Fwd: Twin children - an interesting news item

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Kerala village a twin wonder

Ramesh BabuThrissur, August 24

Hindustantimes

 

 

In Kerala's Kadavallur village, it is normal practice for relatives

of an expectant mother to make arrangements for two cradles, two cots

and two sets of layette. Why two, one may ask. The reason is simple:

this tiny village 35 km north of Thrissur is home to more than 70

pairs of twins.And the numbers rise each year. The Government high

school here boasts of 18 twins. Nobody has an answer to this unique

phenomenon. And no serious study has been done to unravel the

mystery. Even doctors are at a loss.

 

"It is nothing but a miracle," one of them says.But old-timers here

have a different take on it. According to them, it is a blessing from

Lord Ram. Just like Ram — who had twin boys, Lav and Kush — the

villagers are blessed with twins. It may be noted that Kadavallur is

home to one of Kerala's oldest shrines, the Sree Rama Swamy temple

that was reportedly built by Bheema's son Ghatotkacha.

 

But not everyone is taken in by the legend. "There is some genetic

factor behind this," argues social activist PN Harikumar while

lamenting that no agency has bothered to study the unique biological

phenomena.

 

Unlike others, about 90 per cent of twins here are identical. At

times, even mothers can't tell one from the other. They dress, walk

and talk alike. And those praying for a balancing act aren't rewarded

either. Among twins, a boy and a girl are extremely rare.

 

"In class, they get away with pranks. When I ask one brother, he says

the other brother did it," says KK Balan, a teacher at the high

school. "We are planning a twin meet this year," he adds. "It is the

best thing ever. I too would love to have twins," says AM Sheena,

who is engaged to be married while her twin Shani is already married.