The strange little village of twins in India called Kodinhi! It is home to over 400 plus twins, this is what makes the village unique.
What does this term ‘twin village’ mean. Many interpret this as two villages adjacent to each other having the same culture and tradition. But here the phrase ‘twin village’ has a meaning which will surprise many.
Before we delve into the actual reason behind this phrase, let us understand that twin village does not refer to two villages but one.
Kodinhi is a small village tucked away in the Malappuram district of Kerala. A quiet little peaceful village surrounded by back waters on three sides.
There is an estimated population of about 2000 families with a majority of Sunni Muslims and some Hindu families who are a minority here. Although there seems to be nothing extraordinary about this sleepy little village, yet it is in the limelight for a mystery which surrounds it.
When was this Village of Twins in India Discovered
The village has the largest number of twins which is near about 400 pairs out of 2000 families. The figures are unbelievable. To add to it, the numbers are increasing with every passing year. When compared to a national estimate of nine pairs of twins per 1000 births, Kodinhi has a staggering 45 per 1000 births.
This bizarre happening was first detected in the year 2006 when two twin sisters named Sameera and Femeena noticed that they were not the only identical twins in the class. On making a survey they found eight pairs in that very class and further research showed that there were 24 pairs of identical twins in that school alone.
This survey done by two standard VIII girls brought the attention of people on this fact which had gone unnoticed till then. It is indeed strange that till then no one had realized about such an occurrence in this town of Kodinhi.
Conscious efforts started being made to calculate how many families had twin children. What is really strange is that even when a couple comes from some other far off place, whatever be their lineage or religion, they give birth to twins in this village.
It is also found that children especially girls born in this village give birth to twins even after moving away from this place after marriage.
This makes the scales weigh heavily towards the genetic factor. But the environment in which they had been born and brought up may also have a role to play.
As always local people come up with explanations which are linked to the supernatural which scientists reject.
Other such Places with Twins in the World
A similar occurrence has been found in Igbo- Ora in Nigeria and Candido Godoi in Brazil. Scientists are trying their best to get to the real cause behind such an unusual phenomenon.
Lots of tests have been conducted on the twin children. This has been done by taking samples of their saliva and hair but nothing concrete has been found. Till now there has been no scientific explanation regarding this peculiarity.
Different assumptions have been drawn. Some have linked this to genetic reasons while yet others blame it on air and water. But none of these theories have proved to be absolutely correct.
Twins Considered to be a Divine Blessing
The positive sign is acceptance because giving birth to twins is not a stigma or a social taboo. Many people accept this as a divine blessing. A community has been formed called the ‘Twins and Kins Association’. This association keeps track of the birth of twins, offers financial support, etc.
A blue coloured board proudly says “Welcome to God’s own Twins Village- Kodinhi” inviting visitors and tourists to witness this amazing phenomenon. Kodinhi has thus earned global recognition.
