An emerging discipline under the umbrella term Indology/ South Asian Studies, Kerala Studies is a regional specialisation that aims to study the language, literature and culture of the people who inhabit the land known as Keralam. It features under the subset of Dravidian Studies too. It analytically studies the social customs, rituals, history, politics, folklores, arts, etc. that belong to Kerala. It decentralises the focal points of history that we have always been familiar with via canons and curricula, and brings to light various local perspectives, histories and narratives. According to legends, Keralam is the land of the kind ruler Mahabali who made it at par with heaven. Lord Parasurama is a significant confluence where many crossroads meet, when studying Keralam. Apart from being myths, these stories can also be read in various ways. Samyukta encourages multidisciplinary works in the area to unearth rich elements in the ethos of a land which has always been a melting pot of different cultures, a space that features a kaleidoscopic richness. Like how a cartographer maps a place, we encourage scholars to find newer ways and perspectives to place Keralam into academic study. This course was introduced in 2013 at the institute of English University of Kerala.

Courses offered

  • Keralam: History, Culture and Literature
  • Contemporary Malayalam Literature in English Translation 

Open Source Materials

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Research Guidance PhD



Research Guidance MPhil

  • Anu Lakshmi Babu – Neelamperoor Padayani: An Ethnographic analysis
  • Meera K.G – Crossing the Threshold:Tatri Narratives as minor literature
  • Preethy V. Ephrame – Dialogic Imagination and Carnivalesque Representation in select satires of V.K.N 
  • Pyari Suradh – Reaching out to Infinity: The Mathematical Imaginary of Medieval Keralam
  • Christin Shaji – The Saga of Muziris: Mapping the Histories