Kerala Piravi: How God's own country was formed 66 years ago

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 1: Keralites celebrate 66th Anniversary of 'Kerala Piravi' on Tuesday as the state was formed on November 1, 1956. In Malayalam, 'Kerala Piravi' means the day Kerala was formed.

Cultural programmes, seminars and honouring of writers and artists are being organised as part of the celebrations in the state capital and other centres. The President's 'Trophy Boat Race' is also held in Kollam every year on November 1 to mark Kerala Day. This year, a human chain will be formed in Thiruvananthapuram to mark the end of the first phase of the state government's 'No to drugs' campaign creating public defence against substance abuse.

Kerala Piravi

After India gained independence on August 15, 1947, the southern state of Kerala was formed from three independent provinces of Malabar, Cochin and Travancore.

According to wikipedia, early in the 20th century, the Mappila Muslims of the Calicut region had revolted against the Hindu Zamindars and the British Rulers. In the following years, agitations for political rights and a popular government took place in Travancore and Cochin as well. After India was partitioned in 1947 into India and Pakistan, Travancore and Cochin, part of India were merged on 1 July 1949 to form Travancore-Cochin (Thiru-Kochi).

A popular movement known as Aikya Kerala Movement, for the formation of the state of Kerala, gave motivation to the reorganization of the state on a linguistic basis.

On 1 November 1956, the taluk of Kasargod in the South Canara district of Madras, the Malabar district of Madras, and Travancore-Cochin, without four southern taluks (which joined Tamil Nadu), merged to form the state of Kerala under the States Reorganisation Act.

A Communist-led government under E. M. S. Namboodiripad came to power following the first elections for the new Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1957. It was one of the earliest elected Communist governments, after Communist success in the 1945 elections in the Republic of San Marino.

On November 1, 1956, Travancore-Cochin merged with Malabar and the Kasargod taluk of South Canara to form Kerala under the States Reorganisation Act.

Kerala is a popular tourist destination famous for its backwaters, Ayurvedic treatments and tropical greenery. Kerala is covered with intense tropical forest, beautiful beaches, sea cliffs, rocky coasts.
According to Hindu mythology, Kerala was formed by Parasurama, an avatar of Mahavishnu. He threw his battle axe into the sea and from those waters, Kerala arose.