Kodinhi, A twin village

We have always been fascinated by twin births. You cannot deny that every time you encounter twins, your degree of curiosity skyrockets, perhaps because such cases are uncommon. They are rare and therefore interesting. But, have you heard about the village where twins are so commonly found? It is the village of twins, Kodinhi.

Kodinhi, The twin village of India. Image source-History TV18

A remarkable village is located nearly 30 kilometres to the west of Malappuram district in Kerala. The lush greenery, tall, stiff coconut palms, floating rice fields, and pristine blue backwaters surround the place, just like any ordinary village in Kerala. This settlement may look ordinary until you meet the locals.

The small village in the Malappuram district of Kerala is home to 2,000 families, among which there are 400 pairs of twins. The rising number of twins in the community had perplexed scientists, bringing Kodinhi to the attention of an international team of geneticists.

Once you reach Kodinhi, the many similar faces in the schools, nearby markets, and pastures will boggle your mind. According to the official estimates in 2008, the village had a record of 280 pairs of twins, which gradually increased to 400. Where the average twin out of 1000 babies is 4 in the world, it is a whopping 45 in Kodinhi. It now ranks second in the world for twin births, behind Nigeria's Igbo-ora, which has 145 twins per 1,000 births.

The birth of twins in the village is not new. It has continued for the past three generations. Abdul Hammed and Kunhi Kadia, who were born in 1949, are the oldest twins in the village. Over the years, the number of twin births has just increased, for which the mysterious area has already bagged its position in many Guinness World Records.

The residents of Kodinhi, on the other hand, were unaware of their uniqueness until a set of twin sisters discovered it. Sameera and Fameena, two students in class 8th, went on a survey to determine the number of twins in the village. Soon they realized that there were eight pairs of twins in the same class, and in other classes, there were even more. Furthermore, during their initial mini-survey, they discovered 24 pairs of twins in their school, which is how the locals learned about this unusual pattern of twin births.

In October 2016, a team of international researchers from the University of London and Germany visited Kodinhi village to unravel the enigma. The DNA, saliva traces, and hair samples of children were collected for extensive research. Why are there so many twins born here? Is it in their genes? What food do they eat? Or which water do they consume? The answer to this intriguing question is awaited. However, scientists could not find any answers to the bizarrely high concentration of twin siblings.

Apart from all these, a fact that can both amaze and surprise you at the same time is the continuous twin births and unbearable labour pains have not impacted the condition of the mothers. They are free from all physical ailments and mental deformities. Not only women but the babies are also on the safe side.

But, even in Kodinhi, not all families give birth to twins. One of the old residents of the village, Sukumaran, claims that his family has not had a twin birth in the last two generations.

Once you reach the village, you will notice a large blue board that reads, "Welcome to God’s own Twins Village—Kodinhi”. This is because some people believe that the place is the most loved place of God and is blessed by him. As a result of the boon, the village is blessed with the highest number of twin children.

Well, not everything can be explained through science. Hence, the exact reason for the phenomenon remains hidden under the veil. History is unexplainable sometimes. This mysterious series of births takes place in this one-of-a-kind hamlet; for some, it's medical, and for others, it's a miracle. As, very well, in the words of Richard Branson, “Sometimes miracles come in pairs.”