All Topics  
Malabar Coast

 
Malabar Coast

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Malabar Coast
 
 
  Topics Malabar Coast Topic Home

The Malabar
Malabar

Malabar is a region of southern India, lying between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.The name is thought to be derived from the Malayalam word Mala and Iranian language word Bar or from the Turkic words Mal and Bar ....
 Coast also known as the Malabarian Coast, is a long and narrow south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent is a large section of the Asian continent consisting of the land lying substantially on the Indian Plate. The subcontinent includes parts of various countries in South Asia, including those on the continental crust , an Island#Continental islands country on the continental shelf , and an Island#Oceanic islands countr...
. Geographically, it comprises the wettest region of southern India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
, as the Western Ghats
Western Ghats

The Western Ghats also known as the Sahyadri mountains, is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea....
 intercept the moisture-laden monsoon
Monsoon

A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind that lasts for several months. The term was first used in English in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and neighboring countries to refer to the big seasonal winds blowing from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea in the southwest bringing heavy rainfall to the region....
 rains, especially on its westward-facing mountain slopes.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Malabar Coast'
Start a new discussion about 'Malabar Coast'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Bekalfortbeach
The Malabar
Malabar

Malabar is a region of southern India, lying between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.The name is thought to be derived from the Malayalam word Mala and Iranian language word Bar or from the Turkic words Mal and Bar ....
 Coast also known as the Malabarian Coast, is a long and narrow south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent is a large section of the Asian continent consisting of the land lying substantially on the Indian Plate. The subcontinent includes parts of various countries in South Asia, including those on the continental crust , an Island#Continental islands country on the continental shelf , and an Island#Oceanic islands countr...
. Geographically, it comprises the wettest region of southern India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
, as the Western Ghats
Western Ghats

The Western Ghats also known as the Sahyadri mountains, is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea....
 intercept the moisture-laden monsoon
Monsoon

A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind that lasts for several months. The term was first used in English in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and neighboring countries to refer to the big seasonal winds blowing from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea in the southwest bringing heavy rainfall to the region....
 rains, especially on its westward-facing mountain slopes. The term "Malabar Coast" is also sometimes used in reference to the entire India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
n coast from the western coast of Konkan
Konkan

The Konkan , also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore. The sapta-Konkan is a slightly larger region described in the Skanda-purana....
 to the tip of the subcontinent at Cape Comorin.

Definitions

Mangalore Fishing
Geographically, the Malabar Coast, especially on its westward-facing mountain slopes, comprises the wettest region of southern India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
, as the Western Ghats
Western Ghats

The Western Ghats also known as the Sahyadri mountains, is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea....
 intercept the moisture-laden monsoon
Monsoon

A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind that lasts for several months. The term was first used in English in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and neighboring countries to refer to the big seasonal winds blowing from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea in the southwest bringing heavy rainfall to the region....
 rains.

The Malabar Coast, in historical contexts, refers to India's southwest coast, lying on the narrow coastal plain of Karnataka
Karnataka

Karnataka is a States and territories of India in the southern part of India. It was Unification of Karnataka on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act....
 and Kerala
Kerala

Kerala is a Indian Union States and territories of India located in the southwestern part of India. With an Arabian Sea coastline on the west, it is bordered on the north by Karnataka and by Tamil Nadu on the south and east....
 states between the Western Ghats
Western Ghats

The Western Ghats also known as the Sahyadri mountains, is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea....
 range and the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea

The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui, the north-east point of Somalia, Socotra, Kanyakumari in India, and the western coast of Sri Lanka....
. The coast runs from south of Goa
Goa

Goa is India's smallest states and territories of India in terms of area and the List of states and territories of India by population. Located on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western...
 to Cape Comorin on India's southern tip. India's southeast coast is called the Coromandel
Coromandel

Coromandel may refer to:*Coromandel, New Zealand*Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand*Coromandel *Coromandel Coast, India*Coromandel, Minas Gerais, a Brazilian city...
 coast.

The Malabar Coast is also sometimes used as an all encompassing term for the entire India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
n coast from the western coast of Konkan
Konkan

The Konkan , also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore. The sapta-Konkan is a slightly larger region described in the Skanda-purana....
 to the tip of the subcontinent at Cape Comorin. It is over 845 km (525 miles) long. It spans from the South - Western coast of Maharashtra
Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a States and territories of India located on the western coast of India. Maharashtra is a part of Western India. It is India's List of states of India by area and List of states of India by population....
 and goes along the coastal region of Goa
Goa

Goa is India's smallest states and territories of India in terms of area and the List of states and territories of India by population. Located on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western...
, through the entire western coast of Karnataka
Karnataka

Karnataka is a States and territories of India in the southern part of India. It was Unification of Karnataka on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act....
 and Kerala
Kerala

Kerala is a Indian Union States and territories of India located in the southwestern part of India. With an Arabian Sea coastline on the west, it is bordered on the north by Karnataka and by Tamil Nadu on the south and east....
 and reaches till Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari District

Kanyakumari District is a district of Tamil Nadu Indian state, India and also the southernmost land area and district of mainland India.Kanyakumari District is one of the 32 List of districts of Tamil Nadu state....
. It is flanked by the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea

The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui, the north-east point of Somalia, Socotra, Kanyakumari in India, and the western coast of Sri Lanka....
 on the west and the Western Ghats
Western Ghats

The Western Ghats also known as the Sahyadri mountains, is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea....
 on the east. The Southern part of this narrow coast is the South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests
South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests

The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion of southern India. It covers the southern portion of the Western Ghats range and the Nilgiri Hills between 250 and 1000 meters elevation in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states....
.

History

The Malabar Coast features a number of historic port cities, notably Kozhikode
Kozhikode

Kozhikode in , also known as Calicut, is a city in the southern Indian States and territories of India of Kerala. It is the third largest city in Kerala and the headquarters of Kozhikode District....
 (Calicut) and Oddeway Torre settlement (both part of Danish India
Danish India

Danish India is a term for the former colonies of Denmark in India.The colonies included the town of Tranquebar in present-day Tamil Nadu state, Serampore in present-day West Bengal, and the Nicobar Islands, currently part of India's union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands....
), Cochin and Quilon, which have served as centers of the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean ....
 trade for centuries.

Because of their orientation to the sea and to maritime commerce, the Malabar coast cities feel very cosmopolitan, and hosted some of the first groups of Christian
Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism#Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus and interpreted by Christians to have been prophesied in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament....
s, Jews
Cochin Jews

Cochin Jews, also called Malabar Jews are the ancient Jews and their descendants of the former Kingdom of Cochin in South India, including the present day port city of Kochi ....
 and Muslim
Muslim

:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits "....
s in India.

Cultural References

The Irish folksong Coast of Malabar, performed by Tommy Makem
Tommy Makem

Thomas 'Tommy' Makem was an internationally celebrated Ireland folk music musician, artist, poet and storyteller, best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem....
 and The Chieftains
The Chieftains

The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Ireland musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Folk music of Ireland popular around the world....
 among others, is a lilting romantic air.

See also

  • Malabar region
    Malabar region

    The Malabar region lies along the southwest coast of India and forms the northern part of the present-day state of Kerala. Malayalam is the chief language of the region....
  • Syro-Malabar Church (one of the Eastern Catholic Churches)