Religions of Kerala
Though Kerala has a multi faceted religious outlook, there are mainly three religions
prominent in Kerala- Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. According to a recent national
census estimates, around 56% of Kerala residents are Hindus, 24% are Muslims, 19%
are Christians and the remaining 1% includes people of other religions such as Jainism,
Buddhism and Judaism. There are also a considerable number of tribal sects in Kerala
who have preserved their religious identity and ancient beliefs.
The history of Hinduism precedes that of any other religion in Kerala. Hinduism
in Kerala was largely propagated by the Aryans who migrated from North India. They
brought with them their belief and rituals. They advocated the evolution of caste
division of the society which is still prevalent. The dominant castes in Kerala
include Ezhavas, Nairs, Dalits and Kerala Brahmins. People of Kerala worship different
cults of Lord Shiva and Vishnu. They also worship Mother Goddess as the source of
eternal power and follow animism (snake worship).
The advent of Islam in Kerala is believed to be during the time of Prophet Muhammad.
Islam arrived in Kerala through Arab traders from the Middle East who later settled
on the coastal regions of Kerala. These traders and merchants propagated their religion
and brought a considerable number of people under their fold. Later, during the
invasion of Kerala by Tipu Sultan many Hindus were forcefully converted to Islam.
The Muslim community in Kerala even today is actively involved in trade and commerce
and continues to thrive here in peace and harmony.
Christianity in Kerala was introduced by St. Thomas, one of the Apostles of Christ
in 52 A.D. He is believed to have established 7 different churches of which 4 still
exist. The different branches of Christianity prevailing in Kerala at present are
Syrian Catholic, Latin Catholic, Malankara Orthodox and Protestants, Malankara Catholic
and Jacobite.
Judaism arrived in Kerala along with the spice traders from the Middle East during
the 7th Century B.C. The Jews in Kerala suffered at the hands of the Portuguese,
however the Dutch and the British were more tolerant and allowed them to prosper
and live in peace. Most of the Jewish families migrated to Israel after the formation
of the state of Israel and as of today, only a handful of Jewish families still
exist in Kerala. There are two synagogues existing in Kerala that are still open
for service.
Jainism was never a widely practiced religion in Kerala and as of today only a few
followers of Jainism are found around Palakkad and Wayanad district in Kerala. Most
of them are from the business community from the North.
Buddhism came to Kerala in 3rd Century B.C. during the reign of the emperor Ashoka,
one of the patrons of Buddhism. Today, the presence of Buddhism in Kerala is very
scattered. However, the impact of Buddhism can still be clearly seen in the architecture
of various Hindu temples and various customs and practices followed by the Hindus
which are believed to be inspired from Buddhism.
Even though Kerala has a multi-religious society, these communities have co-existed
in peace and harmony over the years.