Where the three oceans meet

While the world has witnessed many conflicts that ravaged through civilizations, one civilization has shielded itself from carnage, and become a cradle of cultural and intellectual development. The South Indian civilization. Shielded on three sides by the ocean, we have developed a culture which has balance, rootedness and intelligence. We have built great temples, nurtured fine arts, produced amazing talent and contributed to the richness of this world.

The South is where India’s future lies. The South attracts 70% of India’s foreign investment, and is home to 80% of India’s top educational institutions. The South is where literacy is higher, hygiene is greater, women’s rights are better, caste conflicts are fewer, and religious clashes are uncommon. The South is where the common man’s earning capacity has been elevated, resulting in a higher per capita income. The four Southern states are growing at a rate comparable to China. The South is where IBM, Google, Microsoft, HP, Nokia and Samsung have set up shop. It is where the automobile industry thrives, alluring the likes of BMW, Hyundai, Nissan and Renault. It is where medical tourism has come of age.

The presence of South Indians is massive in the Indian diaspora too. South India produces a phenomenal number of Silicon Valley professionals, comparable only to the Chinese. This has drawn a comment from Bill Gates that South Indians and Chinese are the most intelligent people in the world. Half the Indian white-collar professionals in the USA are from Andhra Pradesh, with another sizeable chunk from Tamil Nadu. Every major country in this world (and many minor ones) have significant Tamil populations. The Malayalee migration is the stuff of legend, and Chandran Nair is known to have a thattukada (utility shop) on the moon. Telugu in the USA, Tamil in Southeast Asia, and Malayalam in the Middle East, are the dominant Indian languages in these regions.

So who are we? Where do we come from? What is the civilization that has produced us? Let us talk a bit about ourselves.

We come from a land steeped in culture. A land where the sounds of the mridangam and nadhaswaram blend mellifluously with the aromas of sandalwood and sambar. Where the Devaaram and Thiruvaasagam were composed amidst the imposing and intricate temples. Where Aadhiseshan anchored his tail and churned the ocean of milk. Where Parasurama threw his axe and created land for his people. Where Nataraja did his cosmic dance. This is Dravidam, the land where the three oceans meet.

We were speakers of old classical Tamil, which later diversified into Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. Malayalam then diverged from Tamil. Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Tulu are known as the Pancha Dravida languages.

The four South Indian states have enriched the culture of one another. We share a classical music tradition called Carnatic music. Telugu, Kannada and Tamil are all used for Carnatic music. The great Carnatic artists come from all our states. Religion, food and classical dance forms have also traversed across state boundaries.

Shaivism is the predominant religion, with a lesser degree of Vaishnavism, and minorities of Muslims and Christians. South Indian temples follow the Indo-Dravidian architectural style. Tirupati, Sabarimala, Hampi, Belur, Halebidu, Madurai, Kanchipuram, Thanjavur, Srirangam and Chidambaram are home to some of the greatest temples in the country.

South Indian cuisine is rice-based. A typical South Indian meal comprises of rice mixed with gravy and eaten with side dishes. Several South Indian dishes which originated in one province have now become part of life in the other provinces. Aviyal from Kerala is popular in Tamil Nadu. Sambar from Tamil Nadu is present in Andhra Pradesh. Mysore masala dosa from Karnataka is prevalent in Tamil Nadu. Some dishes, such as idlis and dosas, are popular throughout the country.

South India has four states (in alphabetical order) : Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Andhra Pradesh is the only state in India formed purely on the basis of linguistic identity. The Telangana, Andhra and Rayalaseema regions were merged together because of one reason: Telugu. Universally accepted as a melodious language, it’s known as the Italian of the East, because every word ends with a vowel. Krishna Deva Raya, king of Vijayanagar, said “Desha bhasha landu Telugu lessa” (Of all the languages of the nation, Telugu is the sweetest). Tamil poet Bharatiyar called Telugu “Sundara Telungu” (Beautiful Telugu).

Andhra Pradesh is the state with the most number of engineering colleges in India. The top educational institutions in India, like IIT and BITS, have massive representation from Andhra Pradesh. Every one of the 50 states in the USA has Telugu Associations. The Bay Area and New Jersey have become Telugu fortresses.

Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, is often known as the second IT capital of India, next to Bangalore. It’s also home to a buzzing biotechnology industry. Entrepreneurs like Ramoji Rao and Anji Reddy have made their fortunes in Hyderabad.

In the heartlands, the Godavari and Krishna valleys are fertile, rice-growing areas, earning Andhra Pradesh the title of “The Rice Bowl of India”. These rivers are great sources of fish, and the fishing industry is also supported by towns and villages on the Bay of Bengal, such as Machlipatnam.

The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh is known for its extensive use of chilli. It’s the spiciest of the four cuisines in the South. The gongura chutney is arguably the signature dish of Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabadi cuisine is a subculture, most famous for its Hyderabadi biryani.

Karnataka is a land whose name conjures up a kaleideoscope of images. The magnificent ruins of Hampi which produced Hanuman’s vanar sena (army of monkeys), the temples of Belur and Halebidu, sandalwood, handicrafts, the Mysore Maharaja Palace, the Canara Coast, Yakshagana and Tippu Sultan. Mother Karnataka has nurtured the Cauvery river into a beautiful damsel ready for her marriage at Hogennakkal.

Karnataka has lent its name to the time-honored classical music form of Carnatic music. Countless works of Carnatic music have been produced in the Kannada language. Karnataka cuisine is similar to the other South Indian states but characterised by the use of lentils. The vegetarian Udipi restaurants are a sight all over India and indeed the world. Delicacies like Bisibelabath and the famous Mysore masala dosa have their origins in Karnataka.

Karnataka is the kingpin of the IT industry in India. Bangalore is the symbol of the new India, and has usurped its more-established rivals to become the most well-known Indian city in the world. Its name is synonymous with BPOs, call centres, ASPs and R&D. Infosys and Wipro are two world-famous IT giants from the city. The who’s who of global IT companies are found in Bangalore today.

The southwestern part of Karnataka is home to another language: Tulu. The unofficial territory of the Tulu language is Tulu Nadu, with Mangalore as its centerpiece. Udipi has a sizeable Tulu population. The Tuluvas are known for their migratory instincts. Arguably the most famous Tulu proverb is “Oorudu nanjaanda paarad badkodu”, which means, “If it’s tough at home, run away and survive”. One in every four Tuluvas is believed to live in Mumbai. Tulu women like Aishwarya Rai and Shilpa Shetty are among the most beautiful in the country.

Kerala is India’s most socially developed state. For decades, Kerala has been number one in hygiene, literacy, women’s rights and life expectancy. Kerala is known for its greenery, beaches and idyllic backwaters. Kovalam Beach, Kumarakom, Thekkady and Munnar have become hot tourist destinations, attracting visitors from all over the world.

The Malayalam language is the youngest in the Dravidian language family, and has arguably the highest number of sounds of any Indian language. It has sounds borrowed from Tamil, such as the zha, the hard La and the hard Na (none of which are found in Sanskrit). It also has sounds borrowed from Sanskrit, such as the hard Kha, hard Tha and hard Bha (none of which are found in Tamil). More trivially, Malayalam is the language with the longest name when written in English. It is also the only language whose name is a palindrome when written in English. In other words, it’s name is exactly the same when spelled backwards.

Kathakali is arguably Kerala’s most famous art form, and often comes to mind when you think of Kerala. Kalarippayattu, the ancient martial art, has survived to this day in Kerala. Mohiniattam is Kerala’s main dance form. Keralite dresses include the traditional mundu, and sarees with a unique border. Kerala’s cuisine is known for its extensive use of coconut. Common dishes include appam, puttu, aviyal, idiappam, erissery, fish curry and several non-vegetarian pickles. Dosa, idly, sambar and rasam from neighboring Tamil Nadu are also very much part of the diet. Onam is often called the “national” festival of Kerala. Keralites of all religions, living all over the world, celebrate this festival jubilantly.

The secular nature of India is exhibited in Kerala, where it’s common for Hindus, Muslims and Christians to live in close proximity, understanding the culture of one another. Sabarimala is one of the pre-eminent Hindu pilgrimage sites in India. The Ananthapadmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram is another must-see Hindu shrine. The Christians of Kerala constitute one of the earliest Christian communities in the world, originally converted by Saint Thomas, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ himself. Northern Kerala has a Muslim majority.

Malayalees are probably the only community in India where there isn’t much distance between the elite and the proletariat. As every Malayalee is educated, you are not very likely to find baseless superstitions among the common man. In addition to being literate, Malayalees are also well-informed. For decades, India’s best selling newspaper has been the Malayala Manorama. There are few sights that better represent Kerala than a slightly slim man carrying an umbrella in one hand and a Malayala Manorama in his other hand!

The Malayalees have migrated to every corner of the world, in various capacities. The Malayalee dispora includes accomplished journalists and statesmen at one end of the spectrum. It also includes less-skilled thattukada (utility shop) owners. The Middle East has witnessed an exceptional influx of Malayalees for decades, and it is often said that the Gulf economy almost entirely supports Kerala. Malayalam is claimed to be the most-heard non-official language in the Middle East.

Wherever they go, the Malayalees form a closely-knit community. With less regard for caste and even religion, they come to gether and establish their Malayalee traditions in their host countries. They have learnt several languages depending on where they migrate. Even for Malayalees living in Kerala, it is not uncommon to find them knowing four languages (English, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam).

Tamil Nadu, the land of Tamils, is a land whose influence outweighs its size. Tamil kings conquered South East Asia, taking Hinduism and the Ramayana there. Islam is also known to have reached South East Asia from Tamil Nadu. Zen was founded by Bodhidharma, a prince of the Tamil Pallava kingdom. The prophet Thiruvalluvar gave the world the masterpiece Thirukkural, a collection of 1330 pearls of wisdom. Only the Bible and the Quran have been translated into more languages than the Thirukkural.

The Tamils are cerebral people with great faith in knowledge. The best mathematicians, chess players and doctors have been Tamils. They have the secure mindset associated with communities who have a rich culture. They are achievement-oriented, hardworking people who constantly aspire to become better. They speak the best English in India. A common Tamil perception is that engineering and medicine are the only pathways to success. They don’t trust professions like show business and journalism.

A disproportionate number of top educational institutions in India are in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is probably one of the few places in the developing world where the healthcare is better than most developed countries. The Apollo Hospital in Chennai, the Christian Medical College in Vellore, Jipmer in Pondicherry and the Aravind Eye Care Centre in Madurai are easily the best in India, and attract medical tourists from all over the world. A unique feature is that these are both medical colleges and hospitals at once. While they provide world class medical care, they concurrently nurture the next generation of capable doctors. In general, I would not advise you to trust doctors in the developing world. But if it’s Dr Janakiraman from Jipmer or Dr Ananthakrishnan from Apollo, have no fear. As Lord Murugan said, yaamirukka bayamaen (why fear when I am here?)

Tamil cultural symbols include the classical dance form bharatanatyam, the musical form villuppaattu, the Tanjore paintings, the kanjeevaram sarees, jallikkattu (bullfighting), silambattam (the Tamil martial art), the sport kabaddi, the aadu puli aattam (Goat Tiger Game), the yaazh (a musical instument of the ancient Tamils), the nataraja (Shiva in his cosmic dance), the vel (spear of Lord Muruga) and the yaali (a mythical creature found in Tamil Nadu temples). Worship of Lord Muruga is at an all-India high in Tamil Nadu, earning Lord Muruga the name of thamizh kadavul (Tamil God). The Tamils have colorful mythology about Lord Muruga, such as his conquest of Valli’s heart and his feud with his brother Ganesha which made him flee furiously to Pazhani.

Pongal, Tamil New Year and Karthigai are festivals celebrated by Tamils regardless of caste, creed and religion. A festival unique to Madurai is the Teppam Festival (Float Festival). Thaipusam is celebrated by certain communities. Universal Hindu festivals like Deepavali and Vinayagar Chathurthi are also popular among Tamils. Tamil traditions include naming the child on the 11th day (always done by the maternal uncle), the valaikappu ceremony for pregnant women, and wedding customs like janavasam (procession), oonjal (swing) and nalangu (a game between bride and groom).

The food of Tamils is predominantly vegetarian, with extensive use of tamarind. Idlis, vadas and dosas (generically known as tiffin) which originated in Tamil Nadu are now popular all over India. Dishes unique to Tamils include murukku, vathakuzhambu, kaarakuzhambu, pongal and its festive variant chakkrapongal (sweet Pongal). There are some subcultures of nonvegetarianism such as Chettinad Cuisine. In an otherwise tea-drinking country, the Tamils are coffee freaks, and have turned their Madras filter coffee into an art form.

South India, particularly Tamil Nadu, has a special relationship with an island off our southeastern coast. An island known as Serendip, Heladiva, Eelam, Ceylon, Lanka, Ilankai and Sri Lanka. Historically the most common Tamil name for the island has been Eelam, as evidenced by several mentions of Eelam in ancient Tamil literature. The Sinhalese are culturally and linguistically different from South Indians, but the Eezhathamizhargal (Sri Lankan Tamils) form the link between South India and Sri Lanka. The Tamil presence on Sri Lanka goes back millenia. Yaazhpaanam (Jaffna) is a cradle of Tamil culture and spirituality as much as Madurai, Thanjavur or Kanchipuram.

Tamil Shaivite Hinduism is prevalent in Sri Lanka. There is extensive use of the Devaaram and Thiruvasagam for Shiva worship. The universal Hindu deity Vinayakar, and the Tamil god, Murugan, are also revered. The pancha eswarams (five Shiva temples) in five corners of the island are a tribute to Shiva. The most famous of the pancha eswarams is Koneswaram in Thirukonamalai (Trincomalee). Swamy Hill which houses Koneswaram is known as Dakshina Kailasam (southern cousin of Kailasha mountain where Lord Shiva is believed to reside). In its heyday, Koneswaram was a temple of unusual size and grandeur, and attracted pilgrims from all over the Indian subcontinent. The Nallur Kandaswamy temple and Kadhirgamam are two centres of Murugan worship in Sri Lanka. Kadhirgamam is where Murugan is said to have courted Valli.

Circumstances have dictated that the Sri Lankan Tamil culture today flourishes in Toronto and Geneva rather than Trincomalee and Jaffna. The Tamil diaspora has a huge component of Sri Lankan Tamils, who have taken the Tamil culture to faraway lands. Tamil traditions like Shaivite Hinduism and bharatanatyam are well-preserved by the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora. These Tamils have supported the South Asian diaspora in several countries by setting up temples, CD shops, grocery stores, restaurants and utility shops. Scarborough in Toronto, East Ham in London and La Chapelle in Paris are some South Asian localities with a large component of Sri Lankan Tamils. They have maintained the Tamil tradition of investing in education. The UK Tamil community today boasts 6000 doctors, several BBC newscasters, a music artiste and a chess player. The Canadian Tamil community has produced doctors, engineers, sportspeople and writers. There’s even an association of Tamil doctors in the Canadian province of Ontario. They certainly remind you of their brethren in Tamil Nadu who also make excellent doctors and engineers.

Despite the diversity within the South Indian community, there are qualities common to South Indians. Our rootedness, balance, inclination toward intelligent pursuits, hard work, achievement-orientedness, sense of humour, ethics and discipline. We produce doctors, engineers, mathematicians, professors, scientists and chess players with great regularity. We have a Jewish kind of adaptability that makes us multilingual, adjustable and worldly-aware. The South Indian community has 220 million of us, which is small compared to other communities like the North Indians, the Chinese and the Arabs. This means that we can never be insular, and knowing this, we embrace other cultures with an open mind and make them part of our lives. At the same time, there is so much nativity, intelligence and culture in the South Indian community, and this gives us an anchor. With this anchor keeping us rooted and giving us balance, we make our contribution to this world.

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