I am nearing the end of my stay at an Ayurveda centre in Kerala. I am visiting the state after perhaps a decade.
I must state up front that I have always felt a love for Kerala. I don't know why.
This time I expected a lot of changes - basically a more urbanised place, with Bollywood influences and ubiquitous smart phones and traffic snarl ups.
Let me tell you what I saw:
1. The people here (this is a village sort of place) are surprisingly rustic even now. No trace of urban influences.
2. Keralites are still quite uncomfortable with English.
3. This place has discipline and hard work. I find a very attractive trait of job focus. I didn't hear about this before - people said the folks are agitationist work-shirkers. In fact I read a couple of days back that 80% of vegetables consumed in Kerala come from Tamil Nadu. And they found out there is very high pesticide level in them. When I asked a veteran from Palakkad why they don't find a way to grow their own vegetables, the answer I got was that they are too lazy.
But at least in this place I find people to be punctual and hard-working.
4. I saw some movies on TV, TV reality shows and a movie award function on TV. Most women continue to be buxom, Mohan Lal is fighting goons like when he was a 25 year old slim man. Given his girth and age, it must be a challenge for fight sequence choreographers.
5. There is hardly any influence of North India on the cuisine here at least.
6. It is green, beautiful, rustic as I saw it 25 years ago.
7. They still believe in melodious music. Most music I hear is raga based.
8. Lots of temple music carried over the wind to my ears - thrills me morning and evening.
9. People are up front, smiling, no politics it seems.
10. I like this Kerala. Of course I didn't touch Trichur or Kochi etc. Maybe they have all changed a lot.
It's God's mercy that we have green and simple places still in India.
