About Me

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London, Leicester and Kerala
I am a Medical Doctor, born and brought up in Kerala, settled in England for last 27 years. Interested in almost any and every field under the sun. I believe in 'Simple living and simple thinking'and try to follow this principle in life...This is a snapshot of what I wish to write; but many of the things I want to write are still under the iceberg! Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu

Visits so far

Monday 20 October 2008

Palayam- yet another 'kerala model'

Palayam in Trivandrum extends from the cantonment house in the north up to the present A.K.G. Centre in the south, including areas now occupied by the University Stadium and Chandrasekharan Nair stadium. It was the camping area of the former Travancore state army and cavalry. That place, therefore, came to be known as Palayam/Cantonment – meaning military area.......

A church, a mosque and a temple were consecrated side by side, with their compound walls touching each other near the Palayam junction for the personnel of the State Forces and their family members to perform their religious duties. The peaceful co-existence of these three centres of worship of different religions is a shining example of the religious tolerance, secularism and harmony in the state.

Palayam Shakthi Vinayaka Temple. Note that part of the
Mosque is visible on the right side and both share the same
compound wall .....

Palayam St Josephs Church

Palayam Mosque (Juma Masjid)...P K Ahmed Kutty Moulavi,
imam of the Palayam mosque, opened the doors of the
mosque for women for the first time in south Kerala.
More than 250 women attend the prayers at the Palayam Mosque
on ordinary days, whereas on Fridays their numbers increase
to around 1,000. The imam is of the opinion that there is nothing
unIslamic in women offering prayers in mosques.


The western media always finds it difficult to understand and 'digest' how India can survive as a nation and usually try to portray India as a place where communities and religions fight each other. These media should come and report from Kerala, where about half of the population is either a christian or a muslim,living peacefully and fully integrated for many centuries along with the hindu population.....

4 comments:

mannadiar said...

"Mathamaithri" or should we call it "religious intersection"? It may also be worthwhile to comment on the adjacent "Rakthasakshi Mandapom" (Martyrs' square?), which again intersects the spiritual neighbourhood with revolution, an ironic-iconic contrast:-)

PCV said...

I agree.....Well put, i.e an Ironic-Iconic contrast......

Anonymous said...

Palayam is often touted as the symbol of diversity of India.But what struck me during my first visit was that while the church and the mosques were towering monuments, the Hindu temple was dwarfed. Is there a message here? A new 'Kerala Model'?

PCV said...

I think you (anonymous)are a person who believes in "size does matter" principle. However, I believe in "quality is better than quantity" philosophy.....