I knew that Kerala was in the southern part of India, but I didn’t know that it was that far south. Previously I was also not aware that Cochin is now known as Kochi. The government is trying to do away with the colonial name as it has similarly done by renaming Bombay , Mumbai. Personally I prefer the old names, just like I prefer Ceylon to Sri Lanka because that is how I have known the place since I was a child and any change just doesn’t feel right. I also feel that you can take back ownership no matter what the name. It’s all about changing the associations that go with the name. The reason why I bring up Ceylon is because as the ancient maps will show, Cochin is very near Sri Lanka. In ancient times I am sure there were cross migrations and I found the people have very similar facial features, expressions and cuisines. Both cuisines have a heavy use of coconut, but I guess this is because they are coastal cities and they also both have highlands, tea plantations and a highly proportion of people who speak and write English, due to its colonial past.
photo by bookjunkie
photo by bookjunkie
