THERE ARE NOT MANY INFORMATIONS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ANCIENT KERALA. MUCH OF HISTORY IS HIDDEN IN MYTHS AND ASSUMPTIONS. MYTHS ARE DEALING WITH THE ORIGINS OF KERALA GEOGRAPHICALLY AND CULTURALLY. ONE SUCH MYTH IS THE RETRIEVAL OF KERALA FROM THE SEA, BY PARASURAMA, A WARRIOR SAGE, WHO IS CONSIDERED TO BE AN INCARNATION OF VISHNU. PARASURAMA (THE SIXTH INCARNATION OF LORD VISHNU) HAD WAGED AN EPIC SERIES OF VENGEFUL WARS ON THE KSHATRIYAS AS A REVENGE FOR KILLING HIS PARENTS BY KING KARTYAVEERARJUNA. AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF THE KSHATRIYA KINGS, THE WARRIOR-SAGE REGRETED FOR HIS MISTAKES.
HE OFFERED SEVERE PENANCE ATOP THE MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS. WITH THE BLESSINGS OF GODDESS BHOOMADEVI AND GODDESS VARUNA, HE WENT TO KANYA KUMARI (CAPE COMORIN) AND THREW HIS AXE NORTHWARD ACROSS THE OCEAN. THE PLACE WHERE THE AXE LANDED WAS KERALA. IT WAS 160 KATAM (AN OLD MEASURE) OF LAND LYING BETWEEN GOKARNAM AND KANYAKUMARI.
PURANAS SAY THAT AS THE SUGGESTION OF VISWAMITHRA, PARASURAMA GAVE AWAY THE LAND TO BRAHMINS. AND HE PLANTED THE 64 BRAHMIN FAMILIES IN KERALA, WHOM HE BROUGHT DOWN FROM CHERA AND PANDYA REGIONS IN ORDER TO EXPIATE HIS SLAUGHTER OF THE KSHATRIYAS. KERALA IS ALSO KNOWN AS PARASURAMA KSHETRAM, ‘THE LAND OF PARASURAMA’. HENCE, IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS “GOD’S OWN COUNTRY”.
