In India, there’s a village called Kodinhi that is reported to have a whopping 240 pairs of twins born to just 2000 families. This is more than six times the global average and one of the highest twinning rates in the world. The village is popularly known as the “Twin Town of India.”
Kodinhi – The Twin Town Of India
India, the country which has a very low rate of twinning in the world, has one small village known as Kodinhi which far surpasses the world average of twins born in a year. Located in Kerala, this small village is situated 30 kilometres west of Malappuram and boasts a population of only 2,000 people.
Surrounded by backwaters, this nondescript village in South India is freaking out scientists all over the world. In its population of 2,000 lives, a stunning number of 240 pairs of twins and triplets, which equates to more than 483 individuals, reside in the village of Kodinhi. Scientists are trying to figure out the reason for this high twinning rate in this village but so far, they have not really succeeded.
The oldest twin pair that lives in the Kodinhi village today was born in 1949. This village has what is known as “The Twins and Kins Association.” It is actually an association of twins and is the first of its kind in the entire world.
The Eerie Facts Behind The Twin Town:
What’s really spooky about the whole thing is that women of the village who have been married off to faraway lands (we mean far away villages) have actually given birth to twins. Also, the reverse is true. Men who have come and started living in Kodinhi from other villages and married a girl from Kodinhi have been blessed with twins.
Is There Something In Their Diet?
The central African country of Benin has the highest national average of twinning, with a whopping 27.9 twins per 1,000 births. In the case of Benin, dietary factors have been seen to play a part in the super high rate.
The Yoruba tribe ― who live in Benin, Nigeria and other regions with high rates ― eat a very traditional diet, Business Insider reports. They eat large quantities of cassava, a vegetable similar to the yam, which has been suggested as a possible contributing factor.
For the last few decades, diet has been linked to the issues of twinning, and may contribute, though no specific and conclusive links have been found. This is also the case with the people of Twin Town, whose diet isn’t seen to vary much at all from surrounding areas with much lower rates.
The Twinning Phenomena Of Kodinhi Village Remain Unexplained To This Day
In this Twin Town, of every 1,000 births, 45 are twins. This is an extremely high rate compared to entire India’s average of 4 out of every 1,000 births. A local doctor named Krishnan Sribiju has studied the twinning phenomenon of the village for quite some time now and found out that the twinning rate in Kodinhi is actually increasing.
In the last five years alone up to 60 pairs of twins have been born ― with the rate of twins increasing year-on-year. Scientists have considered almost every factor, from their food to water to their marriage culture, that can possibly lead to a high rate of twins but failed to get a conclusive answer that properly explains the phenomenon in the Twin Town of Kodinhi.
Here’s Where Is The Twin Town Of Kodinhi Located In India
The village is situated around 35 kilometres south of Calicut and 30 kilometres west of Malappuram, the district headquarters. The village is surrounded by backwaters on all sides but one, which connects it to the town of Tirurangadi, in Malappuram district of Kerala.
