It is a pleasure to know how others view of our country, especially when the writer is no longer alive. It gives one a sense of proportion.It enables one to compare the present state with that of what was observed and recorded in the past.I leave the judgement to readers.

I had written earlier that ancient Tamil people had a life expectancy of 100 years and it was recorded by Ptolemy . And this is now substantiated.

‘An embassy of four envoys were sent from the island to Rome, including ambassador-in-chief Rasaiah from the King of Kudiramalai. To the Romans, the Kudiramalai envoys related particulars about their kingdom’s inhabitants, including their common life expectancy of 100 years, their government,

Ancient Tamil Life Expectancy 100 Ptolemy 100 BC

A rabbi from Jerusalem penned these priceless insights after a Kerala trip in 1860.

The rabbi had the misfortune of arriving in Cochin in the month of May and had to battle the extreme heat and humidity as a consequence. “The heat is quite exceedingly great in this land (it is 10 degrees in latitude, 101 in longitude), and the wealthy among the people go out in the summer to dwell far from the city, about one day’s distance, in gardens and orchards on a river of sweet waters,” Sapir wrote.Also, their houses are airy and built with only lower and second floors, and for the breeze of the day, and behind their houses are gardens and orchards with shady trees in whose shade they seek shelter most of the day as a defence and shield from the sun and burning heat, and wells of sweet fresh water are there for all their needs, and they go down into them to wash and to cool off during the heat of the day.” The rabbi found the Cochin summer nights unbearable as well, claiming that the heat remained unbearable and that flies and fleas came into bedrooms in “battalions.”Like many foreign visitors to Kerala before him, the rabbi was surprised to see that most people walked bear-chested on the streets. This was a custom followed also by the Jews, except when they entered the synagogue. The rabbi said people did not feel embarrassed about being seen in public without covering the upper half of their bodies.He added: “All of them carry in their hands a sun-shield (parasol) for defence and shelter over their bare heads from the burning of the sun which pierces down upon them, and it is a thing of woven craft from tree leaves which are wide, long, and large here, and in it are also inserted some of the leaves upon which they write with a common stylus.” The rabbi was fascinated with the way people wrote on palm leaves with a knife.

Abundance of food

“The necessities of human life here are inexpensive, because the whole land is watered, fruitful, and verdant, and the produce of the land is like the fruit of the trees: all in surfeit,” he wrote.  

He  noticed that Malayalis were mainly rice eaters and the Jews also seldom ate wheat, (was available in plenty) except when they baked a special bread for the sabbath. He also wrote about the “nuts of ‘coco,’” which were used for food, drinks and other necessities, and dwelt  about the possibilities of using coconuts. 

The traveller seemed impressed with the variety of fruits and vegetables available in Kerala. After writing about coconuts, he added, “And the other kinds of fruit from trees (except the apples which they bring from America) and beans and vegetables are found here in plenty, and nothing like them has been seen or found in the lands of Europe.” 

The rabbi spoke of the variety of spices, and also of how easily available fish and meat were. “But they do not eat them to their fill because of the strong heat which nullifies the appetite for food and (these foods) are also difficult for the body’s health,” he wrote, describing meat and fish dishes in Kerala. 

People seemed to live long in the state, he observed claiming he had seen many more old people there than in other lands, including a 145-year-old woman! As Jacob Sapir travelled south to Trivandrum from Cochin, he seemed to fall even more in love with Kerala. Describing the areas near Alleppey and Quilon, he wrote: “And we passed through this way for a night and a day and a night, to the delight of our souls because we were passing through a land which is like the Garden of Eden, fruitful and verdant, with gardens and orchards on this side and that. And all year long the fruit does not fail and the plain is green with vegetation and lovely to the sight, and all day could be heard the joyful shouting of people and animals within the gardens and orchards where their homes are, in summer and winter.” https://www.onmanorama.com/lifestyle/keralaspora/2023/01/16/jerusalem-rabbi-kerala-trip-jacob-sapir.amp.html

The following is by AI provided by WordPress ‘

The southern Indian state of Kerala has a rich cultural and historical heritage with a legacy that dates back thousands of years. Several ancient western texts, including those from Greeks, Romans, and Jews, have documented the lifestyle and customs of the region. In the accounts of Rabbi Jacob Sapir, who visited Kerala in 1860, he was fascinated by the abundance of food, variety of fruits and vegetables, and how easily available fish and meat were. Sapir also marveled at the longevity of people in the region, citing an example of a 145-year-old woman. Similarly, the envoys from Kudiramalai to Rome in ancient times noted the inhabitants’ life expectancy of 100 years, among other things. The ancient accounts of Kerala’s cultural affluence, customs, and traditions offer a glimpse of the region’s storied past and provide insight into its unique place in history.