaries, wages, rents, and other…Aug 19, 2024Aug 19, 2024
