Kerala A Journey In Time Part Ii

The book is a compilation of history more from the social perspective over the years written without any ideological baggage or political agenda for anyone who is interested in the history of Cochin and Central Kerala and its evolution. The book also briefly covers the geography of Kerala, literature, customs, culture, and religion. Kerala’s culture is a composite and cosmopolitan culture to which several people and races have made their significant contributions. In fact, the secret of the vitality and strength of the culture lies upon its composite culture. It was not just spices, but also a whole lot of natural commodities such as medicinal herbs, grains, wood and leather which made this land so precious to the west. The history of ancient Roman trade with Kerala; before Christ [b.c] and after [a.d] was referenced when Pliny famously remarked upon the drain of gold from Rome in 79 C.E., and large quantities of Roman coins were found during excavations in southern India.

Stretching across nearly the entire width of peninsular India, the Vindhya Range symbolically divides the North and South. South of the Vindhya range lies a triangular-shaped mass of ancient rock, the Deccan Plateau, which slopes gently eastward towards the Bay of Bengal. Godavari, Krishna and the Cauvery are Southern rivers that originate in the rain-soaked peaks of the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats Mountain Range or the Sahyadri Range begins South of the Tapti River, close to the boundary of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The Western Ghats begin to rise north of Mumbai, running parallel to the coast, until they reach the tip of the peninsula of India. Here, they merge with the southernmost portion of the Eastern Ghats, a chain of low interrupted ranges that sweeps northeast in the direction of Chennai. A spirit of adventure is evident in the efforts of these explorers. Braving malarial jungle, these hardy men doggedly worked the land, crafting beautiful and productive estates out of the pristine forests. It was an enterprise in the best sense, leaving a legacy for the later generations to build on. In Tamilnadu: A Journey in Time Part II, we embark on a journey of about three thousand years’ history of the evolution of dynasties, colonial explorations, trade, missionary work; sprinkles of stories from personal diaries interwoven with anecdotal tales and punctuated with biographies, mostly as book excerpts, which will take us back to a long-buried era when West met the East. We bring you the modern world as we see it today, as the East reaches out to the West.

“This is the Land of One of the oldest living culture of the world, the Dravidians! They defined culture through their living! A culture which attracted innumerable people to this magical land, who live here, enmeshed through great teachings and scripted Epics that evolved a way of life.” The History of the World has seen Men and Women born to change the course of our lives through their personalities. We call them role models. Time will honor them as Greats and Legends. Do men and women of indomitable spirit rise to drive the change and create something new? I believe they rise not just because they want to, but because they feel they have to rise. They belong to a country, caste, creed and community only by birth, but their messages remain universal! Whatever we think of colonialism now, such men and women transformed the world. Tamil Nadu – A Journey in Time has come out of my realization and a truism that we live in a time when human identities – civilizations, cultures, tribes and individuals – are being erased everywhere across the globe; identities built up often over hundreds of years are lost in a generation. This is a tribute to the words, “Learn from the Past, prepare for the Future, and Perform in the Moment.” - Mike Van Hoozer

Kerala - A Journey in Time Malabar As a compilation to rediscover layers of Kerala history, cultural heritage as we aim to bring alive the few stories. From the ancient to the 21st century, the people, places and potpourri that crafted the magnificent mosaic that is our land of Kerala. Trials, Triumphs and Tales. "From the ancient to the 20th century, the gentlemen who augmented enterprise, freedom curbs and adventurous explorations have crafted the magnificent mosaic that is our nation." Today we stand at the fork of a trail as a fingerpost from the past to the present and into future. If we join hands to revive these lost tracks of our biodiversity, culture and traditions which led us till today, we will not be the last generations to tread the gentlemen's trails. By the end of the journey with us, you can arrive at whether the personalities depicted here were loyal contributors or mere consumers. Some will be fade into oblivion; some may remain temporarily as tombstones in your mind. Few greats will stay in your hearts forever as living memorials relevant every minute, as they stood for freedom, service, enterprise, upliftment and peace. Sadly, today many of them are misrepresented by those who do not know them and their real motives, which kept the fire kindled in them.

Andrew’s recent book Story of Achu was published in November, 2020. This is a story of a person born in Kerala, India in a poor family, achieved good education through scholarship in India, migrated to USA, advanced is education in Finance and Investment, became an investment banker and became a millionaire in capitalistic USA. The story is narrated with contemporary governments and economic conditions in India and USA.

This book, a sequel to the bestseller Autobiography of an Avadhoota, covers memorable experiences of Avadhoota Nadananda’s childhood and his later life as a sanyasi (renunciate monk), Guru, Avadhoota and a social worker. The reader travels with him as he determinedly journeys through the vicissitudes of his early life, climbing the lofty peaks of the Himalayas to Gyanganj, the land of the Avadhootas, sharing his overflowing joy in serving fellow human beings and eventually finding his successor. It outlines the multifaceted life of Avadhoota Nadananda through his memories as an Avadhoota with a vision, a sadhaka (spiritual practitioner) with a mission, a dreaming social activist with great love for the world, a guru with experiences to share, and a human being who only wanted to see his fellow beings live in eternal harmony and mutual love. Welcome to the journey of a lifetime that takes us through the mind and life of a simple man, a staunch spiritualist, a man of uncanny tenacity and conviction, a super human, a complete disciple who never asked his Master “WHY?”. The exceptional story of a living master, Avadhoota Nadananda. The Man. The Vulnerability. The Tenacity. The Determination. The Grace. The Purpose. The Miseries. The Masters! "A Masterpiece beyond definitions! The journey of a thinking man into the unthinkable realms of true spirituality, guided by his powerful guru, chiseled through unforgiving lifestyles in the toughest terrains of Himalayas, to great heights of superconscious existence! A modern-day epic. A must-read indeed" - Mohanji

The book forming Part I, covers various write-ups on current events etc. that appeared in various dailies, my blog and papers presented in various forums till 2015. This will be followed by Part II and Part III covering the periods thereafter.