Ponnani
Encyclopedia
Ponnani/Ponani is an ancient port, a coastal town and a municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

 in Malappuram district in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...

 of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, spread over an area of 9.32 km2. Ponnani taluk is the smallest Taluk in Malappuram district. This tiny, picturesque town is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the west. It is the only port in Malappuram district and is one of the oldest ones in south India and can be identified with Tyndis in Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea or Periplus of the Red Sea is a Greco-Roman periplus, written in Greek, describing navigation and trading opportunities from Roman Egyptian ports like Berenice along the coast of the Red Sea, and others along Northeast Africa and India...

. This tidal port, mainly used by the fishing industry, is at the mouth of Bharathapuza, the second longest river of Kerala. This place is an important fishing centre.

Overview

Located in Malappuram District of Kerala state in India, Ponnani is a small town at the mouth of the Bharathapuzha river. It is a port used primarily as a fishing harbour. Ponnani is a town of masjids. Though described as a place of 231/2 masjids, there are nearly 50 masjids. Ponnani has a population which is a blend of almost equal percentage of Hindus and Muslims and has set an example for tolerant and peaceful co-existence.

Malik Ibnu Dinar, the first Islamic missionary who came to Kerala, was believed to have visited Ponnani. William Logan
William Logan (Malabar Manual)
William Logan was a Scottish officer of the Madras Civil Service under the British Government. Before his appointment as Collector of Malabar, he had served in the area for about twenty years in the capacity of Magistrate and Judge. He was conversant in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu...

, the historian, records in his Malabar manual about the Ponnani Juma’ Masjid built in 925 Hijrah. Ponnani was considered as the second capital of Malabar during the reign of Samoothiri and was the headquarters of Kunjali Marakkar, the naval army chief of Samoothiri.

Ponnani enjoyed a status as an important centre for education in the philosophy of Islam.In the early period, Ponnani was considered the Al Azhar university of Kerala, for its great religious schools and teachers. Ponnani was called the 'small Makkah' in south India, Malaya, Indonesia etc.

Ponnani is a name very much associated with the nationalist movements in the freedom struggle. A number of prominent leaders from this taluk had contributed in soul and spirit towards realising the dream of Independent India. Ponnani has also contributed a great deal to the cultural and literary heritage of Kerala.

Demographics

India census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, Ponnani had a population of 87,356. Males constitute 48% of the population and females 52%. Ponnani has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 77%, and female literacy is 71%. In Ponnani, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Geography

Ponnani is a sea shore town along the south banks of river Baratha Puzha. It is located at 10.77°N 75.9°E at the earth global. It has an average elevation of 5 metres (16 feet). Ponnani provides a natural ground for establishing a port.

Trade and economy

Ponnani is one of the oldest port in Kerala and has contributed to the trade and economy of Malabar from very early times. This port was used as a hub for trading with Arabs and Europeans in the early ages of British Indian rule.

Ponnani was considered as the second capital of Malabar. Trikkavu in Ponnani was one among the seats of the Zamorin, from where he controlled the trade and commerce.
The economy of this town is predominantly based on agriculture and marine products.

A Central government port customs office is also functions in Ponnani.

Agriculture

The major source of income for the people are agriculture and fishing. Rice, coconut, aricanut are the main cultivation. Ponnani is famous for its fishing harbour and houses the office of the District fisheries board. There is a light house in Ponnani under the control of Government of India, which highlights the importance of fishing in this area.

Industry

In the early days, Ponnani was a notable place for the manufacture of big wooden boats ('Uru' or 'Pathemari'). Though this place is industrially backward, some traditional industries based on coir and coir products, marine products, etc. are dominating from the very early times. Kerala State Detergents and chemicals Ltd., (KSDC) in Kuttippuram is a main Government undertaking industrial establishment in this region

Tourism

The tidal mouth of Bharathappuzha in Ponnani, where 'Bharathapuza' and 'PonnaiPuzha' join together to traverse into the Arabian Sea, is a seasonal home to hundreds of migratory birds and attracts a large number of bird watchers and ornithologists. When one crosses the river by ferry from Ponnani to Chamravattom
Chamravattom
Chamravattom is a village located 11 km away from Tirur, the cultural centre of Malappuram district in Kerala, India. This serene village is on the shores of the Bharathapuzha, also known as Nila...

 in the summer months of March to May, one cannot miss the sights of lovely flocks of birds. Nearly 25 varieties of birds have been identified in this area.

Another tourist attraction is Biyyam Kayal. This placid, green fringed waterway has water sports facilities. A boat race is conducted here annually, during Onam
Onam
Onam is a Hindu festival celebrated by the people of Kerala, India. The festival commemorates the Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali. It falls during the month of Chingam and lasts for ten days...

 celebrations. A permanent pavilion is built for the spectators and nearly two dozen country boats, including some rowed by women, participate in the race. A big scheme is underway to develop a tourist complex here, with hotels, parks, etc. Today, a rest house situated on the banks of the lake, welcomes the tourists for a comfortable and cozy stay.

Landmarks

  • Saraswathi Temple, Thrikkav (1900 year old)
  • Harihara Mangalam Warriam
  • Karuvattu Mana
  • Ponnani Juma Masjid (500 year old)
  • Ponnani Lighthouse: Ponnani Lighthouse is situated close to the South bank of Bharathapuza River joining the sea on the outskirts of Ponnani town.
  • The Bharathapuza joins the Arabian Sea at Ponnani.
  • Fishing Harbour

Transportation

  • Kozhikode International Airport (62 km)
  • Railway station at Kuttipuram (21 km)
  • Railway station at Guruvayoor (19 km)
  • Road - The NH-17 Panvel - Cochin passess through Ponnani
  • Ponnani is also linked by an inland water navigation system of canals to south Kerala.


Bank and financial institutions

  • State Bank of Travancore (SBT).
  • State Bank of India (SBI).
  • Canara Bank.
  • Vijaya Bank.
  • Federal Bank.
  • South Indian Bank.
  • Punjab National Bank (PNB).
  • Dhanalakshmi Bank.
  • South Malabar Gramin Bank.
  • Malappuram District Co-operative Bank.
  • Ponnani Service Co-operative Bank.
  • Ponnani Urban Bank.
  • Catholic Syrian Bank.
  • ICICI Prudential.
  • HDFC Standard life insurance Co.
  • Life Insurance corporation of India
  • Bajaj Allianz

Colleges

  • M E S College Ponnani
    M.E.S. Ponnani College, Ponnani
    M.E.S. Ponnani College is an Arts and Science College run by MES situated at Ponnani,in Malappuram district of Kerala, India. It is affiliated to Calicut University. The college is established on March 3, 1968. ponnani MES college is only one arts and science college in coastal belt of Malappuram...

    :


Established in 19 hundreds. MES college has played a significant role in parting quality higher education to the youth especially from Ponnani, Tirur and Chavakkad taluks. This college is affiliated Calicut Univarsity. College offers Masters and Bachelors degree courses in arts, science and commerce discipline.
  • M E S engineering College in Kuttippuram
  • Kelapplaji College of agricultural engineering and technology, Thavannur are in ponnani taluk and caters to a large number of students to pursue engineering studies in various disciplines.

  • Scholar college
  • Govt ITC
  • Regional Arts and Science College
  • IHRD College of Applied Science, Vattamkulam

Schools

  • A.V. High School Ponnani


- This century old school started in 1885 is one among the oldest in Malabar and has brought up a number of notable personalities like C Radhakrishnan, artist Padmini etc.
  • M.I. High School Ponnani


- Established in 1947, has very important role in educating the backward people whom mostly came from coastal area. This school was recently upgraded to Higher Secondary and now boasts of two full fledged higher secondary schools for boys and girls.
  • Thrikkavu Government High school,
  • Ponnani Girls High school,
  • I S S School,
  • Vijaya Matha High School.
  • N S S High school, Nariparambu.
  • Bharathiya Vidhya Bhavan,Ponnani.
  • Al Basheer Educational Trust.
  • Al-Falah English School,Veliancode
  • Makhdoomiyya English School,Ponnani

People and social civilization

Ponnani has a population which is a blend of almost equal percentage of Hindus and Muslims and has set an example for tolerant and peaceful co-existence. Ponnani is constituted as rural region, with agriculture and fishing being the main means of livelihood. The area boasts a few NRI pockets, wherein foreign remittances have created an aura of prosperity.

From the books of history

Malik Ibn Dinar, the first Islamic missionary to come to Kerala, is believed to have visited Ponnani. William Logan, the British historian, records in his Malabar Manual
William Logan (Malabar Manual)
William Logan was a Scottish officer of the Madras Civil Service under the British Government. Before his appointment as Collector of Malabar, he had served in the area for about twenty years in the capacity of Magistrate and Judge. He was conversant in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu...

 that the Ponnani Juma Masjid was built in 925 Hijrah Era. Ponnani was considered as the second capital of Malabar during the reign of Zamorins of Calicut and was the headquarters of Kunjali Marakkar
Kunjali Marakkar
The Kunhali Marakkar or Kunjali Marakkar was the title given to the Muslim naval chief of the Zamorin , Hindu king of Calicut, in present day state of Kerala, India during the 16th century. There were four major Kunhalis who played a part in the Zamorin's naval wars with the Portuguese from 1520...

, the naval chief of Zamorin.

It attained a status as an important centre for education in the philosophy of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

. In the early period, Ponnani was considered the Al Azhar University of Kerala, for its great religious schools and teachers. Ponnani was called the 'small Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...

' of South India.

Hyder Ali of Mysore conquered Malabar in 1766 and established an outpost in Ponnani. During his son Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...

’s regime Ponnani became an important centre for Islamic studies. Tipu developed the port at Ponnani for trade and security reasons. Ponnani was the southern most town of Tipu's regime. After Tipu’s defeat in 1799, the British took the territory of Malabar under their control.

Trikkavu in Ponnani was the summer capital of Zamorins of Calicut, the rulers of Malabar.

Ponnani and nationalist movements

Ponnani is a name very much associated with the nationalist movements in the freedom struggle. A number of prominent leaders from this taluk had contributed in soul and spirit towards realizing the dream of Independent India. Role of great freedom struggle leaders like Zainuddin Makhdoom
Zainuddin Makhdoom
-Zainudden Makhdoom II The Jurist:The famous author of Fat'h Ul Mueen, the Arabic text book on Shafi'i school of Fiqh or Islamic jurisprudence. It was taught in the some of the most renowned Islamic Universities such as Al Azhar-Zainudden Makhdoom I The historian:...

 II, who wrote a book Tuhafat Ul Mujahideen
Tuhafat Ul Mujahideen
-Kerala History Text of 16th Century:A famous text book of history by the 16th-century Malayali Shaikh Zainuddin MakhdoomShaykh Zainuddin Makhdum’s “Tuhfat al-Mujahidin” is a pioneering historical work dealing with the struggles of the Malabar Muslims against the Portuguese incursion in India...

, which is the first authentic book on Kerala history, to inspire people to fight Portughese invasion is remembered for ever. Ponnani has also contributed a great deal to the cultural and literary heritage of Kerala.

Shri. KV Raman Menon (1900–1974), known as Ponnani Gandhi, was a great Congress leader of the time who had actively participated in the freedom movement of Malabar. He was a social reformer and was a leading lawyer of the Court of Ponani.

EK Imbichibava has played a tremendous role in its development. He is known as The Soul of Ponnani. He was a great Communist Leader and former Member of Indian Parliament and Member of Kerala Legislative Assembly.

Religious and heritage monuments

Ponnani is well known among Keralites for its numerous mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...

s build across Ponnani municipality. To name one is the oldest mosque Ponani Juma Masjid which is five hundred year old. As equal it is also known for Hindu temples such as Thrikkavu Temple
Thrikkavu Temple
Thrikkavu Sri Durga Bhagavathy Temple is an ancient Temple situated in Ponnani, Malapuram District, Kerala State, India. Goddess Durga is the main deity of this centuries old temple. Even though authentic details are not available about the age of the temple, it is considered as one of the 108...

 and the Navamukunda Temple in Thirunavaya
Thirunavaya
Thirunavaya is a small village in Malappuram district of Kerala, south India. This village is famed as the theatre of the Mamankam festival held in the Thirunavaya Temple on the banks of the Bharathapuzha River....

, located on the northern banks of river Barathapuzha. Another famous temple in Ponnani is Mookkuthala Bhagavathy Temple. Mookkuthala Kannemkavu temple is situated nearby the Mookuthala temple. This temple is owned and managed by Azhvancheri Thamprakal. Centuries ago, saints from the famous Chettikulangara Temple, Mavelikkara
Chettikulangara Devi Temple
Chettikulangara Sree Bhagavathi temple is one of the most renowned temples in Kerala. The temple is located at Chettikulangara in Mavelikkara taluk of Alappuzha district in the south Indian state of Kerala...

, visited and stayed here for bhojanam, at the time of their journey to Azhvancherry Mana.

Peoples and their contribution to Kerala

People from Ponnani had contributed much for Kerala's rich cultural treasure and plays a significant role in the cultural history of Kerala.
Few people on the list,
  • Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan
    Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan
    Thunjathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan was an Indian poet from around the 16th century, known as the father of the Malayalam language — the principal language of the Indian state of Kerala, spoken by 36 million people in the world...

    , who is considered as the Father of the Modern Malayalam language
  • Vallathol Narayana Menon
    Vallathol Narayana Menon
    Vallathol Narayana Menon , popularly known as Mahakavi, was one of the celebrity poets in Malayalam language, spoken in the South Indian state of Kerala. Vallathol was born in Chennara, near Tirur, in Malappuram District of Kerala state, southern India. Up to his 27 years he lived in Chennara and...

     (1878–1958)
  • Kuttikrishna Marar
    Kuttikrishna Marar
    Kuttikrishna Marar was an Indian essayist and literary critic born in Pattambi, Kerala. Perhaps he was an odd personality who showed courage to question anything that he felt wrong in the field of literary criticism. He never hesitated to show his antipathy to adoration and imitation in the...

  • Krishna Panikkar
  • Illustrious novelists like Uroob
    Uroob
    Uroob was a famous Malayalam writer from Kerala state, South India. He along with writers like Basheer, Thakazhi, Kesavadev, and Pottekkatt formed the progressive writers in Malayalam during the twentieth century. Uroob is a recipient of Kendra Sahithya Academy Award for his novel Sundarikalum...

     (pseudonym of P. C. Kuttikrishnan), M. T. Vasudevan Nair
    M. T. Vasudevan Nair
    Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair , popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District, which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj...

    , Madhavikkutty and C. Radhakrishnan
    C. Radhakrishnan
    C. Radhakrishnan is a renowned writer and film director in Malayalam language from Kerala state, South India. He has been honored by both the National Sahitya Academy of India and the Kerala Sahithya Academy of Kerala . He has been conferred the Vayalar Award , Mahakavi G...

    , poets like Edasseri Govindan Nair
    Edasseri Govindan Nair
    Edasseri Govindan Nair is a prominent Malayalam poet. His works include 19 books and over 300 poems in 10 anthologies, 6 books of plays and a collection of essays....

     etc.,
  • The well-known painters like K.C.S. Panikkar, Namboothiri
    Namboothiri (artist)
    K. M. Vasudevan Namboothiri, better known as Artist Namboothiri, is a well-known painter and sculptor from the state of Kerala, India. He is the winner of the Raja Ravi Varma Award for the year 2003. He is famous for his own style of "Line sketches or Rekhachithrangal".-Early Life:Artist...

  • The role of EK Imbichibava is remembered for his contribution to the town and people.
  • VP Cherukoya Thangal was a Muslim League MLA in early days.
  • Vakil K. V. Raman Menon was the lynch pin of Ponani for its religious harmony especially during the Khilafat Movement.
  • Edasseri Govinadan Nair, the popular poet as Vakil's follower and also as his clerk also has contributed to many of the social reformations in Ponani.
  • Advocate Koladi Govindan Kutty, K. Krishna Warrier, Justice Kunhammad Kutty, Fatima Teacher, K.V. Syed Kutty, Prof. A. V. Moideen Kutty, Prof. M. M. Narayanan, Prof. K. V. Abdurahiman, Prof. Kadavanad Mohammad, K.V.Noorudheen sahib, Kodambiye Rahman, P. Surendran etc. have contributed a lot for the cultural development of Ponnani.

Local Administration

There are two administrative systems prevailing in Ponnani taluk:
  • Revenue
  • Local self-government.


The local self-government system constitutes the Municipality and Block Panchayat. Ponnani Municipality has 50 wards. Each ward is represented by an elected member in the Municipal council. Under the revenue system, the taluk is divided into 13 villages. Ponnani taluk is constituted of the following villages.
  • Alankode
  • Edappal
  • Ezhuvathiruthy
  • Kalady
    Kalady
    Kalady is a village located east of the Periyar river, in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. Notably, it is the birthplace of Sri Adi Shankara, and thus is a popular destination for pilgrims...

  • Maranchery
    Maranchery
    Maranchery is a small village in Ponnani taluk, Malappuram district of Kerala state in India. This village is bounded by Biyyam Kaayal and Naranipuzha on one side and Veliancode village on the other side.-Location:...

  • Nannam Mukku
  • Perumpadappu
  • Ponnani
  • Thavannur
  • Vattamkulam
    Vattamkulam
    -Location:Vattamkulam is a village in Malappuram district of Kerala state, India.Vattamkulam is located near Edappal. A village in the fertile valley of the Bharatapuzha River, also known as the Nila River."Vattamkulam" literally means "Round Pond"...

  • Veliyancode
  • K K Junction
  • Kuttikkadu


Located in Malappuram District of Kerala state in India, Ponnani is the smallest Taluk of the district.

Ponnani Parliament constituency

Ponnani is one among the 20 parliament constituencies of Kerala. The Ponnani constituency comprises the assembly segments of
  • Tirurangadi
  • Tanur
  • Tirur
  • Ponnani
  • Mankada
  • Kuttipuram
  • Perinthalmanna
  • and Thrithala
    Thrithala
    Thrithala is a village in Ottappalam taluk in Palakkad District of Kerala state, South India. The village is located along the banks of Bharathapuzha and is famed for its Shiva temple.-Legends:...

    .


Between 1957 and 1977, when Ponnani was a reserved constituency, it was held by the Marxists. Once it was re-labeled a general constituency in 1977, the balance of power shifted to the IUML. General Statistics (Municipality as per 1991 Census):

Ponnani Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segments:
  1. Tirurangadi
  2. Tanur
  3. Tirur
  4. Ponnani
  5. Tavanur
  6. Kottakkal
  7. Thrithala


As the Chamravattom project becomes a reality, a landmark growth is expected in the tourism, irrigation and transportation sectors. The foundation for this ambitious project was laid in 1982.

See also

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