KERALA-"GOD'S OWN COUNTRY"

Kerala attracted the notice of people in other parts of India even from time immemorial. It is evident from the many reference to the land of in ancient Sanskrit works. The Aitareya Aranyaka is the earliest Sanskrit work, which specifically mentions Kerala. The great Epics Ramayana and Mahabharatha, show awareness of Kerala on the part of their authors. Katyayana (4th century BC) and Pathanjali (2nd Century BC) show their acquaintance with the geography of Kerala. Kautilya’s Arthasastra mentions Kerala. The puranas also mention Kerala.Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsa has given a beautiful description of Kerala.

Kerala looms large in the accounts of classical writes of Greece and Rome. The anonymous author of the Periplus (1st century AD) and Ptolemy (2nd century AD) are the most outstanding classical writes who give information about Kerala. Later foreign writes like Sulaiman (9th Century AD), Masudi (10th century AD) Al Kazwini (13th century AD), Marco Polo (13th century), John of Monte Corvino (13th century).