A Slice Of Kerala’s Social History
V Suryanarayan
Saga Of Kalpathy: The Story Of Palghat iyers by M K Das Ahalya Publications, Palakkad, 2018, 226 pp., 599
April 2018, volume 42, No 4

Sandwiched between Sahyadri (Western Ghats) and the Arabian Sea, Kerala had always attracted migrants from different parts of India and from outside India. The peace and tranquility in the region, tolerance and hospitality towards aliens and, above all, its location in the midst of major international trading routes encouraged the movement of peoples and the emergence of a pluralistic society.

Saga of Kalpathy narrates the story of a small community which migrated from the Tamil country to Kerala. The early migrants settled in the village Kalpathy in Palakkad. Kalpathy continues to have a sizeable concentration of this community. They can also be found in other parts of Kerala. The trials and tribulations the community underwent led to their migration to other parts of India and across the globe. But, the community is still known as Palghat Iyers and the name has stuck firmly whether they live in Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, New Delhi or in faraway cities like New York or Toronto. The author has retained the anglicized name Palghat, though the town is known today by its Malayalam name Palakkad.

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