Matrilocality, Mudukku and Maasi: Kayal’s Distinct Cultural Saga

Kayalpattinam’s cultural distinction includes matrilocal practices, wedding ceremonies, cosmopolitan culinary influences, women-only Thaikas, Mudukk and popular entertainments. MUHAMMED NOUSHAD looks into the cultural practices of the town. When you take a walk through the immaculate interior alleys of Kayalpattinam, the town elders might inquisitively stare at you and offer guidance. It is their way of telling you that you are

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From Horses to Pearls and Beyond; Trade Tale of Kayalpattinam

From ancient times to the present day, horses, pearls and gemstones marked the thriving economy of Kayalpattinam, though the gem market today paints a sorry shadow of its glorious past. MUHAMMED NOUSHAD narrates the trail of trade in Kayalpattinam.  When Marco Polo arrived in Kayal, in the end of 13th century, the foreign ships anchored at the port amazed the Venetian

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The Living Legacy of Kayalpattinam: Sufis, Sultans, Scholars, Traders and Invaders

Kayalpattinam has invited all sorts of people and civilizations to its erstwhile bustling seaport. MUHAMMED NOUSHAD visits the historic town and meets its people to narrate its fascinating tale of the past and the present. ‘It’s a small town with an excessive baggage of history’, a few well-meaning friends had warned me, before I set off my journey to Kayalpattinam. The

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