With oral traditions fading, The Forever Green Lore and Legends of Kerala serves as documentation of intangible heritage, accessible to younger generations and cultural travellers alike.
Kerala has always been more than beaches and backwaters. Behind its festivals, temples, and rituals lie centuries of stories that shaped the state’s identity.
In The Forever Green Lore and Legends of Kerala, Sreekumari Ramachandran dives deeper, documenting over 40 new legends and cultural traditions across Kerala: from fire-walking Theyyam performers in the north to the grandeur of temple festivals in central Kerala, from the Jewish synagogue of Kochi to the women warriors of Malabar.
The Stories Inside:
- Temples as Time Capsules from the firelit rituals of Kottiyoor Mahadeva to the lake-locked sanctum of Ananthapura, every shrine tells a tale of gods, kings and rebels.
- Arts of Resistance through Classical forms like Kathakali and Mohiniyattam meet folk traditions like Thullal and Poorakkali: art not just as performance, but as survival.
- Forgotten Women Legends like Unniyarcha, the legendary sword-fighter, and mystics like Vilwamangalam Swamiyar, who claimed visions of Lord Krishna.
- Monuments: Forts, palaces, and synagogues as markers of Kerala’s battles, migrations, and cultural syncretism.
About the Author
Sreekumari Ramachandran, bilingual writer and translator, has authored 40 books across fiction, non-fiction, and translation. Her English rendering of the iconic Malayalam Aithihyamaala earned her international recognition. She is a recipient of the Dr. Suvarna Nalapat Award and the Dr. C.P. Menon Award. Her works include Tales of Malabar, Mall Muthal Marinedrive Vare, and Shakthan Thampuran—The Lion of Kochi.
