Relocating the Nila: a River of Cultural, Social and Topical Versatility
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Insight: An International Journal for Arts and Humanities Peer Reviewed and Refereed Vol: 1; Issue: 3 ISSN: 2582-8002 Relocating the Nila: A River of Cultural, Social and Topical Versatility PRIYA.M Research scholar Department of history University of Calicut Migration is the process of moving from one Place to another with the purpose of setting permanently or temporarily at new locations or geographical area. Man settled down, and settled various places to meet his needs. The movement is often over long distances and across different countries; Migration has spread through the world over the past centuries. From the very beginning of the human society ,human migration has been directly influencing the place of origin and place of destinations the route is basically concerned with place of origin where certain geographical factors inspires migrants to move out and similarly at the place of intention there will be lot a of pull factors. Migration Theories Everett S.Lee‘s law stated that the migration of human beings occur mainly due to two factors namely push and pull factors .both side of the same coin. This approach was formulated mainly due to unpredictable nature of the migrants and thus it is known as situation oriented approach. 1 According to the theory of Everett Lee, (University of Pennsylvania ) , (Push Pull theory), He formulated certain factors for migration 1) Push factors: induce people to move out of their current location , for example , poverty , political instability, religious intolerance .2) Push factors : Induce people to move to new locations , for example , Democratic Government, developed economics, job opportunities , people migrate number of reasons : he describes many such elements for his migration is “Push Pull theory”. British socialist E.G Ravenstien , points out the migration factors 1) Most of the migrants take only short distance towards center for absorption 2) Long distance migrant generally young males 3) Migrants travelling a long distance move to large industrial centers 4) More migration is found where there is more transportation facilities 5) Migrants take “ step by step” or step migration . In short socio- political economic, ecological and cultural factor are responsible for migration.2 Page | 127 Insight: An International Journal for Arts and Humanities Peer Reviewed and Refereed Vol: 1; Issue: 3 ISSN: 2582-8002 The abundant natural wealth has remained as the thriving forces for human settlements to origin and it is the land and dependency to nature which makes the foundations of progress in civilization in a specific manner. The traditional human communities who have evolved through time follow the natural pattern of social organization and complex survival strategies depending on the natural system and natural process. Human migration within recorded history has distorted the entire aspects of lands and continent and then racial, cultural, and linguistic compositions of the population. The migration through the Palakkad Pass paved the way for new trade status and more and more people coming from the farthest places came into Kerala for friendly and peaceful trade. Nila’s Cultural roots are developed through these trades. This paper pointed out the geographical importance of Western Ghats, pass and river Nila basin and some social groups migrated to Kerala through the Palakkad pass and settled down the banks river Nila. The following the factors that prompted the migration of these social groups to the shore of Bharathapuzha. GEOGRAPHY Bharathapuzha The river system played an important role in shaping the social historical and material culture of Kerala. “The connecting arteries between the mountains and the coastal land are the rivers, which runs east to west from their sources in the Ghats, and flows in to the Indian Ocean. The majorities of rivers in Kerala are shorter than 100 kilometers and carry sufficient water from the months of June to November to be navigable. The shipment of goods in a north – south direction relies on the kaayals, known by the British as backwaters which link the rivers together . The nature of these connections so created to run both cross-country and north to south, still makes for an excellent transport system today. In pre colonial times the net work of water routes provided an ideal basis for communication and transport between settlements3.” The river Nila or Bharthapuzha was the cradle of legendary personalities of “Panthirukulam”. There are many legends myths and folklore connected with the river Nila. Page | 128 Insight: An International Journal for Arts and Humanities Peer Reviewed and Refereed Vol: 1; Issue: 3 ISSN: 2582-8002 The Bharathapuzha is originated from a small lake of Anamalai hills in Western Ghats. The banks of Nila are one of the places of early inhabitants of Kerala and the river Nila is major west flowing river in Kerala and is highly dependent on the southwest monsoon for its water resources. It is the only river of Kerala that passes across the Western Ghats through Palakkad Gap. This Gap played a major in the migration of people from Tamil Nadu to Kerala. Palakkad Gap and Western Ghats Palghat Gap is the most prominent physiographic feature in Bharathapuzha basin that controls the climatic variations of this area. The highlands of Western Ghats got an average which bordered the eastern boundary of the area play a major role in receiving heavy rain at silent valley. It acts as an important trade, migrate and transport corridor between the states by linking Kerala to TamilNadu. The 32 to 40KM Gap in the 960 km Western Ghats function as an inlet for north east monsoon and dry winds. The district at the foot of the colossal Western Ghats has only midland and high land area.4 Palakkad gap being the only opening in western hats has led to migration of several cultures to the proper gap region.5 In Western Ghats evolved one of the most important migratory routes for the later day. The region had many political and trade associations and also became the home to many nomadic people from diverse culture that settled down and merged the way of living with aboriginal to form of unique cultural significances 6. Most of the Anthropologists suggested that, a culture is the way of life of a group of people, the configuration of all the more or less stereo typed patterns of behavior which are handed down from one generation to the next through the means of languages and limitations.7 Migration Trade Settlements and Social Groups Kerala’s atmospheric condition was suitable for the development of different types of caste, religion and cultural section even thousands years ago. According to the historians, since the arrivals of the Aryans the Dravidians were marginalized from society in many places. 8 Page | 129 Insight: An International Journal for Arts and Humanities Peer Reviewed and Refereed Vol: 1; Issue: 3 ISSN: 2582-8002 The immigrant waves of the so-called Parasurama, Brahmin might have established their thirty two settlements to the south of Netravathi between the 3rd and 8th centuries of Christian era in the fertile valleys of the west coast. Some of the early scholars had speculated about the possibility of Aryan conquest of Kerala and the subjugation of the Nayars and other tribes. The Keralolpathi myth is now exploded. Today the consensus of opinion among the scholars would favour a theory of socio- cultural infiltration rather than military conquest. .9 The Vedic tradition of Nila basin, which was once confined to the original Brahmin settlements later on was spread to several village. Village like Alathur , Kalpathy , Mundur , Mannampatta, Valampilimangalam , Cherpulassey, Chelakkara , Killimangalam , Mayannur Mannanur , Kavalappara , Panjal ,Cheruthuruthi, Shornur , Karalmanna , Thiruvegappura , Etappal , Kannanur , Kumaranallur , Alangode ,Karikkattu , and pattambi were include in the vast Vedic belt belonging to this area. 10 Some of the social groups who migrated through the Palakkad gap is introduced here the Iyers of Palakkad in Kerala are unique community, be it their slang of language, customs or their life style of living they always reserved their own way of life, different from that of Kerala. Their art and cultural activities contributed a cultural history of Kerala. For example music and dance forms. “The incessant flow of the people from across the Ghats through the Palakkad gap significantly changed the socio-cultural profile of Palghat and its environs to their enormous advantage. It was not the migration, but the composition that resulted in the reaction of the immigrants with the local people that led to the emergence of the linguistic (polyglot) society that turn remained a major reckoning factor of the history. There are few recorded evidence about the origin of migration and the rest is drawn from popular literary works of the period, legends, ballads, folklore and some in cases archaeological findings11.” “Indeed Brahmins from Tamizhakam had been a dominant groups and remained so in their adopted land richly and largely contributing to its socio-economic and cultural life not to be confused with the Namboothiris popularly known as Brahmins who effortlessly combined In the local social milieu, The Tamil Brahmins, Nevertheless retained much of their cultural, linguistic and religious and exclusivity and yet became part of the social main stream”.12 Page | 130 Insight: An International Journal for Arts and Humanities Peer Reviewed and Refereed Vol: 1; Issue: 3 ISSN: 2582-8002 There are several opinions about the migration of this community. One version goes that the Raja of Palghat invited them. .Another opinion is that a group of settlers from Madurai came to conduct Poojas at Kalpathy. A third opinion states that different socio- politico- agitation also initiated migration .The collapse of the Cholas and fading of the Pallava Empire etc. Natural Calamities also forced people to migrate to better living conditions.