Cultural Heritage Of Kasaragod: A Historical Overview

Abstract

Kasaragod in northernmost Malabar is a land of cultural integration and socio-religious co-existence.  As a border area of Kerala and Karnataka, the people of this region live with a peculiar cultural background, which is perhaps the mixture of many cultures that exist in both States.  This composite cultural trait is reflected in people's whole lifestyles.  The confluence of religions, castes, languages, rituals, ceremonies, customs and traditions made Kasaragod a land of diversity within a common culture.  Almost all regions, communities, tribes and castes of this region have a series of rites, festivals, and priestly functions.  They visualize an area where they live in harmony with the unseen forces of nature and win it on their side. The present study attempts to discuss all the rituals, ceremonies, customs, traditions, art forms and communicative systems of the people to understand the cultural entity of the society in Kasaragod.