Indra’s Drishtikona (Viewpoint)

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.