Kodinhi

Kodinhi is a village in Malappuram district in Kerala, India. The village is situated close to the town of Tirurangadi and, as of 2008, is home to around 2,000 families.Administered by the Nannambra panchayat, the village came to international attention for the unusually large number of multiple births in the region. The village is noted for having a high twinning rate although India has one of the lowest twinning rates in the world. The first association of twins in the country, The Twins and Kins Association, was also founded in the village.GeographyThe village is situated around 35km south of Calicut and 30km 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.Culture and demographicsAs of November 2008, the population of the village was estimated at roughly 2,000 families. A majority of the residents are Sunni Muslim, and follow the Shafi school of thought.Twin birthsThe village entered the international spotlight when a survey done by locals found an unusually large number of twin births in the region. A report by Indian Express Correspondent Mithosh Joseph had brought the attention of several people outside India to the attraction of the spot. Though initial estimates put the instance of multiple births at 100 pairs, follow-up surveys found the figure to be closer to 204 pairs (408 individuals) of twins, and two sets of triplets. Despite several studies being conducted, the exact cause of this phenomenon is yet to be ascertained. Women from Kodinhi married off to far away places are also known to give birth to twins. According to doctors this phenomenon is due to chemicals present in water in the Kodinhi area. According to locals, the oldest known twin pair in the village was born in 1949. The number of twin births in Kodinhi has been increasing over the years, with surveys showing over 79 pairs of twins within the age group of 0–10 years.