Keralites — known as Malayalis — are a people shaped by millennia of trade, migration, and cultural exchange. Despite the state's relatively small geographic size, the population of Kerala is remarkably diverse, encompassing different religions, castes, tribes, and communities, each contributing to the rich tapestry of Kerala's social life.
Kerala has long been a meeting point of civilisations. Jews arrived over two thousand years ago and established thriving communities in Cochin. Syrian Christians trace their lineage to the apostolic mission of St. Thomas in 52 CE. Arab traders settled along the coast, and their descendants form part of the Mappila Muslim community. The result is a society that has absorbed diverse influences while maintaining a distinct Malayali identity.
Kerala consistently ranks among India's most progressive states in terms of gender equality, education, and healthcare. Women enjoy relatively high social status, and the family structure has traditionally included strong matrilineal traditions — particularly among the Nair community — where lineage and property were traced through the mother.
The major communities of Kerala include Hindus (approximately 55% of the population), Muslims (around 27%), and Christians (approximately 18%). Within each religious group, numerous sub-communities have their own distinct customs, dialects, and traditions. The Nairs, Ezhavas, Namboothiri Brahmins, Mappila Muslims, Syrian Catholics, and numerous tribal communities each have unique cultural practices that contribute to Kerala's plurality.
The scheduled tribes of Kerala — including the Paniya, Kurichiyan, Adiya, and Muthuvan — inhabit the forests and hills of the Western Ghats. Their traditional knowledge of medicinal plants, forest ecology, and indigenous arts represents an invaluable heritage that Kerala works to preserve.
Malayalam is the official language of Kerala and one of the 22 scheduled languages of India. It is spoken by approximately 38 million people in Kerala and by millions more in the Malayali diaspora spread across the Gulf countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, and beyond.
Malayalam is a Dravidian language, closely related to Tamil, with substantial Sanskrit influences absorbed over centuries of religious and literary exchange. The script, known as the Malayalam script, is an abugida — a writing system where consonants carry an inherent vowel that can be modified by diacritic marks. It is written from left to right and is notable for its graceful, rounded letterforms.
Scholars trace the origins of Malayalam to around the 9th century CE, when it began diverging from Tamil as a distinct literary language. The oldest known literary work in Malayalam is the Ramacharitam (circa 12th century). Over subsequent centuries, the language absorbed a large number of Sanskrit loanwords, especially through religious texts, and developed a rich classical literary tradition.
Medieval Malayalam literature flourished with the Manipravalam style — a hybrid of Sanskrit and Malayalam — producing works of great beauty and complexity. The 16th and 17th centuries saw the composition of masterpieces like the Adhyatma Ramayanam Kilippattu by Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, who is reverently called the "Father of Modern Malayalam."
Modern Malayalam literature has produced internationally acclaimed writers, poets, and thinkers. Nobel laureates in the making, Jnanpith Award winners, and Sahitya Akademi recipients have emerged from Kerala, writing stories that range from village life to urban modernity, from spiritual reflection to sharp social commentary.
The Malayalam film industry — popularly known as Mollywood — is celebrated across India for producing some of the most realistic, socially relevant, and artistically accomplished films in Indian cinema. Malayalam cinema regularly wins national awards and has developed a global audience among the vast Malayali diaspora.
Malayalam was designated a Classical Language of India in 2013, recognising its antiquity, rich literary tradition, and continued cultural vitality — a distinction shared with only five other Indian languages.