Is Kerala’s cultural heritage ensuring its survival, or at least are there millennials taking active participation in ensuring?

NOTE: This obviously isn’t representative of the vast population, but rather a small sample size. Although, it is to be seen how this small sample size could be representative of the vast population.

Ividennu (USA) nattilekku pokkumbo, ende cousinsumayittu (millennials) purathu food kazhikkaan poyaal, ellavarkkum kazhikkendathu—Subway, KFC, Burger King, Pizza ennu olla bakshanam aanu. It’s the last thing I want to eat in Kerala, but I don’t blame my cousins. During Onam, no one has a clue on what food items go on the leaf, what order, etc. When it’s Mandala maasam, the steps on how to fast for 41 days is usually based on the convenience of different individuals. No one here is to blame because no one has a clue. Everyone has heard it “differently.” “Some say you have to live a simple life for 41 days.” “Some say you have to refrain from shaving beard, clipping nails, etc.” “Some say you have to sleep on the floor, and walk bare-feet.” Somewhere our heritage, at least speaking on the Hindu culture, has improperly passed down or failed to educate generations. Not just the millennials but prior generations don’t really have a rigid opinion on certain traditions. Add Westernization to our culture confusion, and you start to doubt on our culture’s survival. There’s always the evolution in culture and the changes that come along, but what about our cultural foundations? Does it have to be changed or forgotten? I’m not saying we should solely focus on our culture, and eradicate other non-Kerala culture, just that in our present day adoption of other (Western) culture, we should maybe also try and ensure that Kerala’s “traditional” culture remains lit.

Note, the above said is only a small drop of an example in Kerala’s enormous cultural ocean. There are other religious/cultural/lifestyle/art traditions to be taken into consideration. But the overall thought is the same—are these age old traditions going to remain solidified and passed down? Are the millennials looking to ensure traditions being passed down in the majority or the minority? There are obviously two sections here: the millennials of Kerala and those living abroad.

Adding to the above discussion is another observation on how people cling to their culture abroad to the point where they even religiously celebrate and partake in every single cultural event that is to be celebrated. This is obviously due to nostalgic and many other reasons including being away from their native land, etc, but it is interesting. In Kerala, at least from what I’ve seen, it’s the opposite.

Submitted December 25, 2018 at 12:06AM by ClassicPerspective http://bit.ly/2T7Vcc0