Tirur Ponnani

Ponnani (formerly Ponani, Paniyani) is a coastal municipality and an important fishing center in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 9.32 km2. It is a tidal port, mainly used by the fishing industry. It is situated at the mouth of Bharathapuzha river, the second longest river of Kerala and is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the west.

Ponnani is often regarded one of the oldest ports in southern India and is sometimes roughly identified with the port Tyndis of the Roman accounts.[citation needed]

Ponnani taluk is the smallest taluk in Malappuram district.

Located in Malappuram District of Kerala state in India, Ponnani is a small town at the mouth of the Bharathapuzha. It is a port used primarily as a fishing harbour. Ponnani is a "town of mosques". Though described as the "place of 231/2 masjids", there are nearly 50 mosques. 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 religious co-existence its history. Malik Ibnu Dinar, the legendary first Islamic missionary who came to Kerala, is believed to have visited Ponnani.

William Logan, the famous historian-turned-civil administrator, records in his Malabar Manual about the Ponnani Juma’ Masjid built in 925 Hijra. Ponnani is considered as the second capital of Kingdom of Calicut during the reign of Zamorins and was the headquarters of Kunhali Marakkars, the famous naval army chiefs of Calicut.[citation needed]

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 Muslim religious schools and teachers. Ponnani was called "the small Mecca" in southern India, Malaya, Indonesia etc. Ponnani has also contributed a great deal to the cultural and literary heritage of Kerala.

Text courtesy: Wikipedia.org