Malappuram district | |
|---|---|
  .jpeg)    Clockwise from top: Manjeri town, Biyyam backwater lake atPonnani, Conolly's plot atNilambur,Chamravattom Regulator-cum-Bridge,Kadalundi River estuary atVallikkunnu,Karuvarakundu | |
 Location inKerala | |
 | |
| Coordinates:11°02′N76°03′E / 11.03°N 76.05°E /11.03; 76.05 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Kerala |
| District formation | 16 June 1969; 56 years ago (1969-06-16) |
| Founded by | Government of Kerala |
| Headquarters | Malappuram |
| Sub-divisions | : |
| Government | |
| • Type | District administration |
| • District Collector | V.R. Vinod, IAS[2] |
| • District Police Chief | Viswanadh R, IPS[3] |
| Area | |
• District | 3,554 km2 (1,372 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 3rd |
| Highest elevation (Mukurthi) | 2,594 m (8,510 ft) |
| Population (2018) | |
• District | 4,494,998[1] |
| • Rank | 1st |
| • Density | 1,265/km2 (3,280/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 44.18%[4] |
| • Metro | 1,729,522[4] |
| Demographics | |
| • Sex ratio (2011) | 1098♀/1000♂[4] |
| • Literacy (2011) | 93.57%[4] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-KL |
| Vehicle registration | KL-10Malappuram, KL-53Perinthalmanna, KL-54Ponnani, KL-55Tirur, KL-65Tirurangadi, KL-71Nilambur, KL-84Kondotty |
| HDI(2005) |  0.749[5] ( High) · |
| Website | malappuram |
Malappuram district (Malayalam:[mɐlɐpːurɐm]ⓘ), is one of the14 districts in theIndian state ofKerala, with a coastline of 70 km (43 mi). The most populous district of Kerala, Malappuram is home to around 13% of the total population of the state. The district was formed on 16 June 1969, spanning an area of about 3,554 km2 (1,372 sq mi). It is the third-largest district of Kerala by area. It is bounded byWestern Ghats and theArabian Sea on either side. The district is divided into sevenTaluks:Eranad,Kondotty,Nilambur,Perinthalmanna,Ponnani,Tirur, andTirurangadi.
Malayalam is the most spoken language. The district has witnessed significant emigration, especially to theArab states of the Persian Gulf during theGulf Boom of the 1970s and early 1980s, and its economy depends significantly onremittances from a largeMalayali expatriate community.[6] Malappuram was the firste-literate as well as the first cyber literate district of India.[7][8] The district has four major rivers, namelyBharathappuzha,Chaliyar,Kadalundippuzha, andTirur Puzha, out of which the first three are also among thefive longest rivers in Kerala.
Malappuram metropolitan area is thefourth largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi, Calicut, and Thrissur urban areas and the25th largest in India with a total population of 1.7 million.[9] 44.2% of the district's population reside in the urban areas according to the 2011 census of India. Being home to4 universities in the state, including theUniversity of Calicut, Malappuram is a hub ofhigher education in Kerala. The district comprises 2revenue divisions, 7taluks, 12municipalities, 15blocks, 94Grama Panchayats, and 16Kerala Legislative Assembly constituencies in it.[10][11][12][13]
DuringBritish Raj,Malappuram became the headquarters of foreign and Indian troops and later of theMalabar Special Police (M.S.P), formerly known as Malappuram Special Force formed in 1885, which is also the oldest armed police battalion in the state.[14][15] The oldestTeak plantation in the world at Conolly's plot is situated atChaliyar valley inNilambur. The oldest Railway line in the state was laid fromTirur toChaliyam in 1861, passing throughTanur,Parappanangadi, andVallikkunnu.[16] The second railway line in the state was also laid in the same year from Tirur toKuttippuram viaTirunavaya.[16] TheNilambur–Shoranur line, also laid in the colonial era, is one among the shortest and picturesque Short Gauge Railway Lines in India.
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The term,Malappuram, which means "over the hill" inMalayalam, derives from geography ofMalappuram, the administrative headquarters of the district.[17][18] The midland area of district is characterised by several undulating hills such asArimbra hills,Amminikkadan hills,Oorakam Hill,Cheriyam hills,Pandalur hills, andChekkunnu hills, all of which lie away from theWestern Ghats.[19] However, the coconut-fringed sandy coastal plain is an exception for the general hilly nature.
The remains of pre-historic symbols includingDolmens,Menhirs, and Rock-cut caves have found from various parts of district.Rock-cut caves have found fromPuliyakkode,Thrikkulam,Oorakam,Melmuri,Ponmala,Vallikunnu, andVengara.[20] The ancient maritime port ofTyndis, which was then a centre of trade withAncient Rome, is roughly identified withPonnani,Tanur, andKadalundi-Vallikkunnu-Chaliyam-Beypore region. Tyndis was a major center of trade, next only to Muziris, between the Cheras and theRoman Empire.[21]Pliny the Elder (1st century CE) states that the port ofTyndis was located at the northwestern border ofKeprobotos (Chera dynasty).[22] The region, which lies north of the port atTyndis, was ruled by the kingdom ofEzhimala duringSangam period.[23] According to thePeriplus of the Erythraean Sea, a region known asLimyrike began atNaura andTyndis. However thePtolemy mentions onlyTyndis as theLimyrike's starting point. The region probably ended atKanyakumari; it thus roughly corresponds to the present-dayMalabar Coast. The value of Rome's annual trade with the region was estimated at around 50,000,000sesterces.[24]Pliny the Elder mentioned thatLimyrike was prone by pirates.[25] TheCosmas Indicopleustes mentioned that theLimyrike was a source of peppers.[26][27] The riverBharathappuzha (River Ponnani) had importance sinceSangam period (1st–4th century CE), due to the presence ofPalakkad Gap which connected theMalabar coast withCoromandel coast through inland.[28]
TheKurumathur inscription found nearAreekode dates back to 871 CE.[29] Three inscriptions written inOld Malayalam those date back to 932 CE, those were found fromTriprangode (nearTirunavaya),Kottakkal, andChaliyar, mention the name ofGoda Ravi ofChera dynasty.[30] TheTriprangode inscription states about the agreement ofThavanur.[30] Several inscriptions written inOld Malayalam those date back to the 10th century CE, have found fromSukapuram nearEdappal, which was one of the 64 oldNambudiri villages of Kerala.
Descriptions about the rulers ofEranad andValluvanad regions can be seen in theJewish copper plates of Bhaskara Ravi Varman (around 1000 CE) andViraraghava copper plates of Veera Raghava Chakravarthy (around 1225 CE).[20] TheZamorin of Calicut originally belonged toNediyiruppu atKondotty inEranad before he shifted his seat to the neighbouringKozhikode.[31] Eranad was ruled by aSamanthan clan known asEradis, similar to theVellodis of neighbouringValluvanad andNedungadis ofNedunganad.[31] The rulers of Eranad were known by the titleEralppad/Eradi.[31] It was the ruler ofEranad (Eradi ofNediyiruppu) who established the kingdom of Calicut and developedKozhikode as a major port city in theMalabar Coast.[31] Just after that, the rulers ofParappanad (Parappanangadi) and theVettathunadu (Tanur) became vassals of Zamorin. TheParappanad royal family is a cousin dynasty ofTravancore royal family.[31] Besides, a larger portion ofValluvanad Kovilakams (Nilambur, Manjeri, Malappuram, Kottakkal, and Ponnani) also became vassals of the Zamorin.[31]
The original headquarters of thePerumbadappu Swaroopam, who later became theKingdom of Cochin, was at Chithrakoodam in Vanneri,Perumpadappu, which is located 10 km south toPuthuponnani, inPonnani taluk.[31] When Perumpadappu came under the kingdom of theZamorin of Calicut, the rulers of Perumpadappu fled toKodungallur, and later they moved toKochi, where they established theKingdom of Cochin.[31] By 1250–1300 CE, almost whole of the district came under the rule of Zamorin.[31][20]
TheMamankam festival, which had a special political importance in the medieval Kerala, was held atTirunavaya, which lies on the northern bank of the riverBharathappuzha, in the district.[31] The rivalry that existed between theNambudiris in theNambudiri villages ofPanniyoor andChowwara (Sukapuram) was also of great political importance in medieval Kerala.[31]Panniyoor is situated opposite toKuttippuram town whileSukapuram lies inEdappal. The Zamorins found themselves intervened in the so-calledKoormatsaram between Nambudiris of Panniyurkur and Chovvarakur. In the most recent event, the Thirumanasseri Nambudiri had assaulted and burned the nearby rival village. The rulers of Valluvanadu andPerumpadappu came to help the Chovvaram and raided Panniyur simultaneously. Thirumanasseri Nadu was overran by its neighbours on south and east. The Thirumanasseri Nambudiri appealed to the Zamorin for help, and promised to cede the port ofPonnani, where the riverBharathappuzha merges withArabian Sea, to Zamorin as the price for his protection. Thirumanassery Nambudiri, the Koya of Kozhikode, and ruler ofVettathunadu supported the Zamorin. Zamorin, looking for such an opportunity, gladly accepted the offer.[32] In his military campaigns into Valluvanadu, the Zamorin received unambiguous assistance from the Muslim Middle Eastern sailors ofBeypore,Chaliyam,Tanur, andKodungallur, and the Koya of Kozhikode.[33] As a reward by the Zamorin, the port atPonnani became an important trade and cultural centre of middle eastern sailors. It seems that the Muslim judge of Kozhikode offered all help in "money and material" to the Samoothiri to strike atTirunavaya.[32] The Zamorin continued his conquest to Valluvanadu and conquered the regions ofKottakkal,Malappuram,Manjeri, andNilambur. It was thus thatPerumpadappu and a larger portion ofValluvanad came under the rule of Zamorin. Thus Zamorin became theRaksha Purusha of Mamankam, and the ruler ofTirunavaya, neighbouringTriprangode, andPonnani.[31]
Under the Zamorin, the regions included in the district emerged as major centres of foreign maritime trade in medieval Kerala. The Zamorin earned a greater part of his revenue by taxing the spice trade through his ports. Major ports in the kingdom of Zamorin includedParappanangadi,Tanur, andPonnani.[34][35]Parappanangadi (Barburankad),Tirurangadi (Tiruwarankad),Tanur, andPonnani (Funan) were also important among the trade settlements under the rule of the Zamorin, according to the 16th-century historical workTuhfat Ul Mujahideen.[36]Thrikkavil Kovilakam inPonnani served as a second home for Zamorin. Ponnani acted as the naval headquarters of his kingdom.[34]Malappuram was the headquarters ofPara Nambi, who was a local chieftain of the Zamorin.[37] OtherKovilakams of Zamorin included theKizhakke Kovilakam atKottakkal,Manjeri Kovilakam atManjeri,[38] andNilambur Kovilakam atNilambur.Parappanad Kovilakam atParappanangadi andTanur Kovilakam atTanur were vassal royal houses of the Zamorin. However theMankada Kovilakam atMankada nearAngadipuram was the seat of ruling family of theValluvanad Rajas.Azhvanchery Mana, which was the headquarters ofAzhvanchery Thamprakkal, who was the supreme head of theNambudiriBrahmins of Kerala, is located atAthavanad nearKuttippuram, inTirur Taluk.Azhvanchery Thamprakkal and the lord ofKalpakanchery inKingdom of Tanur were usually present at theAriyittu Vazhcha (Coronation) of a new Zamorin.[38] TheArabs had the monopoly of trade in the early Middle Ages.[38] The original headquarters of thePalakkad Rajas were also atAthavanad.[39]
The squadron ofVasco da Gama leftPortugal in 1497, rounded the Cape and continued along the coast of East Africa, where a local pilot was brought on board who guided them across theIndian Ocean, reachingCalicut in May 1498.[40] At the time of the arrival ofVasco da Gama and his Portuguese fleet at Calicut, the Zamorin of Calicut was residing at Ponnani.[41] The Zamorin had provided the Portuguese all facilities for trade.[20] However, the Portuguese provocations on theArab properties led to a conflict between the Zamorin and the Portuguese. Furthermore,Ponnani, which was the second headquarters of the Zamorin, was an important target of the Portuguese.[20] The ruler of theKingdom of Tanur, who was a vassal to theZamorin of Calicut, sided with the Portuguese, against his overlord atKozhikode.[31] As a result, theKingdom of Tanur (Vettathunadu) became one of the earliest Portuguese Colonies in India. The ruler ofTanur also sided withCochin.[31] Many of the members of the royal family of Cochin in 16th and 17th centuries were selected fromVettom.[31] However, theTanur forces under the king fought for the Zamorin of Calicut in theBattle of Cochin (1504).[42] However, the allegiance of theMappila merchants inTanur region still stayed under theZamorin of Calicut.[36]Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, who is considered as the father of modernMalayalam literature, was born atTirur (Vettathunadu) during Portuguese period.[31] The medievalKerala school of astronomy and mathematics that flourished between the 14th and 16th centuries, was also primarily based inVettathunadu (Tirur region).[43][44]
In 1507, the Portuguese ViceroyFrancisco de Almeida raided Ponnani and started building a fortress there in 1585.[20] The district witnessed several battles between Kozhikode naval chiefs, known as theKunhali Marakkars, and the Portuguese for the monopoly in spice trade. The Kunjali Marakkars are credited with organizing the first naval defense of the Indian coast.[45][46]Tanur town was one of the earliest Portuguese colonies in the Indian subcontinent. The towns ofPonnani andParappanangadi were burnt by the Portuguese in the years 1525 and 1573–74 respectively.[34] Some of the kings ofKingdom of Cochin in the 16th century CE, when Cochin became a major power on the Malabar coast, were usually selected from the royal family ofKingdom of Tanur.[31] Portuguese were expelled fromKingdom of Tanur with the Battle atChaliyam fort of 1571.Chaliyam was the northern border ofVettathunadu. During that battle, the Zamorin received unambiguous assistance from theMappilas ofPonnani,Tanur, andParappanangadi.
TheTuhfat Ul Mujahideen written byZainuddin Makhdoom II (born around 1532) in Ponnani during 16th-century CE is the first-ever known book fully based on the history of Kerala, written by a Keralite. It is written inArabic and contains pieces of information about the resistance put up by the navy ofKunjali Marakkar alongside the Zamorin of Calicut from 1498 to 1583 against Portuguese attempts to colonizeMalabar coast.[47] It was first printed and published inLisbon. A copy of this edition has been preserved in the library ofAl-Azhar University,Cairo.[48][49][50] In 1532 with the help of the ruler ofTanur, a chapel was built atChaliyam, together with a house for the commander, barracks for the soldiers, and store-houses for trade. Diego de Pereira, who had negotiated the treaty with the Zamorin, was left in command of this new fortress, with a garrison of 250 men; and Manuel de Sousa had orders to secure its safety by sea, with a squadron of twenty-two vessels.[51] The Zamorin soon repented of having allowed this fort to be built in his dominions, and used ineffectual endeavours to induce the ruler ofParappanangadi, Caramanlii (King ofBeypore?) (Some records say that the ruler of Tanur was also with them[51]) to break with the Portuguese, even going to war against them.[36] In 1571, the Portuguese were defeated by the Zamorin forces in thebattle at Chaliyam Fort.[52] The continuous wars led by the Portuguese on one side and the Zamorin who had the support of theArab merchants, and the localChekor andMappila forces on the other side, ultimately led to the decline ofArab monopoly of foreign trade in the coastal towns. Unmindful of Portuguese opposition, the Zamorin entered into a treaty with the Dutch East India Company on 11 November 1604.[20] This was followed by another treaty in 1608, which confirmed the earlier treaty and the Dutch assured assistance to Zamorin in expelling the Portuguese.[20] The rise of the Dutch monopoly caused the Portuguese dominance also to decline. The cultural renaissance followed by the unrest of the 16th century produced the poets such asThunchaththu Ezhuthachan andPoonthanam Nambudiri, who were instrumental in the development ofMalayalam literature into the current form, andMelpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, who was also a member of the medievalKerala school of astronomy and mathematics.
By the middle of the 17th century, the Dutch had monopoly of foreign trade in the ports of Kerala, except for small English factories atPonnani andKozhikode.[20] Though the arrival ofWilliam Keeling in 1650 was a beginning for the monopoly of the BritishEast India Company in the region, they weren't able to establish supremacy until 1792.[20] During the 18th century, thede factoMysore kingdom rulersHyder Ali andTipu Sultan unified all smaller feudal states in theNorthern Kerala and they were made part of theKingdom of Mysore. For a short span of time in 1766,Manjeri was the headquarters of SultanHyder Ali.[53] When theSamutiri Kovilakam at Calicut was besieged by theMysore SultanHaidar 'Ali (18th century AD), the Zamorin sent his family members toThrikkavil Kovilakam at Ponnani.[54] TheBattle of Tirurangadi was a series of engagements that took place between the British army and Tipu Sultan between 7 and 12 December 1790 atTirurangadi, during theThird Anglo-Mysore War.[55] In 1792, Tipu Sultan was defeated by English East India Company through Third Anglo-Mysore War, and theTreaty of Seringapatam was agreed. As per this treaty, most of theMalabar Region, including the present-day Malappuram district, was integrated into the English East India Company. TheKoyi Thampurans ofTravancore belongs toParappanad Royal Family. It was from this family that the consorts of the Rani'sTravancore family were usually selected.[53] The oldest teak plantation of the world at Conolly's plot is just 2 km (1.2 mi) fromNilambur town. It was named in memory ofHenry Valentine Conolly, the then district collector of Malabar.[56] The first railway line in the state started its function fromTirur toChaliyam on 12 March 1861, with the oldest railway station atTirur.[57][16]
The district was the venue for many of the Mappila revolts (uprisings against the British East India Company in Kerala) between 1792 and 1921. It is estimated that there were about 830 riots, large and small, during this period. During 1841–1921 there were more than 86 revolts against the British officials alone.[58] The district was included in the subdistricts of Eranad, Valluvanad, and Ponnani inSouth Malabar during the British rule. TheMalabar Special Police was headquartered atMalappuram. MSP is also the oldest armed police battalion in the state. The British had established HaigBarracks on the top of Malappuram city, at the bank of theKadalundi River, to station their forces.[59]
The Malabar district political conference ofIndian National Congress held atManjeri on 28 April 1920 strengthenedIndian independence movement and national movement inBritish Malabar.[60] That conference declared that theMontagu–Chelmsford Reforms were not able to satisfy the needs ofBritish India. It also argued for land reform to seek solutions for the problems caused by the tenancy that existed in Malabar. However, the decision widened the drift betweenextremists and moderates within the Congress. The conference resulted in the dissatisfaction of landlords with the Indian National Congress. It caused the leadership of the Malabar district Congress Committee to come under the control of the extremists who stood for labourers and the middle class.[31]
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Malabar Rebellion was the last and important among the revolts. TheBattle of Pookkottur adorns an important role in the rebellion.[61][62] After the army, police, and British authorities fled, declaration of independence took place over 200 villages inEranad,Valluvanad,Ponnani, andKozhikode taluks by 28 August 1921.[63] However less than six months after the declaration of autonomy, the East India Company reclaimed the territory and annexed it to theBritish Raj. TheWagon tragedy took place following the Malabar rebellion, where 64 prisoners died on 20 November 1921.[64]
The erstwhileMadras presidency becameMadras State following theindependence of India in 1947. Malappuram revenue division was one of the five revenue divisions in the erstwhileMalabar District with the jurisdiction of Eranad (Manjeri) and Valluvanad (Perinthalmanna) Taluks. The other four revenue divisions in the Malabar district wereThalassery,Kozhikode,Palakkad, andFort Cochin.[65] On 1 November 1956, the state ofKerala was formed on linguistic basis. The district of Malappuram was formed with four subdistricts (Eranad, Perinthalmanna, Tirur, and Ponnani), four towns, fourteen developmental blocks, and 95Gram panchayats at the time.[66] Later, Tirur Taluk was bifurcated to form Tirurangadi Taluk, and Eranad Taluk was trifurcated to form two more Taluks namely Nilambur and Kondotty. TheUniversity of Calicut, which is also the second-oldest existing university in Kerala, and theCalicut International Airport, which is also the second-oldest existing airport in the state, started functioning atTenhipalam andKaripur, in the years 1968 and 1988, respectively.[67] In the 1970s, the oil reserves in thePersian Gulf countries were opened to commercial extraction and thousands of unskilled workers migrated to the gulf. They sent money home, supporting the rural economy, and by the late 20th century, the region attainedFirst World health standards and near-universal literacy.[68]
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Bounded byKozhikode district to the northwest,Wayanad district to the northeast,Nilgiri hills to the east,Palakkad district to the southeast,Thrissur district to the southwest, andArabian Sea to the west, Malappuram has a total geographical area of 3,554 km2, which ranks third in the state in terms of area. The district possesses 9.15% of the total area of the state. The district is located at 75°E – 77°E longitude and 10°N – 12°N latitude on the geographical map. Similar to other parts of Kerala, Malappuram also has a coastal area (lowland) bounded byArabian Sea on the west, a midland at the centre, and a hilly area (highland), bounded byWestern Ghats on the east. Unlike other districts of Kerala, hilly areas are widely seen in the midland area too. The 2,554 m highMukurthi peak, which is situated in the border ofNilambur Taluk andOoty Taluk, and is also the fifth-highest peak inSouth India as well as the third-highest in Kerala afterAnamudi (2,696 m) andMeesapulimala (2,651 m), is the highest point of elevation in Malappuram district. It is also the highest peak in Kerala outside theIdukki district. The 2,383 highAnginda peak, which is located closer to Malappuram-Palakkad-Nilgiris district border is the second-highest peak.Vavul Mala, a 2,339 m high peak situated on the trijunction ofNilambur Taluk of Malappuram,Wayanad, andThamarassery Taluk ofKozhikode districts, is the third-highest point of elevation in the district.
Malappuram district shares its border with the following 12 Taluks of 5 districts.
On the basis of topography, geology, soils, climate, and natural vegetation, the district is divided into 5 sub-micro regions:
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The Malappuram coast lies all along the coastal tract of Malappuram fromVallikkunnu at the north toPerumpadappu at the south. It makes its boundaries with the Kozhikode coast to the north, Malappuram undulating plain to the east, the Thrissur coast to the south, and theLakshadweep Sea to the west. The region is drained by the major rivers like Chaliyar, Kadalundi, Bharathappuzha, Tirurpuzha, etc. canals and backwaters. The region is coconut-fringed. The coastal plain slopes towards the west very gently.[69] The major towns includingPonnani,Edappal,Tirur,Valanchery,Kuttippuram,Tanur,Tirurangadi, andParappanangadi lies in this region. The maximum height of this region is located atKalpakanchery village (104 m) in Tirur Taluk.[69]
The Malappuram undulating plain, lying parallel to the coast, makes it boundaries withNadapuram-Mavur undulating plains to the north,Chaliyar river basin, and Perinthalmanna undulating uplands to the east,Pattambi undulating plain to the south and Malappuram coast to the west. Nenmini hill (478 m) at Kannamangalam is the highest point and theVazhayur in the northern part (95 m) is the lowest in the region. A few hills and slopes are seen here.[69]
The Chaliyar River Basin makes its boundaries by Nilambur forested hills to its north and east, Perinthalmanna undulating uplands to the south, and Malappuram undulating plain to its east. It falls under the middle course ofChaliyar and has ups and downs in the form of isolated hills.[69]
The Nilambur forested hills, also referred to as theNilambur valley in colonial records, make its boundary with Kozhikode forested hills and Wayanad forested hills to the north,Tamil Nadu to the east,Mannarkad-Palakkad forested hills to the south, and the Chaliyar river basin to the west. It is a part of the Western Ghats. Several peaks having an elevation of more than 1000m from the sea level are seen here.[69] The highest altitude of this region is atMukurthi (2594 m), which lies east of theKarimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary on the border of Kerala with Tamil Nadu. The lowest point is located atMampad (115 m).[69] The hilly forested area of Nilambur forms a part of theNilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
The Perinthalmanna undulating uplands make its boundary with Chaliyar river basin to the north, Mannarkad-Palakkad forested hills to the east,Palakkad Gap to the south, and Malappuram undulating plain to the west. A number of small isolated hills are seen here.Kodikuthimala is one among them. TheKadalundi River drains this region. The maximum height of the region is 610 m atMakkaraparamba.[69]
Malappuram ranks fifth in the length of coastline among the districts of Kerala having a coastline of 70 km (11.87% of the total coastline of the state).[70] The coastal belt of Malappuram lies in three municipal towns, namelyTanur,Ponnani, andParappanangadi, and eightGram panchayats namelyVallikkunnu,Tanalur,Niramaruthur,Vettom,Mangalam,Purathur,Veliyankode, andPerumbadappu. Ponnani, Tanur, Parappanangadi, andPadinjarekkara Beach, all of which lie in the western part of the district, are the major fishing centres. The sea coast of the district is filled with marine wealth.[69] Apart from being a favourite destination of the Arab traders earlier, Ponnani was also a captivating destination for manyMuslim spiritual leaders, who were instrumental in the propagation ofIslam here. The port city is also known asThe Little Mecca of Malabar as well asThe City ofGold coins.[71][72] During the months of February/April, thousands of migratory birds arrive here. Located close to Ponnani is Biyyam Kayal, a placid, green-fringed waterway with a water sports facility. TheConolly Canal meets withArabian Sea atPuthuponnani. The coastal town of Tanur was the capital of theKingdom of Vettathunad in the early medieval period, and is known forKeraladeshpuram Temple. Parappanangadi was the seat of the ruling families ofParappanad kingdom in the early medieval period.
Major rivers flowing through the district areChaliyar,Kadalundi River,Bharathappuzha, andTirur River. Chaliyar has a total length of about 168 km. and a drainage area of 2,818 km2 (1,088 sq mi). It passes throughNilambur,Mampad,Edavanna,Areekode, andVazhakkad in district and then flows through Kozhikode-Malappuram district border and empties itself into the Arabian Sea atChaliyam. Several larger and smaller tributaries of Chaliyar are there in the valley ofNilambur Taluk.[69][73]Karimpuzha, the largest tributary of Chaliyar, andThuthapuzha, one of the largest tributaries of Bharathappuzha, and Olipuzha, one of the largest tributaries of the Kadalundi River, also flow through district. Kadalundi River passes throughMelattur,Keezhattur,Pandikkad,Manjeri,Malappuram,Panakkad,Parappur,Vengara,Tirurangadi,Parappanangadi,Vallikkunnu, and empties itself into Arabian Sea at Kadalundi Nagaram inVallikkunnu on the northwestern border of the district. It is formed by the confluence of the Olippuzha River and the Veliyar River. The Kadalundi River originates from theWestern Ghats at the western border of theSilent Valley and flows through the district. Olippuzha and Veliyar merge to form Kadalundi River inKeezhattur. Kadalundi River passes throughEranad andValluvanad regions. It has a length of 130 km, with a catchment area of 1,114 km2 (430 sq mi) and a total runoff of 2189 million cubic feet.[69][73] Bharathappuzha has a total length of 209 km. It flows as its tributaryThuthapuzha River through Thootha,Elamkulam,Pulamanthole in Malappuram-Palakkad district border, and joins the main river at Pallippuram. Then it again reaches the district fromThiruvegappura reaching atKuttippuram after flowing through some neighbouring districts. Then it entirely flows through the district. Bharathappuzha empties itself into theArabian Sea atPonnani.Tirunavaya,Kuttippuram,Triprangode,Irimbiliyam,Thavanur, andPonnani are some important towns on the bank of Bharathappuzha.[69][73] Tirur River is 48 km long. It joins with Bharathappuzha atPadinjarekara near Ponnani.[69][73] Besides these large rivers, the district has a small river called Purapparamba River, which is just 8 km long. It is connected to major rivers viaConolly Canal.[69][73] Several larger and smaller tributaries and streams of the major rivers described above also flows through the district.
Four estuaries are there –Padinjarekara Azhimukham atPurathur where the rivers Bharathappuzha and Tirur River merge to join Arabian Sea,Puthuponnani promontary where Conolly Canal flows into the sea,Purappuzha Azhimukham atTanur, andKadalundi Nagaram Azhimukham atVallikkunnu in the northwestern border of the district.[69][73] The backwaters like Biyyam, Veliyankode, Manur, and Kodinhi, lie in the coastal Taluks.[69][73] Ponnani Canal was constructed for the transportation of goods from Ponnani toTirur railway station duringBritish Raj. Here is a description about the Ponnani Canal byBasel Mission employees atKodakkal.[74]
...nowadays a steamship travels between Ponnani and Tirur through the Canal, where the most convenient railway station for Ponnani is to be found. The ticket costs only 4 annas, although the distance is 10 km...
The temperature of the district is almost steady throughout the year. It has a tropical climate. It gets significant rainfall in most of the months, with a short dry season. According to Köppen and Geiger, this climate is classified as Am. The average annual temperature in Malappuram is 27.3 °C. In a year, the average rainfall is 2,952 millimetres (116.2 in). Summer usually runs from March until May; themonsoon begins in June and ends in September. Malappuram receives both southwest and northeast monsoons. Winter is from December to February.[75]
| Climate data for Malappuram | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.0 (89.6) | 32.9 (91.2) | 34.0 (93.2) | 33.8 (92.8) | 32.7 (90.9) | 29.3 (84.7) | 28.1 (82.6) | 28.7 (83.7) | 29.7 (85.5) | 30.3 (86.5) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.4 (88.5) | 34.0 (93.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.8 (71.2) | 22.8 (73.0) | 24.4 (75.9) | 25.4 (77.7) | 25.1 (77.2) | 23.5 (74.3) | 22.8 (73.0) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.1 (73.6) | 21.9 (71.4) | 21.8 (71.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 1 (0.0) | 9 (0.4) | 16 (0.6) | 101 (4.0) | 253 (10.0) | 666 (26.2) | 830 (32.7) | 398 (15.7) | 233 (9.2) | 281 (11.1) | 140 (5.5) | 24 (0.9) | 2,952 (116.2) |
| Source:[76] | |||||||||||||
The district contains a diverse wildlife and a number of small hills, forests, rivers, and streams flowing to the west,backwaters andpaddy,areca nut,cashew nut,pepper,ginger,pulses,coconut,banana,tapioca,tea, andrubber plantations. Conolly's plot, the world's oldestteak plantation, is located atNilambur. Nilambur is also known forTeak Museum.Bamboo trees are widely seen near to the Nilambur Teak Plantations. A bioresource natural park is associated with the Teak Museum. In the old administrative records of theMadras Presidency, it is recorded that the most remarkable plantation owned by Government in the erstwhileMadras Presidency was the Teak plantation atNilambur planted in 1844.[77]
Out of the 3,554 km2 area of district, 1,034 km2 (399 sq mi) (29%) constitutes forest area. It may be denser or less dense.[78] The northeastern part of district has a vast forest area of 758.87 km2 (293.00 sq mi). In this, 325.33 km2 (125.61 sq mi) is reserved forests and the rest is vested forests. Of these, 80% isdeciduous whereas the rest isevergreen. The forest area is mainly concentrated in Nilambur subdistrict, which shares its boundary with the hilly district ofWayanad,Western Ghats, and the hilly areas (Nilgiris) ofTamil Nadu. Trees liketeak,rosewood, andmahogany are seen in Nilambur forest area. Bamboo hills are widely seen in the forest. Karimpuzha wildlife sanctuary in the district is the largest wildlife sanctuary in the state.[79][80] TheNew Amarambalam Reserved Forest, which is a part of theKarimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary, has a variety of fauna. A variety of animals including elephants, deer, tigers, monkeys, bears, boars, rabbits, birds, and reptiles are found in forests. Forest products like honey, medicinal herbs, and spices are also collected from here. Nedumkayam Rainforest also exists in the Nilambur valley. Forests are protected by two divisions- Nilambur north and Nilambur south. TheKerala Forest Research Institute has a subcentre at Nilambur. Important types of fish found in the coastal and inland areas of the district includePrawn,Oil Sardine,Silver belly,Shark,Catfish,Mackerel,Skate, Chemba, Soll fish,Seer fish, andRibbonfish.[69]
Nilambur Teak is the first forest produce to get its ownGI tag.[81]Tirur Vettila, a type ofBetel found inTirur, has also obtainedGI tag.[82] About 50 Acre ofMangroves forest is found inVallikkunnu, located in coastal area of the district.Mangroves are widely seen in the other coastal regions too.Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary lies inVallikkunnu Grama Panchayat of the district.[83] Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu community reserve is the firstcommunity reserve in Kerala. It has now been declared as an eco-tourism centre.[84] A bird sanctuary at Padinjarekkara estuary inPurathur was proposed in 2010.[85]Tirunavaya is known for its lotus fields.[86]
The headquarters of the district administration, the Collectorate is located at Uphill,Malappuram. The district administration is headed by theDistrict collector. He is assisted by five deputy collectors with responsibility for general matters, land acquisition, revenue recovery, land reforms, and elections. Additional District Magistrate in the rank of Deputy Collector (General) provides support to District Collector in all the administrative activities.[87]
Malappuram revenue district has two divisions- Tirur and Perinthalmanna. The district is further divided into 138 villages which together form 7 subdistricts (taluks).[88][89]
There are two revenue divisions in the district:Perinthalmanna andTirur. The subdistricts ofPonnani,Tirur,Tirurangadi, andKondotty are included in the Tirur revenue division whereas the remainingNilambur,Eranad andPerinthalmanna combine to form the Perinthalmanna revenue division. The revenue divisional office is headed by a Revenue Divisional Officer /Sub Collector (RDO), who is also thesub-divisional magistrate of the revenue division. The revenue divisional offices are atTirur andPerinthalmanna respectively.
A taluk (sub-district) is an administrative division within a district. There are 7 taluks in Malappuram district, and each taluk is headed by aTahsildar, who is responsible for land revenue administration and executive magisterial functions.Nilambur is the largest subdistrict (Taluk) in Kerala.Ponnani,Tirur, andTirurangadi subdistricts lie in the coastal region.Perinthalmanna,Eranad, andKondotty lie in midland whereas theNilambur subdistrict lies on the high range. Besides the Civil Station at Malappuram to coordinate the district-level administration, there are Mini-Civil Stations atManjeri,Nilambur,Perinthalmanna,Tirurangadi,Tanur,Tirur,Kuttippuram, andPonnani to coordinate theTaluk-level administrative activities.[90]
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| Subdistrict (Taluk) | Area (in km2) | Total population (2011) | Villages | Urbanisation (2011) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponnani | 200 | 379,798 | 11 | 57.36% |
| Tirur | 448 | 928,672 | 30 | 48.73% |
| Tirurangadi | 290* | 631,906 | 17 | 90.40% |
| Kondotty | 258* | 410,577 | 12 | 43.10% |
| Eranad | 491* | 581,512 | 23 | 37.93% |
| Perinthalmanna | 506 | 606,396 | 24 | 21.73% |
| Nilambur | 1,343 | 574,059 | 21 | 8.08% |
| Sources:2011 Census of India,[91] Official website of Malappuram district[92] | ||||
Revenue villages are the subdivision of the taluks, and is the lowest institution of revenue administration of the district. Each taluk consists several villages in its jurisdiction. There are 138 revenue villages in the Malappuram district. The revenue villages are further divided into desoms for land revenue matters.
TheDistrict Planning Committee of Malappuram consists of two members from municipalities, 10 members from the District Panchayat, and one Panchayat-nominated member besides a chairman and a Secretary. The chairman post is reserved for a District Panchayat ex-officio and the secretary post for a District Collector ex-officio.[93]
The judicial headquarters of the district is atManjeri. 24 courts function under Manjeri judicial district including Manjeri,Malappuram,Tirur,Perinthalmanna,Parappanangadi,Ponnani, andNilambur.[94]After the establishment of Malappuram District on June 16, 1969, a District Court commenced operations in Kozhikode on May 25, 1970. Subsequently, on February 1, 1974, the court was relocated to the Manjeri Court Complex.
Within the Manjeri Judicial District, there are currently 24 functioning courts distributed across various locations in the district, including Manjeri, Malappuram, Tirur,Perinthalmanna, Parappanagadi, Ponnani, Tirur, and Nilambur. The judicial headquarters of Malappuram is situated in Manjeri.
The district has three Additional District and Sessions Courts, twoFamily Courts (one in Malappuram and the other in Tirur), as well as two Motor Accidents Claims Tribunals (one inManjeri and the other in Tirur). Furthermore, there are two Sub Courts—one inManjeri and the other inTirur. The district also accommodates two Munsiff Magistrate Courts, with one in Ponnani and the other in Perinthalmanna. Lastly, there are nineJudicial First Class Magistrate Courts functioning in Malappuram District.
The Malappuram District Police, apolice district ofKerala Police, is entrusted with law enforcement and investigations within the district. The District Police Office is situated inMalappuram, and headed by aDistrict Police Chief (DPC) with the rank ofSuperintendent of Police (SP). There are six police sub-divisions and 36 police stations in the Malappuram district. The headquarters of these police sub-divisions are located in the following areas:Malappuram,Kondotty,Perinthalmanna,Tirur,Tanur, andNilambur. Each police sub-division is headed by aDeputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), and each police station is overseen by aStation House Officer (SHO) with the rank ofInspector of Police.
Malappuram Police District, along with Palakkad, Thrissur City, and Thrissur rural police districts, comes under the jurisdiction ofThrissur Range Police.[95] The District Police Office, District Special Branch, District Crime Records Bureau, District 'C' Branch, Narcotic Cell, District Police Control Room, Cyber Cell, Women Cell, and Telecommunication Unit are atMalappuram. The coastal police station is atPonnani whereas the District Armed Reserve Camp is situated at Padinhattummuri. The Traffic Enforcement Units of Malappuram police are centered at Malappuram, Manjeri,Kondotty, Perinthalmanna, and Tirur.[96]
The headquarters ofMalabar Special Police (formed in 1884), an armed police battalion underKerala Police, is atMalappuram. It is also the oldest armed police battalion in the state.[94] It assists the civil police in crowd control, internal security, riot control, and VIP security. It is also deployed outside the state when required.[97]
Local self-government institutions are divided into two categories: Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats (Rural local bodies).
The district has 12 municipalities established to administer urban areas (statutory towns). Each municipality has its own elected council and is responsible for local governance, urban planning, and providing essential services within its respective jurisdiction. A chairperson and vice chairperson, elected by the councilors, heads each municipality. These municipalities are divided into 505 wards, from each of which a councilor is elected for a term of five years.[98][99][100]
| Municipality[101] | Wards[102] | Population (2011)[103] | Chairperson[104] | Political Party | Pre-poll Alliance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manjeri | 53 | 97,102 | Abdul Majeed V | IUML | UDF |
| 2 | Ponnani | 53 | 90,491 | C.V. Sudha | CPI(M) | LDF |
| 3 | Parappanangadi | 46 | 71,239 | Subaida Teacher | IUML | UDF |
| 4 | Tanur | 45 | 69,534 | Nasla Basheer | IUML | UDF |
| 5 | Malappuram | 45 | 68,088 | V. Rinisha | IUML | UDF |
| 6 | Kondotty | 41 | 59,256 | U.K. Mammathissa | IUML | UDF |
| 7 | Tirurangadi | 40 | 56,632 | Habeeba Basheer | IUML | UDF |
| 8 | Tirur | 40 | 56,058 | Ibrahim Haji Keezhedath | IUML | UDF |
| 9 | Perinthalmanna | 37 | 49,723 | Surayya Farooque | IUML | UDF |
| 10 | Kottakkal | 35 | 48,342 | K.K. Nasar | IUML | UDF |
| 11 | Nilambur | 36 | 46,342 | Padmini Gopinath | INC | UDF |
| 12 | Valanchery | 34 | 44,437 | Haseena Vattoli | IUML | UDF |
| Rank | Taluk | Pop. | Rank | Taluk | Pop. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manjeri | Eranad | 97,102 | 11 | Nilambur | Nilambur | 46,342 | ||
| 2 | Ponnani | Ponnani | 90,491 | 12 | Valanchery | Tirur | 44,437 | ||
| 3 | Parappanangadi | Tirurangadi | 71,239 | ||||||
| 4 | Tanur | Tirur | 69,534 | ||||||
| 5 | Malappuram | Eranad | 68,088 | ||||||
| 6 | Kondotty | Kondotty | 59,256 | ||||||
| 7 | Tirurangadi | Tirurangadi | 56,632 | ||||||
| 8 | Tirur | Tirur | 56,058 | ||||||
| 9 | Perinthalmanna | Perinthalmanna | 49,723 | ||||||
| 10 | Kottakkal | Tirur | 48,342 | ||||||
Malappuram District Panchayat serves as the apex body for rural governance in the Malappuram district. The District Panchayat has 33 divisions, with members elected from each division.[106] The jurisdiction of the District Panchayat covers all Gram Panchayats within the district, excluding municipal areas. The District Panchayat is headed by a President and a Vice President, elected by the members, and has five standing committees for development, health and education, public works, welfare, and finance.[107]
For block level governance,There are 15Block panchayats in the district. These Block Panchayats are further divided into 250 wards, each represented by an elected member. Each Block Panchayat is headed by a President and a Vice President, elected by the members. In the2025 local elections, theUDF won 14 of the 15 Block Panchayats, while theLDF won one, the Ponnani Block Panchayat.[108]
The rural district is divided into 94 Gram Panchayats which are included in 15 blocks namely Areekode, Kalikavu, Kondotty,Kuttippuram, Malappuram, Mankada, Nilambur, Perinthalmanna, Perumpadappu, Ponnani, Tanur, Tirur, Tirurangadi, Vengara, and Wandoor.[109] These blocks combine to form the Malappuram District Panchayat, which is the apex district body of rural governance. Out of the 33 divisions of the District Panchayat, the UDF won all 33 seats in the2025 elections, while the LDF won none, leaving no opposition.[110] Malappuram District Panchayat is the largest district Panchayat as well as the largest local body in the state. The 94 Gram Panchayats are again divided into 2001 wards.[111]Census towns (small towns with urban features) also come under the jurisdiction of Gram Panchayats. Though the draft notifications for the formation of new Gram Panchayats namelyAnamangad,Ananthavoor,Arakkuparamba,Ariyallur,Chembrassery,Elankur,Karipur, Kootayi, Kurumbalangode,Marutha,Pang,Vaniyambalam, and Velimukku were published in 2015, they are yet to be formed.[112] With their formation, the number of Gram Panchayats in the district will become 106.
For the representation of Malappuram inKerala Legislative Assembly, there are 16 legislative assembly constituencies in district. These are included in 3 Lok Sabha constituencies. Malappuram has the highest number of assembly constituencies in state. Of these,Eranad,Nilambur andWandoor assembly constituencies together form a part ofWayanad (Lok Sabha constituency), whereasTirurangadi,Tanur,Tirur,Kottakkal,Thavanur andPonnani are included inPonnani (Lok Sabha constituency). The remaining seven assembly constituencies together formMalappuram (Lok Sabha constituency).[89][115]16 out of the 140 members for theKerala Legislative Assembly are elected from the district.[116] In the2021 elections,UDF won 12 of them, while theLDF bagged the remaining seats.
Malappuram district has two Lok Sabha constituencies:Malappuram andPonnani. The district also has a small part ofWayanad Lok Sabha constituency.[117]
P. V. Abdul Wahab, a Member of Parliament in theRajya Sabha representing Kerala and belonging to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), is also fromNilambur in Malappuram district.[118]
| Parliamentary Constituency | Political Party | Pre-poll Alliance | Elected Representative[119] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayanad (minor portion) | INC | UDF | Priyanka Gandhi |
| Malappuram | IUML | UDF | E. T. Mohammed Basheer |
| Ponnani (major portion) | IUML | UDF | M. P. Abdussamad Samadani |
TheGross District Value Added (GDVA) of the district in the fiscal year 2018–19 is estimated as ₹ 698.37 billion, and the growth in GDVA, compared to that in the previous year was 11.30%. The district ranks third in GDVA among the districts of Kerala, afterErnakulam andThiruvananthapuram, as of 2018–19.[120] TheNet District Value Added (NDVA) of the district in the year 2018–19 was ₹ 631.90 billion and the annual growth rate was 11.59%. The Per capita GDVA is calculated as ₹ 154,463 in the fiscal year. The growth rate of GDVA was 18.12% in 2017–18, 9.49% in 2016–17, 7.86% in 2015–16, 8.83% in 2014–15, 14.08% in 2013–14, and 9.70% in 2012–13. It shows a zigzag trend.[120]
The economy of Malappuram significantly depends upon the emigrants. Malappuram has the most emigrants in the state. According to the 2016 economic review report published by theGovernment of Kerala, every 54 per 100 households in the district are emigrant households.[121] Most of them work in theMiddle East. They are major contributors to the district economy. The headquarters ofKGB is situated at Malappuram.[122]
Laterite stone is widely seen in midland area of the district. TheAngadipuram Laterite has gained recognition as aNational Geo-heritage Monument.[123]Archean Gneiss is the most seen geological formation of the district.Quartz magnetite, which is seen inPorur is one among the minerals found in the district having economical importance. Quartz gneisses are seen in the regions ofNilambur,Edavanna, andPandikkad. Garneliforus Quartz is seen in the areas ofManjeri andKondotty.Charnockite rocks are found in Nilambur andEdavanna.Dykes consisting ofplagioclase,feldspar, andpyroxene in typical laterite texture are there at Manjeri. Deposits of good quality iron ore have reported fromEranad region. The deposits of lime shells have found from the coastal areas of Ponnani and Kadalundinagaram. The coastal sands ofPonnani andVeliyankode contain a high amount of heavy minerals,ilmenite andmonazite.Kaolinite have been found from theTaluks of Ponnani and Perinthalmanna. The deposits ofBall clay have found from Thekkummuri village. Parts of Nilambur subdistrict are included in the hidden goldfields ofWayanad. TheNilambur Taluk, along with the adjoining regions ofWayanad andAttappadi Valley are known for naturalGold fields. Explorations done at the valley of the riverChaliyar in Nilambur has shown reserves of the order of 2.5 million cubic meters of placers with 0.1 gram per cubic meter of gold.[69]Bauxite was discovered from some parts of the district likeKottakkal, Parappil,Oorakam, andMelmuri.[124]Karuvarakundu, which meansPlace of the Blacksmith, derives its name from iron-ore cutting and blacksmithy.[125]
Kodakkal Tile Factory atTirunavaya, established in 1887, was the second tile factory in India. The first tile factory in India was atFeroke, which was then part ofEranad Taluk. According to the census conducted in 2011, there are 10,629 industrial units registered under SSI/MMSE, and 396 units among these are promoted byScheduled castes, 83 byScheduled tribes, and the remaining units by general category. About 1,000 people are aided annually under a self-employment program. There areKINFRA food-processing and ITindustrial estates inKakkancherry nearTenhipalam,[126] INKEL SME Park atMalappuram for Small and Medium Industries and a rubber plant and industrial estate atPayyanad inManjeri. INKEL Greens, spread over 168 acres atMalappuram, contains an industrial zone, 'SME Park', and an educational zone, 'Educity'.[127]
MALCOSPIN (Malappuram Spinning Mills Limited) is one of the oldest industrial establishments in the district under the state government. Wood-related industries are common inKottakkal,Edavanna,Vaniyambalam,Karulai,Nilambur andMampad. Sawmills, furniture manufacturers and timber trade were the most important businesses in the district until the last decades.Tirur is a major regional trading centre for electronics, mobile phones and other gadgets.Employees' State Insurance has its branch office at Malappuram.[69]KELTRON Electro Ceramics (KELCERA) atKuttippuram,[128]KELTRON tool room atKuttippuram, Edarikode Textiles atEdarikode,KSRTC body workshop atEdappal, MALCOTEX (Malabar Co-operative Textiles Limited) atAthavanad,[129] and KELTEX (Kerala Hi-Tech Textile Cooperative Limited) atAthavanad,[130] are other major industrial centres under public sector.[131] The Kerala State Detergents and Chemicals Ltd. and the Kerala State Wood Industries Ltd. have their headquarters atKuttippuram andNilambur respectively.[132][133] Popees baby care, one of the largest baby clothes manufacturer brands in the world, is primarily based at Malappuram.[134]
_kerala_infia.jpg)
Coconut, palms and paddy are mainly found in the Malappuram coast.Cashew, coconut, andtapioca are seen in the undulating plain.Rubber, cashew,pepper, and coconut are the important vegetation found in the Chaliyar river basin. Nilambur valley contain the cultivation of a wide variety of species.Teak is mostly seen in the region. Perinthalmanna undulating uplands contain the cultivation of species coconut,palm trees, pepper, rubber, and cashew. This region is drained by theKadalundi River. Besides casual crops, species likemango,jackfruit,banana, etc. are also cultivated.[69] The general hilly nature of the district supports terrace farming. A portion of theThrissur-Ponnani Kole Wetlands lie inPonnani taluk of the district, which is favourable for highly productive cultivation of paddy.
According to the statistics of 2016–17, the gross cropped area was 237,860 hectares, while the net cropped area was 173,178 hectares. The cropping intensity of the district is 137 hectares. The most produced uncountable crop in 2016–17 was tapioca (185,880 Metric Tonnes), followed by banana (58,564 MT), and rubber (40,000 MT). 878 million coconuts and 19 million jackfruits were produced in 2016–17. However, the land use was maximum for the cultivation of coconut (102,836 hectares), followed by rubber (42,770 hectares), and areca nut (18,379 hectares).[135] Anagricultural research station functions atAnakkayam. The Seed Garden Complex atMunderi, is said to be one of the biggest farms inAsia. State seed farms are there atChokkad,Thavanur, andAnakkayam. A district agricultural farm functions atChungathara and a coconut nursery functions atParappanangadi.[136] TheKCAET atThavanur is the only agricultural engineering institute in the state.[137]
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Malappuram is well connected by roads. There are fourKSRTC stations in district.[138] 2National highways pass through district-NH 66 andNH 966. NH 66 reaches the district throughRamanattukara and connects the cities/towns includingTirurangadi,Kakkad,Kottakkal,Valanchery,Kuttippuram, andPonnani and goes out from district throughChavakkad. Major cities/towns those are connected through NH 966 includeKondotty (Karipur Airport),Malappuram, andPerinthalmanna. TheState Highways in the district areSH 23 (Shornur-Perinthalmanna),SH 28 (Malappuram-Vazhikadavu),SH 34 (Quilandy-Edavanna),SH 39 (Perumbilavu-Nilambur),SH 53 (Mundur-Perinthalmanna),Hill Highway,SH 60 (Angadipuram-Cherukara),SH 62 (Guruvayur-Ponnani),SH 65 (Parappanangadi-Areekode),SH 69 (Thrissur-Kuttipuram),SH 70 (Karuvarakundu – Melattur),SH 71 (Tirur-Manjeri),SH 72 (Malappuram – Tirurangadi), andSH 73 (Valanchery-Nilambur). The length of road maintained by Kerala PWD in district is 2,680 km. Out of this, 2,305 km constitute district roads. The remaining 375 km consists of State Highways.[139] TheNadukani ChuramGhat Road connects Malappuram withNilgiris.[140]
The Nadukani-Parappanangadi Road connects the coastal area of Malappuram district with the easternmost hilly border atNadukani Churam borderingNilgiris district ofTamil Nadu, nearNilambur.[141] Beginning fromParappanangadi, it passes through other major towns such asTirurangadi,Malappuram,Manjeri, andNilambur, before reaching the NadukaniGhat Road.[141]
The first modern kind of road in the district was laid in eighteenth century byTipu Sultan.[16] The road fromTirur toChaliyam viaTanur,Parappanangadi, andVallikkunnu was projected by him.[16] Tipu had also projected the roads fromMalappuram toThamarassery, fromMalappuram toWestern Ghats, fromFeroke toKottakkal viaTirurangadi, and fromKottakkal toAngadipuram.[53]
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Total length of railway line that passes through the district is 142 km.[142] The railway in the district comes under thePalakkad Railway Division, which is one of the six divisions under theSouthern Railway. The history of railways in Kerala traces back to the district. The oldest railway station in the state is atTirur.[16] The stations atTanur,Parappanangadi, andVallikkunnu also form parts of the oldest railway line in the state laid fromTirur toChaliyam.[16] The line was inaugurated on 12 March 1861.[57] In the same year, it was extended fromTirur toKuttippuram viaTirunavaya.[16] Later, it was further extended from Kuttippuram toPattambi in 1862, and was again extended from Pattambi toPodanur in the same year.[16] The currentChennai-Mangalore railway line was later formed as an extension of theBeypore –Podanur line thus constructed.[16]
TheNilambur–Shoranur line is among the shortest as well as picturesquebroad gauge railway lines inIndia.[143] It was laid by the British in colonial era for the transportation ofNilambur Teak logs intoUnited Kingdom throughKozhikode. TheNilambur–Nanjangud line is a proposed railway line, which connectsNilambur with the districts ofWayanad,Nilgiris, andMysore.[144][145]Guruvayur-Tirunavaya Railway line is another proposed project.[146] The Ministry of Railways has included the railway line connecting Kozhikode-Malappuram-Angadipuram in its Vision 2020 as a socially desirable railway line. Multiple surveys have been done on the line already. Indian Railway computerized reservation counter is available at Friends Janasevana Kendram, Down Hill. Reservation for any train can be done from here.Malappuram city is served by the railway stations atAngadipuram (17 km (11 mi) away),Tirur, andParappanangadi (both 26 km, 40-minute drive away).
| Angadipuram | Cherukara | Kuttippuram |
| Melattur | Nilambur Road | Parappanangadi |
| Pattikkad | Perassannur | Tanur |
| Thodikapulam | Tirunnavaya | Tirur |
| Tuvvur | Vallikkunnu | Vaniyambalam |
In Malappuram district, to solve the traffic congestion in the densely populatedMalappuram metropolitan area, various agencies and legislative representatives submitted proposals for a metro rail in the years 2012, 2017 and 2025. In 2025,Tirur Assembly constituency MLAKurukkoli Moideen presented the proposal for aTirur-Nilambur metro in the Kerala Legislative Assembly.[147]
Malappuram is served byCalicut International Airport (IATA:CCJ,ICAO:VOCL) located atKaripur, about 25 kilometre away from Malappuram City. The airport started operation in April 1988. It has two terminals, one for domestic flights and another for international flights.[148] The airport serves as an operating base forAir India Express and operatesHajj Pilgrimage services toMedina andJeddah fromKerala. Domestic flight services are available to major cities includingBangalore,Chennai,Mumbai,Hyderabad,Goa,Kochi,Thiruvananthapuram,Mangalore andCoimbatore while International flight services connects Malappuram withDubai,Jeddah,Riyadh,Sharjah,Abu Dhabi,Al Ain,Bahrain,Dammam,Doha,Muscat,Salalah andKuwait. There are direct buses to the airport for transportation. Other than buses, Taxis, Auto Rickshaws available for transportation.
According to the statistics provided by theAirports Authority of India in 2019–20, it is the17th busiest airport in the country and the third-busiest in the state.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 682,151 | — |
| 1911 | 747,929 | +0.92% |
| 1921 | 764,138 | +0.21% |
| 1931 | 874,504 | +1.36% |
| 1941 | 977,085 | +1.12% |
| 1951 | 1,149,718 | +1.64% |
| 1961 | 1,387,370 | +1.90% |
| 1971 | 1,856,357 | +2.95% |
| 1981 | 2,402,701 | +2.61% |
| 1991 | 3,096,330 | +2.57% |
| 2001 | 3,625,471 | +1.59% |
| 2011 | 4,112,920 | +1.27% |
| 2018 | 4,494,998 | +1.28% |
| source:[149][1] | ||
According to the2018 Statistics Report, the district had a population of 4,494,998,[1] which is roughly equal to the population ofMauritania or the US state ofKentucky. 12.98% of the total population of Kerala resides in Malappuram.[1] It is the most populous district in Kerala and also the 50th most populous of India's 640 districts, with a population density of 1,265 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,280/sq mi). Its population-growth rate from 2001 to 2011 was 13.39 per cent. According to the2011 Census of India, Malappuram has asex ratio of 1098 women to 1000 men, and itsliteracy rate is 93.57 per cent, which is almost equal to the average literacy rate of the state (93.91%). Out of the total Malappuram population for 2011 census, 44.18 percent lives in the urban regions of district. In 2011, children under 0–6 formed 13.96 percent of the total population, compared to the 15.21 percent in 2001. Child Sex Ratio as per census 2011 was 965 compared to 960 of census 2001. According to the census 2011, only 0.02% of the total population of the district is houseless. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 7.50% and 0.56% of the population respectively.[4]
Ponnani municipality is most densely populated local body in the district having 3,646 residents per square kilometre, which is followed by the municipalities ofTanur (3,568/km2) andTirur (3,387/km2), as of census conducted in the year 2011.[4] The least densely populated local bodies are located in the eastern hilly region.[4]Chaliyar has the least with only 167 residents per square kilometre, which is followed by theGram panchayats ofKarulai (177/km2) andChungathara (280/km2).[4] Among the Taluks,Tirurangadi is most densely populated whileNilambur has the least density of population.[4] TheMalappuram metropolitan area has a population of 1.7 million.[9] According to a report published byThe Economist in January 2020, Malappuram is the fastest growing metropolitan area in the world.[150][151][152]
The MalappuramUrban Agglomeration (UA) is the 4th most populous UA in the state. Malappuram is placed 25th in thelist of most populous urban agglomerations in India. The total urban population of the entire district is 44.18% of district's population.[4] The metropolitan area of Malappuram includesAbdu Rahiman Nagar,Alamkode,Ariyallur,Chelembra,Cheriyamundam,Cherukavu,Edappal,Irimbiliyam,Kalady, Kannamangalam,Kodur,Kondotty,Koottilangadi,Kottakkal,Kuttippuram,Manjeri,Maranchery,Moonniyur,Naduvattom,Nannambra,Neduva,Oorakam,Othukkungal,Pallikkal Bazar,Parappur,Perumanna,Peruvallur,Ponnani,Ponmundam,Tanalur,Tenhipalam,Thalakkad,Thennala,Tirunavaya,Tirur,Tirurangadi,Trikkalangode,Triprangode,Valanchery,Vazhayur, andVengara.[153]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islam | 70.24% | |||
| Hinduism | 27.60% | |||
| Christianity | 1.98% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.18% | |||
The areas that come under the Malappuram district have been multi-ethnic and multi-religious since the earlymedieval period. The centuries of trade across theArabian Sea has given Malappuram a cosmopolitan population.[155] Religions practised in district includeIslam,Hinduism,Christianity, and other minor religions.[156] Malappuram is one of the two districts with a Muslim majority inSouth India, the other beingLakshadweep district. Most of Christians in the district are descendants ofSaint Thomas Christians who migrated fromNorthern Travancore toMalabar in the 20th century (Malabar Migration).[157] The Malankara Orthodox Christians in the districts are represented by theMalabar Diocese which currently covers 85 parishes. The largest parish of the Malankara Orthodox Church in Malappuram isSaint George Orthodox Church in Chungathara, the place of Malabar's largest annual Orthodox Christian convention attended by tens of thousands of Malankara Orthodox Christians annually.
| Taluk | Muslims (%) | Hindus (%) | Christians (%) | Others (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eranad | 69.5 | 27.4 | 3.1 | 0.0 |
| Kondotty | 75.9 | 21.7 | 2.4 | 0.0 |
| Nilambur | 53.6 | 39.3 | 7.1 | 0.0 |
| Perinthalmanna | 67.0 | 29.2 | 3.8 | 0.0 |
| Tirur | 68.4 | 27.9 | 3.7 | 0.0 |
| Tirurangadi | 78.2 | 18.0 | 3.8 | 0.0 |
| Ponnani | 78.9 | 19.1 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
The principal language used in the district isMalayalam.Arabi Malayalam script, also known asPonnani Script, was used widely in the district in the past centuries. Minority Dravidian languages areAllar (around 350 speakers)[158] andAranadan, (around 200 speakers).[159]Tamil is spoken by a small fraction of the people.
Malayalam is the predominant language, spoken by 99.46% of the population.[160]
Modern medicine,Ayurveda, andHomeopathy are available in the district. A general hospital, 3 district hospitals, and 6 Taluk hospitals are functioning under theGovernment of Kerala for Allopathy. TheGovernment Medical College, Manjeri, established in 2013, is the apex medical college in the district.[161] The district has three Government District Hospitals, situated atTirur,Perinthalmanna, andNilambur.[162] The district has six Government Taluk Hospitals atMalappuram,Kondotty,Wandoor,Areekode,Ponnani, andTirurangadi, along with a Government Women and Children Hospital atPonnani and the Seethihaji Cancer Detection and Treatment Centre atEdavanna.[163]
A network of local health centers function under the public sector. It includes 66Primary Health Centres, 20 All-time functioning primary health centers, 20Community health centers, and 2 TBC's. 5 Major public health centers, 77 mini public health centers, and 565 sub-centers are there. 3 Leprosy control units, 2 Filaria control units, etc. also function under the public sector. The total bed strength of government hospitals is 1500. Many private hospitals with super-specialty units are also there in the district under Allopathy.[164][165]
The Govt Ayurveda Research Institute for Mental Disease atPottippara near Kottakkal is the only government Ayurvedic mental hospital inKerala. It is also the first of its type under the public sector in the country. Kottakkal is also home to theArya Vaidya Sala, the renowned Ayurvedic health center. Under the government sector, a district Ayurvedic hospital functions atEdarikode. Government Ayurvedic hospitals also function in Manjeri,Velimukku, Perinthalmanna, Malappuram,Vengara,Kalpakanchery,Thiruvali, andChelembra. Homeopathic hospitals under public sector function atMalappuram,Manjeri,Wandoor, andKuttippuram.[165][166] Many hospitals function under the private sector.
As of 2003, Malappuram has the leastsuicide rate among thedistricts of Kerala (13.3), which is much lesser than the state average (32.8).[5]
TheKerala school of astronomy and mathematics flourished between the 14th and 16th centuries. In attempting to solve astronomical problems, the Kerala school independently created a number of important mathematics concepts, includingseries expansion for trigonometric functions.[43][44] The Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics was based atVettathunadu (Tirur region).[43]
The district has the most schools in Kerala as per the school statistics of 2019–20. There are 898 Lower primary schools,[167] 363 Upper primary schools,[168] 355 High schools,[169] 248 Higher secondary schools,[170] and 27 Vocational Higher secondary schools[171] in the district. Hence there are 1620 schools in the district.[172] Besides these, there are 120CBSE schools and 3ICSE schools.
554 government schools, 810 Aided schools, and 1 unaided school, recognised by theGovernment of Kerala have been digitalised.[173] In the academic year 2019–20, the total number of students studying in the schools recognised by Government of Kerala is 739,966 – 407,690 in the aided schools, 245,445 in the government schools, and 86,831 in the recognised unaided schools.[174]
The district plays a significant role in the higher education sector of the state. It is home to two of the main universities in the state- theUniversity of Calicut centered atTenhipalam which was established in 1968 as the second university in Kerala,[175] and theThunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University centered atTirur which was established in the year 2012.[176]AMU Malappuram, one of the three off-campus centres ofAligarh Muslim University (AMU) is situated inCherukara, which was established in 2010.[177][178] An off-campus of theEnglish and Foreign Languages University functions atPanakkad.[179] The district is also home to a subcentre ofKerala Agricultural University atThavanur, and a subcentre ofSree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit atTirunavaya. The headquarters ofDarul Huda Islamic University is atChemmad,Tirurangadi. INKEL Greens at Malappuram provides an educational zone with the industrial zone.[180] Eranad Knowledge City atManjeri is a first of its kind project in the state.[181] Also,Malappuram is the first e-literate district in India.[182]
The currently adopted Malayalam alphabet was first accepted byThunchath Ezhuthachan, who was born atTirur and is known as the father of the modern Malayalam language.[15] Tirur is the headquarters of the Malayalam Research Centre.Moyinkutty Vaidyar, the most renownedMappila paattu poet was born atKondotty. He is considered as one of theMahakavis (a title for 'great poet') of Mappila songs.[15]
BesidesThunchath Ezhuthachan andMoyinkutty Vaidyar, the renowned writers ofMalayalam includingAchyutha Pisharadi, Alamkode Leelakrishnan,Edasseri Govindan Nair,K. P. Ramanunni,Kuttikrishna Marar, Kuttippuram Kesavan Nair,Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, N. Damodaran,Nandanar,Poonthanam Nambudiri,Pulikkottil Hyder,Uroob,V. C. Balakrishna Panicker, Vallathol Gopala Menon, andVallathol Narayana Menon were natives of the district.[15]M. Govindan,M. T. Vasudevan Nair, andAkkitham Achuthan Namboothiri were the writers hailed fromPonnani Kalari based atPonnani.[15]Nalapat Narayana Menon,Balamani Amma,V. T. Bhattathiripad, andKamala Surayya, also hail from the erstwhilePonnani taluk.
Malappuram was also the main centre ofMappila Paattu literature in the state.[15] Besides Moyinkutty Vaidyar and Pulikkottil Hyder, severalMappila Paattu poets including Kulangara Veettil Moidu Musliyar (popularly known as Chakkeeri Shujayi), Chakkeeri Moideenkutty, Manakkarakath Kunhikoya, Nallalam Beeran, K. K. Muhammad Abdul Kareem, Balakrishnan Vallikunnu, Punnayurkulam Bapu,Veliyankode Umar Qasi, etc., chose Malappuram as their working platform.[15]
The district has also given its own deposits toKathakali, the classical art form of Kerala, andAyurveda.[15]Kottakkal Chandrasekharan,Kottakkal Sivaraman, andKottakkal Madhu are famous Kathakali artists hailed fromKottakkal Natya Sangam established byVaidyaratnam P. S. Warrier inKottakkal. TheVeṭṭathunāṭu rulers, who had the control over parts of present-day Tirurangadi, Tirur, and Ponnani Taluks, were noted patrons of arts and learning. A Veṭṭathunāṭu Raja (r. 1630–1640) is said to have introduced innovations in the art formKathakali, which has come to be known as the "Veṭṭathu Tradition".[183] Thunchath Ezhuthachchan and Vallathol Narayana Menon hail fromVettathunad. Vallathol Narayana Menon is also considered as the resurrector ofKathakali in the modern period through the establishment ofKerala Kalamandalam at Cheruthuruthi.[15]Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, a majorKathakali trainer, andSankaran Embranthiri andTirur Nambissan, who were among the most popularKathakali singers, were also from Malappuram.[15]Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma, who played a major role in resurrectingMohiniyattam in the modern Kerala, hails fromTirunavaya in the district.[15]Mrinalini Sarabhai, an Indian classical dancer, hailed from erstwhilePonnani taluk.Arya Vaidya Sala atKottakkal is one of the largest Ayurvedic medicinal networks in the world.[15]Zainuddin Makhdoom II, the first known Keralite historian, also hails from the district.[15]
Kerala Varma Valiya Koyi Thampuran (Kerala Kalidasan),Raja Raja Varma (Kerala Panini) andRaja Ravi Varma (Famous Painter) are from different branches ofParappanad Royal Family, who later migrated fromParappanangadi to Harippad, Changanassery, Mavelikkara and Kilimanoor.[184] According to some scholars, the ancestors ofVelu Thampi Dalawa also belong toVallikkunnu near Parappanangadi. The Chief Editor of the daily "The Hindu" (1898 to 1905) and Founder Chief Editor of "The Indian Patriot" Divan Bahadur C. Karunakara Menon (1863–1922) was also from Parappanangadi.[185]O. Chandu Menon wrote his novelsIndulekha andSaradha while he was the judge at Parappanangadi Munciff Court.Indulekha is also the first Major Novel written inMalayalam language. K. Madhavan Nair, the founder ofMathrubhumi Daily, comes fromMalappuram. Ponnani region was the working platform ofK. Kelappan, popularly known asKerala Gandhi, A. V. Kuttimalu Amma, andMohammed Abdur Rahiman, and several other freedom fighters.[15] Other independence activists fromPonnani taluk includedLakshmi Sehgal,V. T. Bhattathiripad, andAmmu Swaminathan. The ashes ofMahatma Gandhi,Jawaharlal Nehru, andLal Bahadur Shastri, were deposited in Kerala atTirunavaya, on the bank of the riverBharathappuzha.[31][15] K. Madhavanar, who was the translator of Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography into Malayalam, was also a native of Malappuram.
Ponnani's trade relations with foreign countries since ancient times paved the way for a cultural exchange.[15] Persian-Arab art forms and North Indian culture came to Ponnani that way. There were resonances in the language as well. This is how the hybrid languageArabi-Malayalam came to be.[15] Many poems have been written in this hybrid language.[15] Qawwali and Ghazals from Hindustani, who came here as part of their cultural exchange, still thrive in Ponnani. EK Aboobacker, Main and Khalil Bhai (Khalil Rahman) are some of the famous Qawwali singers of Ponnani.
The headquarters of theAzhvanchery Thamprakkal, who were considered as the supreme religious head of KeralaNambudiriBrahmins, was atAthavanad.[15] The original headquarters of thePalakkad Rajas were also atAthavanad.[39] Several aristocraticNambudiri Manas are present in the Taluks of Tirur, Perinthalmanna, and Ponnani.Tirunavaya, the seat of the medievalMamankam festival, is also present in the district.Perumpadappu, the ancestral headquarters of theKingdom of Cochin, andNediyiruppu, the ancestral headquarters of theZamorin of Calicut, are also present in the district. TheKunhali Marakkars had close relationship with the port towns of Ponnani,Tanur, and Parappanangadi.[15] Some of the kings ofKingdom of Cochin in the 16th century CE, when Cochin became a major power on theMalabar Coast, were usually borrowed from the royal family ofKingdom of Tanur.[31] Many of the consorts of the queens ofTravancore were usually selected from theParappanad Royal family.E. M. S. Namboodiripad, the first Chief Minister of Kerala, hails fromPerinthalmanna in the district.[15]Angadipuram andMankada, the seats of the ruling families of the medievalKingdom of Valluvanad, lie adjacent to Perinthalmanna.
During the medieval period, the district was a centre ofVedic as well asIslamic studies.[15] It is believed thatMalik Dinar had visited the port town ofPonnani.[186] TheValiya Juma Masjid atPonnani was one of the largest Islamic studies centre inAsia during the medieval period.Parameshvara,Nilakantha Somayaji,Jyeṣṭhadeva,Achyutha Pisharadi, and Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, who were the main members of theKerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics hailed from Tirur region.[15] TheArabi Malayalam script, otherwise known as the Ponnani script, took its birth during the late 16th century and early 17th century.[15] The script was widely used in the district during the last centuries.[15]
Playwrights and actors from the district includeK. T. Muhammed,Nilambur Balan,Nilambur Ayisha,Adil Ibrahim,Aneesh G. Menon,Aparna Nair,Baby Anikha,Dhanish Karthik,Hemanth Menon,Rashin Rahman,Ravi Vallathol,Sangita Madhavan Nair,Shwetha Menon,Sooraj Thelakkad, etc.Sukumaran, who is also the father of two notable actors as well as playback singers of Malayalam film industry namelyPrithviraj Sukumaran andIndrajith Sukumaran, also was a native of the district. Playback singers includingKrishnachandran,Parvathy Jayadevan,Shahabaz Aman,Sithara Krishnakumar, Sudeep Palanad, andUnni Menon also hail from the district. The district has also produced some notable film producers, lyricists, cinematographers, and directors includingAryadan Shoukath,Deepu Pradeep,Hari Nair,Iqbal Kuttippuram,Mankada Ravi Varma,Muhammad Musthafa,Muhsin Parari,Rajeev Nair,Salam Bappu,Shanavas K Bavakutty, Shanavas Naranippuzha,T. A. Razzaq,T. A. Shahid,Vinay Govind, andZakariya Mohammed. Most notable painters from district includeArtist Namboothiri,K. C. S. Paniker, andT. K. Padmini.[15] Another painterAkkitham Narayanan was fromKumaranellur.M. G. S. Narayanan, one among the most notable historians of Kerala, also hail from here.[15] Social reformers from the district includeVeliyankode Umar Khasi (1757–1852),Chalilakath Kunahmed Haji,E. Moidu Moulavi, andSayyid Sanaullah Makti Tangal (1847–1912).[15]
The centuries of maritime trade has given the Malappuram a cosmopolitan cuisine. The cuisine is a blend of traditionalKerala,Persian,Yemenese andArab food culture.[187] One of the main elements of this cuisine isPathiri, a pancake made of rice flour. Variants ofPathiri includeNeypathiri (made with ghee),Poricha Pathiri (fried rather than baked),Meen Pathiri (stuffed with fish), andIrachi Pathiri (stuffed with beef). Spices likeBlack pepper,Cardamom, andClove are widely used in the cuisine of Malappuram. The main item used in the festivals is the Malabar style ofBiryani.Sadhya is also seen in marriage and festival occasions.Ponnani region of the district has a wide variety of indigenous dishes. Snacks such asArikadukka,Chattipathiri,Muttamala,Pazham Nirachathu, andUnnakkaya have their own style in Ponnani. Besides these, other common food items ofKerala are also seen in the cuisine of Malappuram.[188] TheMalabar version ofBiryani, popularly known asKuzhi Mandi inMalayalam is another popular item, which has an influence fromYemen.[187]
Malayala Manorama,Mathrubhumi,Madhyamam,Chandrika,Deshabhimani,Suprabhaatham, andSiraj dailies have their printing centres in and around theMalappuram city.The Hindu has an edition and printing press at Malappuram. A few periodicals-monthlies, fortnightlies and weeklies-mostly devoted to religion and culture are also published. Almost all Malayalam channels and newspapers have their bureau at Up Hill. There are so many local cable visions and their regional media. Malappuram Press Club is also situated at Uphill adjacent to Municipal Town Hall.Doordarshan has two major relay stations in the district at Malappuram and Manjeri. The government of India'sPrasar Bharati National Public Service Broadcaster has an FM station in the district (AIR Manjeri FM), broadcasting on 102.7 Mhtz. Even without any private FM stations, Malappuram, Ponnani, and Tirur find their own places in the ten towns with the highest radio listenership in India.[189]
Malappuram is often known asThe Mecca of Kerala Football.[190][191]Malappuram District Sports Complex & Football Academy is situated atPayyanad inManjeri.MDSC Stadium was selected as one of two stadiums, along with theJawaharlal Nehru Stadium, to host thegroup stages of the2013–14 Indian Federation Cup.[192] The stadium hosted groups B and D.[192]Kottappadi Football Stadium is a historic football stadium. Other major stadiums include the Rajiv Gandhi Municipal Stadium at Tirur, and the Perinthalmanna Cricket Stadium at Perinthalmanna. A synthetic track is there along with the Tirur Municipal Stadium.Malabar Premier League was initiated in 2015 to strengthen football in the district.[193] The Calicut University Synthetic Track atTenhipalam is the apex synthetic track in the district. It is associated with the C. H. Muhammad Koya Stadium at Tenhipalam.[194] Other major stadiums of district include those atAreekode,Kottakkal, andPonnani. A football hub to internationalise the eight major football stadiums of district is proposed.[195] The construction works of two new stadium complexes are being processed inTanur andNilambur.[196]
For a few years, the demand to create a new coastal district called Tirur district, centered atTirur is being strengthened.[264] They argue that it is imperative from the development perspective to split the district, with double the population and size of theAlappuzha district, into two. No other district in Kerala has seven subdistricts, 94 Village Panchayats, and 12 municipalities together. As for its extent, if one travels fromPerumbadappu which borders Thrissur district toVazhikkadavu bordering Tamil Nadu, normally it takes more than three hours to cover that distance of 115 km. They also point out that the problems in the health and educational sectors that require solutions are not trivial. The issue was raised again by theIUML MLAK. N. A. Khader in 2019.[264] The demand is to bifurcate the existing Malappuram district into two districts by carving out a new one called Tirur district from it.[264]Kerala Congress (M) campaigns for a new district centred atEdappal.[265] Some people including Veteran Congress leader Aryadan Muhammad, and IUML district secretaryU. A. Latheef oppose the bifurcation of Malappuram.[266][267]
However, the demand was rejected by the two successive governments who ruled Kerala in 2013 and in 2019.[266][267] But the studies regarding the bifurcation of the district are still in the consideration of theGovernment of Kerala.
One example I can give you relates to the Indian Mādhava's demonstration, in about 1400 A.D., of the infinite power series of trigonometrical functions using geometrical and algebraic arguments. When this was first described in English by Charles Whish, in the 1830s, it was heralded as the Indians' discovery of the calculus. This claim and Mādhava's achievements were ignored by Western historians, presumably at first because they could not admit that an Indian discovered the calculus, but later because no one read anymore theTransactions of the Royal Asiatic Society, in which Whish's article was published. The matter resurfaced in the 1950s, and now we have the Sanskrit texts properly edited, and we understand the clever way that Mādhava derived the serieswithout the calculus, but many historians still find it impossible to conceive of the problem and its solution in terms of anything other than the calculus and proclaim that the calculus is what Mādhava found. In this case, the elegance and brilliance of Mādhava's mathematics are being distorted as they are buried under the current mathematical solution to a problem to which he discovered an alternate and powerful solution.
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{{cite news}}:|last= has generic name (help){{cite news}}:|last= has generic name (help){{cite news}}:|last= has generic name (help){{cite news}}:|last= has generic name (help){{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help){{cite news}}:|last= has generic name (help)Contemporary evaluation within India tends to the view that the Malabar Rebellion was a war of liberation, and in 1971 the Kerala Government granted the remaining active participants in the revolt the accolade of Ayagi, "freedom fighter"
Places adjacent to Malappuram district | |
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| National | |
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