Malappuram district

History

Malappuram, meaning "terraced place atop the hills", derives from the geography of the district headquarters. Before the district's formation, the region was known as Eranad, Valluvanad, Vettathunad etc.

The district has a rich cultural and political heritage. The port of Ponnani (roughly identified with Tyndis) was a centre of trade with Ancient Rome. After the Chera Dynasty a number of dynasties controlled the area, and by the ninth century the region was ruled by the Kulasekharas of Mahodayapuram. After the disintegration of the Kulasekhara kingdom a number of Nair city-states emerged, including Valluvanad, Vettattunadu (Tanur), Parappanad and Nediyiruppu (ruled by the Zamorins). During the 13th century, the Samoothiri of Calicut expanded their territories to Malabar. Thirunavaya, the seat of Mamankam, was in Malappuram district.

European colonial powers first landed in Malabar during the 15th century, and the Samoothiris often allied with foreign powers. During the 18th century, the de facto Mysore kingdom rulers Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan marched into the Samoothiris’ districts.

Malappuram has been part of movements such as Khilafat Movement and Moplah Rebellion in the early 20th century. Before Indian independence in 1947, Malappuram was part of Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of British India. The present district was administered as parts of Kozhikode, Eranad taluk, Valluvanad Taluk and Ponnani taluk. Malabar District remained part of Madras state for some time after independence, but on 1 November 1956 it merged with Travancore-Cochin to form the state of Kerala. Large-scale changes in the territorial jurisdiction of the region took place in 1957 and 1969. On 1 January 1957, Tirur taluk was formed from portions of Eranad taluk and Ponnani taluk. Another portion of Ponnani taluk was transferred to the new Chavakkad taluk, and the remainder is present-day Ponnani taluk. Perinthalmanna taluk was formed from the former Valluvanad Taluk. Of these, Eranad Taluk and Tirur remained in Kozhikode District and Perinthalmanna Taluk and Ponnani taluk remained in Palakkad District. The new district of Malappuram was formed with four taluks (Eranad, Perinthalmanna, Tirur and Ponnani), four towns, fourteen developmental blocks and 100 panchayats. Two more taluks, Tirurangadi taluk and Nilambur taluk, were formed from Tirur Taluk and Eranad taluk.

Geography

The district, in northern Kerala, is bounded on the northeast by Wayanad and northwest by Kozhikkode districts, on the northeast by Tamil Nadu, on the southeast and south by Palakkad District, on the southwest by Thrissur District and on the west by the Arabian Sea.

Rivers

In Tirur and Ponnani taluks, the villages of Biyyam, Veliyancode, Manur and Kodinhi have fishing and boating facilities.

Demographics

In the 2011 census the district had a population of 4,112,920.

Malappuram is the 50th-most-populous of India's 640 districts, with a population density of 1,158 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,000/sq mi). Its population-growth rate from 2001 to 2011 was 13.39 percent. Malappuram has a sex ratio of 1096 women to 1000 men, and its literacy rate is 93.55 percent.

Languages

Malayalam is the district's principal language. Minority Dravidian languages are Allar (350 speakers) and Aranadan, kept alive by the low education level of its 200 speakers.

Indian Parliament Constituencies

Taluks

Kerala Assembly Constituencies

Malappuram, Manjeri, Kondotty, Eranad, Mankada, Perinthalmanna, Thirurangadi, Vengara, Vallikkunnu, Tirur, Tanur, Kottakkal, Nilambur, Wandoor, Ponnani and Tavanur

Art and culture

Thunchath Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam literature, was born in Trikkandiyur _Tirur]]). Mampuram was a centre of the Moplah Rebellion of 1921, and Mampuram Thangal is buried there. It is the birthplace of Omar Qazi, a Muslim scholar and a leader of anti-British movements. Kathakali musician Tirur Nambissan was born in Ezhoor, and the poets Mahakavi Vallathol Narayana Menon, V.C. Balakrishna Paniker and Moyinkutty Vaidyar were born in Malappuram. Malappuram is also the birthplace of Poonthanam, remembered for his poetic masterpiece "Jnanappana".

Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics

Mathematicians from Madhava of Sangamagrama's Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, Achyuta Pisharati and Kelallur Nilakantha Somayaji were born in Thrikandiyur in Tirur. Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri is known for his Narayaneeyam.

Fairs and festivals

Kondotty Nercha is a week-long festival in March at the 18th-century Pazhayangadi Mosque. The tomb of the Sufi Mohammed Shah is near the Mughal-style mosque. The Andu Nercha of Puthenpalliis held at Perumpadappu, in the southwestern part of the district. During the festival, ney choru (rice with ghee) is distributed to devotees and the poor. The Omanoor Nercha is a mosque festival which commemorates martyrs.

Vairamkode Vela (temple festival), or Theeyaattu, is a six-day festival held in February from Sunday to Friday featuring processions, fireworks and markets. The seven-day Thirumandhamkunnu pooram, in March or April, is a temple festival in central Malabar. Tirumanthamkunnu Temple is, with Kodungallur and Panayarakavu, one of Kerala's three main Bhagavati temples. Kottakkal is also noted for its March–April temple festival, Kottakkal pooram, where Indian classical artists perform. The Nilambur Pattu is a week-long festival, held in January at its Kovilakam. The Malaparamba Perunnal is a church festival in Malaparamba, near Angadipuram, and there are also summer church festivals in Pariyapuram, Chungathara and Edakkara.

Industry

About 1,000 people are aided annually under a self-employment programme. There are KINFRA food-processing and IT industrial estates in Kakkancherry, Inkel SME Park at Panakkad for Small and Medium Industries and a rubber plant and industrial estate in Payyanad. MALCOSPIN, The Malappuram Spinning Mills Limited is one of the oldest industrial establishment in the district under state Government. Wood-related industries are common in Kottakkal, Edavanna, Vaniyambalam, Karulai, Nilambur and Mampad. Sawmills, furniture manufacturers and the timber trade are the most important businesses in the district. Employees' State Insurance has its branch office at Malappuram. Wood-related industries are in Kottakkal, Edavanna, Vaniyambalam, Karulai, Nilambur and Mampad. Sawmills, furniture manufacturers and the timber trade are the most important businesses in the district. Employees' State Insurance has a branch office in Malappuram.

As of July 2013, Malappuram is the highest beneficiary in receiving donations from migrants abroad among all the districts in Kerala.

Healthcare

Malappuram currently has two Medical colleges, Government Medical College, Malappuram and MES Medical College. All the towns of the district has multiple quality hospitals both in government and private sector. Out of which the towns of Perinthalmanna and Kottakkal attracts a large number of patients under general as well as health tourism category. Considering the number of health related institutions established and upcoming in the district, Government of Kerala has decided to promote the region as Health city under Vision 2030.

Presently, Malappuram is one of the leading district in India which have most number of medical students as undergraduates studying at various colleges across the country and abroad.

Air

Calicut International Airport is in Karipur, 25 kilometres (16 mi) from the Malappuram city centre.

Rail

Two railway lines pass through the district. The Mangalore-Madras line runs along the coast, with stations (from north to south) at Vallikkunnu, Parappanangadi, Tanur, Tirur, Tirunavaya and Kuttippuram. The Nilambur–Shoranur railway line runs through the eastern part of the district, with stations at Nilambur, Vaniyambalam, Thuvur, Melattur, Pattikkad, Angadipuram and Cherukara.

Road

Bus service is available throughout the district, with 93 routes operated by Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on major roads and 300 intercity routes passing through the district. There are four KSRTC bus stations, at Malappuram Depot, Ponnani, Perinthalmanna and Nilambur.

National Highway 17, renumbered NH 66, enters the district at Idimuzhikkal in the north and runs for 82 kilometres (51 mi) through Calicut University, Kottakkal, Valanchery, Kuttipuram, Thavanur, Ponnani, Puduponnani, Veliyancode and Kadikkad before entering Thrissur district in the south. National Highway 213, renumbered NH 966, enters the district at Iykarappadi (near Ramanattukara) and runs for 68 kilometres (42 mi) through Kondotty, Malappuram and Perinthalmanna to Karinkallathani.

State highways such as Tirur-Malappuram-Manjeri, Malappuram-Parappanangadi, Valanchery-Nilambur and the Kozhikode-Nilambur-Gudalur road pass through the district. The district has 208 kilometres (129 mi) of state highway, 1,220 kilometres (760 mi) of major district roads, 102 kilometres (63 mi) of other district roads and 160 kilometres (99 mi) of rural roads.

The Chaliyar, Kadalundipuzha, Bharathapuzha and Thutha rivers and their tributaries flow through the district, requiring a number of road bridges. Bridges include the Kuttippuram, Thutha and Pulamanthole bridges across the Bharathapuzha, bridges at Kottakadavu, Parakkadav, Thayyilakadav, Panampuzha, Koomankallu, Nooradi, Kottilangadi, Aanakkayam, Melattur, Kalikavu, Olipram Kadavu, Koomankallu, Kuzhipram Kadavu and Panakkadu across the Kadalundi River, bridges at Areekode, Edavanna, Mampad, Vadapuram, Myladi, Karimpuzha, Koorad, Kattadikadavu, Cherupuzha, Kadungallur and Poonkudi across the Chaliyar and its tributaries and bridges at Edakulam, Thalakadathur, Tirur, Unniyal, Mangattiri, Ettirikkadavu across the Tirur River.

Proposed projects

Education

The district has four education districts (Tirur, Malappuram, Wandoor and Tirurangadi) and 17 education sub-districts. The University of Calicut is in Thenjipalam, and AMU (Aligarh Muslim University) Malappuram Centre is in Chelamala. Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan Malayalam University is in Thunchan Parambu, 26 kilometres (16 mi) from the Malappuram city centre.

Medical colleges

Nursing Colleges

Engineering colleges

Arts & Science Colleges

Law Colleges

Schools

There are 1,472 schools in Malappuram District including 254 highschools.

Post and telecommunications

The district has two postal divisions (Manjeri and Tirur), four head post offices Malappuram, Manjeri, Tirur, Ponnani, 120 post sub-offices and 284 branch post offices. Speed post facilities are in Malappuram, Manjeri, Perinthalmanna, Calicut University, Karipur, Ponnani, Kottakkal, Kuttippuram and Edappal.

For telecommunications, the district is in the Malappuram Secondary Switching Area. Divisional offices are in Manjeri, Nilambur, Perinthalmanna, Tirur, Ponnani and Parappanangadi.

Media

The morning daily newspapers Suprabhaatham, Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, Madhyamam, Chandrika and Deshabhimani have printing centres in the district. Prahelika and the Flash are the evening dailies. Monthly, fortnightly and weekly periodicals, primarily devoted to religion and culture, are also published. Local cable-TV channels include Malappuram Cable Vision (MCV), Asianet Cablevision (ACV) and Den Malabar Vision. The Malappuram Press Club is in Up Hill. Doordarshan has relay stations at Malappuram and Manjeri, and All India Radio has an FM station at Manjeri.