Kerala holds a great place among the people of India due to its vibrant culture. The culture of the Greenland is a blend of Aryan and Dravidian influences. The state boasts of colourful culture featuring folk music and dance, varieties of delicious cuisines and celebrations of festivals.
People
Keralites are very simple and culturally inclined people. Most of them are dependent on agriculture for income. While others indulge themselves in traditional industries like hand looms, coir and handicrafts.
Language
Malayalam is the official language of Kerala. Therefore, most of the people of Kerala speak this language. They also know other languages like Tamil, Kannada and English.
Costumes
The Keralites prefer to wear elegant traditional costume. They are of white and off-white colours. Mundu is the traditional dress of women. It is a piece of fabric wrapped around the waist and is long up to the feet. Women wear Mundu Neriyathu which is a two piece dress. The young women wear Saree-blouse and Churidar-Kurta and men wear trousers, jeans and T-shirts.
Fairs and Festivals
Kerala is a land of festivals. The people love to indulge themselves in feasts and festivals. These festivals are a mark of family get-together. Onam is the most important festival of the state. Keralites also celebrate other popular Hindu festivals like Navaratri, Maha Shivratri and Deepavali.
Religion
Hinduism is the main religion of Kerala. Significant number of Christians and Muslims also live in this Greenland.
Martial Arts and Sports
Sports and martial arts are also very important among Keralites. There are rowing competitions and the traditions of martial arts training. Many of them are holistic physical development systems like Ayurveda and acupressure.
Cuisines
Cuisine is an important part of its culture. Fish and rice are the staple food of Keralites. The cuisine here is usually spicy, hot, flavoured and aromatic. Keralites use coconut paste or milk to thicken gravies. They use coconut oil for cooking. Seafood is very popular among them. Some popular cuisines of Kerala are like sambar, payasam, rasam, pottu kadalai, puzhukku and pulissery. To refresh themselves, they take tea, coffee and buttermilk. A typical meal includes rice, seasonal vegetables, dal, seafood curry and a sweet dish. Besides meals, various snacks like muruku, banana chips, shakaruperi and several types of halwa are also very popular among Keralites.
Owing to the various colourful aspects of the culture, Kerala cultural tour is a big hit with tourists.
