In Part 1 of Subcontinental Colours, we explored the colours of fabrics from the annual Pandharpur Wari in Central Deccan.
Today, we travel south.
Like the rest of the Deccan, Kerala is experiencing a scorching summer. Kerala’s bright green countryside and deep blue skies were drained of their usual colours, even by the usual summer standards. Luckily, the engagement ceremony of my niece, my cousin’s daughter, that took me to Alappuzha in Kerala last weekend was held in an air-conditioned hall, which made it bearable but quite boring with its predictable Indian film setting that seems to be the norm for all social engagements these days. The food was excellent Kerala fare.
Kalarcode/Colourcode.
There’s a village in this region called Kalarkode. I am unfamiliar with the etymology of place names in Kerala and would love to know the origin of the name Kalakode. But here are a few colours that caught my eye when I was in Kerala.
The Fabrics
Special occasion.
Sweat soakers - the only possible all day and night wear
Since its election season, political advertising has been everywhere—the red of the communist coalition, the tricolour of Congress, and saffron.
In cities like Mumbai, electioneering has disappeared from the streets, and most battles are online. It is not so in Kerala, where it exists on the streets and village squares, too.
No Kerala without coconuts.
Or bananas.
And lottery ticket sellers.
Between 1950 and 1980, the thatched roofs of Kerala buildings were replaced with red-coloured Mangalore tiles. Only a few remain. Now it’s all concrete.
The red of the Kerala State Transport buses.
If you ever travel to Kerala on a shoe string, I recommend that you travel around the state in a bus and ensure you get this seat.
The livery of some Kerala buses is straight out of the last century. Do you remember seeing similar ones in old Bombay buses from the 1950s or the Fiat and other buses in old Italian and Iberian movies?
Not all buses have the same livery through.
Alappuzha is called the Venice of the East because of its canals. The boats you see here transport people around this part of Kerala, parts of which are below the sea level - the water level is controlled by gates and dykes like in the Netherlands.
Art along the central canal in Alappuzha.
Bollywood colours - the standardised colour palette of new India.
The colours of little things.
Swing.
Grey and grey areas of memory.
The population of Kerala, or at least my extended family, is ageing. In my family, just a handful of people are below 40, and even fewer are below 20. So, personally, all I could see was grey around me.
Have you noticed how older people keep telling old stories again and again? When they meet people, their memories are triggered, and they tell a story of what they remember. That way, the memories are freshly created, with some salt and spice added or several parts missing. Maybe it plays a vital role in exercising the brain and keeping it working and perhaps even slowing down what is called ageing. If you have older people around you, maybe it’s a good idea to stop, talk to them and listen patiently.
One of the grandmothers or grand aunt tries the engagement ring.
This was probably why I decided to take pictures of people I met while I was here.
That’s all, folks.
I could see your father, Ramakrishnan Uncle & Mini Auntie in the pics - wonderful post Gopan
Kerala is my childhood home. I had the most idyllic childhood thanks to the peaceful aura and stillness there. It still looks like it's got it.
On a different note, the number of pics were a bit more on this post, so I had to click "view entire message" on my email for this one. Just wanted to let you know in case you were not aware.