Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

or ''Keralam'' (as it is known in the region's

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...

language) are called ‘''alam''’ meaning ‘the land of’, and ‘''kera''’ meaning ‘coconut’. Jammed between the sea and coastal mountains, Kerala is subject to the

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal osci ...

rains that flood the land and the rice paddies on the subcontinent’s southern tip. Long growing seasons yield a coconut crop every 40 days, with each tree producing 20 to 30 coconuts per harvest.

Keralites The Malayali people () (also spelt Malayalee and also known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. They are predomin ...

, most of whom seem to have at least four or five trees on their small plots of land, claim they are ''Kalpa Vriksham'' —“the trees of heaven.” They use the coconuts themselves for food, tender coconuts for water and spirituous toddy for drinking; the fronds for mats and roofs; the oil for cooking; and the husk fibre for a thriving rope industry. They are intrinsically tied to the culture and folklore well. It is a part of every celebration —as an ingredient in the Keralan delicacies prepared, as offering to the gods and to mark an auspicious occasion (by breaking a coconut). Various terms like

copra Copra (from ) is the dried, white flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is extracted. Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out. The oil extracted from co ...

and

coir Coir (), also called coconut fibre, is a natural fibre extracted from the outer husk of coconut and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes, and mattresses. Coir is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell an ...

are derived from the native

Malayalam language Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was d ...

. By the late 1970s it accounted for some 68% of total production in India and at one stage some 8,99,198 hectares were reportedly under cultivation. Today Kerala produces roughly 45% of India's coconuts, with some 92% of total production lying in the southern Indian states and Kerala's neighbours. The

Coconut Development Board Coconut Development Board (CDB) is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of India for the integrated development of coconut and coconut-related products. Coconut Development Board is a statutory body es ...

which plays an important role in the development of coconut production in India has its headquarters in Kochi, Kerala. One problem which poses a major threat to production in Kerala is 'Root Wilt Disease'.

Places with high cultivation

Coastal regions have sandy soils which is the best for coconut trees which results in a higher yield of the produce (fruit). In Kerala Interior places with fertile soils and plain regions also give good growth to coconut trees.

Places (List)

Trivandrum Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populatio ...

Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

* Kollam * Alappuzha * Ponnani * Tanur *

Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second l ...

Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...

* Places in plain fertile regions of Kottayam and Pathanamthitta District.Coconut Development Board
/ref>

Uses

In Kerala, the coconut tree is called as "Kalpa Vriksham" which essentially means all parts of a Coconut tree is useful some way or other. '' Cocus nucifera'' dominate the landscape in many parts, rising up to a height of 25m, and bearing over 50 fruits on average in a year. The trees have many uses; their leaves are used to make sheds, baskets, and doormats, the husk for making

, the shell for making ladles and spoons, and fruits used for making hair oil or for eating. Coconut is a staple ingredient in many Kerala dishes and coconut oil is widely consumed and used to make drinks such as coconut toddy and dishes such as ''

appam Appam is a type of thin pancake originating from South India. It is made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk, traditionally cooked in an ''appachatti'', a deep pan similar in shape to a wok. It is common in the cusine of Kerala and Tam ...

''. Coconut is also used for making coconut paste which is essential for making traditional curryes. A number of places in Kerala such as

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

Kumarakom Kumarakom is a popular tourism destination located near the city of Kottayam (), in Kerala, India, famous for its backwater tourism. It is set in the backdrop of the Vembanad Lake, the largest lake in the state of Kerala. History Kuma ...

, Paravur,

Mararikulam Mararikulam is a village in India, in the district of Alappuzha, Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Mala ...

and

Periyar Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (17 September 1879 – 24 December 1973), revered as Periyar or Thanthai Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam. He is known as the ' ...

offer coconut tours to visitors in their plantations, providing an insight into coconut cultivation in Kerala.

Picture gallery

File:Coconut tree from Kerala.jpg, A coconut tree in Kerala File:Coconut trees and paddy field 02.JPG, Coconut trees and paddy field File:Intercropping coconut n Tagetes erecta.jpg, Intercropping coconut with ''

Tagetes erecta ''Tagetes erecta'', the Aztec marigold, Mexican marigold, big marigold, ''cempazúchitl'' or ''cempasúchil'', is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Tagetes'' native to Mexico. Despite being native to the Americas, it is often called the ...

'' File:Kallar, Kerala.jpg, Kallar, Kerala File:Toddy Shop (2699390021).jpg,

Toddy shop A toddy shop is a drinking establishment seen in some parts of India (particularly Kerala) where palm toddy, a mildly alcoholic beverage made from the sap of palm trees, is served along with food. The food served with toddy is very spicy and ho ...

File:Varambu1.jpg, Varambu File:Vadavannur Rice Fields 6.jpg, Vadavannur Rice Fields File:Friends of Coconut Tree DSCN0310.jpg, Coconut Tree File:Varkala Beach CoconutTree.jpg, CoconutTree on a beach (

Varkala Varkala, is a major coastal municipality situated in the northern suburb of Trivandrum, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the headquarters of Varkala Taluk and important government institutions such as the taluk office, court ...

) File:Beautiful Sea Coconut Trees.jpg, Beautiful Sea Coconut Trees File:Ashtamichira.jpg, Ashtamichira File:Coconuts arrangement in kerala.jpg, Coconuts arrangement in kerala File:തേങ്ങ പൊതിക്കാനുള്ള ഉപകരണം.jpg, തേങ്ങ പൊതിക്കാനുള്ള ഉപകരണം File:Coir fiber z.jpg,

Coir Coir (), also called coconut fibre, is a natural fibre extracted from the outer husk of coconut and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes, and mattresses. Coir is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell an ...

fibers File:Coir worker7.jpg,

worker File:Making coir rope in Kerala.JPG, Making coir rope in Kerala File:Women at work in a small scale coir spinning unit at kollam.jpg, Women at work in a small scale coir spinning unit at Kollam File:Ola madanjathu 1.jpg, Ola madanjathu File:Vallom 1.jpg, Vallom File:Kuruthola kalari DSCN0010.JPG, Kuruthola kalari File:Coconut craft @ Fort Kochi..JPG, Coconut craft at

Fort Kochi Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European for ...

File:Coconut Leaf Gate.JPG, Coconut Leaf Gate File:Coconut Apple - പൊങ്ങ് 01.JPG, Coconut Apple - പൊങ്ങ് File:Puttu with Kadala.JPG,

Puttu Puttu ( ml, പുട്ട്; ta, புட்டு; si, පිට්ටු) (pronounced ), alternatively spelled pittu ( ta, பிட்டு), is a dish native to the South Indian states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and parts of Karnataka, ...

with Kadala File:അപ്പവുംകറിയും.JPG,

Appam Appam is a type of thin pancake originating from South India. It is made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk, traditionally cooked in an ''appachatti'', a deep pan similar in shape to a wok. It is common in the cusine of Kerala and Tam ...

and Curry File:Kozhukatta - Kerala cuisine.jpg, Kozhukatta -

Cuisine of Kerala Kerala cuisine is a culinary style originated in the Kerala, a state on the southwestern Malabar Coast of India. Kerala cuisine offers a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and red meat with rice a ...

File:Vada(kerala style).jpg, Vada (Kerala style, with coconut chutney)

References

External links