Odathil Palli
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Odathil Palli (Odathil Mosque) is a 200 year old mosque in Thalassery, a city in the state of Kerala, South India. The mosque was built around 1806.
[edit] History
In the heart of Thalassery stands the 200 year old Odathil Palli and the Garden Mosque. The site of the Odathil Palli used to be a sugarcane garden of the Dutch. It changed hands to the British-owned East India Company.
Moosakaka, a Muslim keralite, was the contractor of the East India Company. Moosakaka hailed from the Keyi family of Thalassery. The Keyis were was one of the prominent traders of the time.
Moosakaka was considered to be very honest and trustworthy. Hence the company wanted to gift him for his loyalty. As per his request he was given the sugar garden of the Dutch. Musakaka bought this land for a small price as he did not want it free.
He constructed a beautiful mosque in Thalassery in the 'Karimbin-odam' (Sugarcane plantation) formerly belonged to the Dutch, occupied by the British. Odam means 'garden' in Dutch language. Since it was constructed in Odam the mosque came to be called Odathil Palli, meaning 'mosque in Odam'. The mosque had copper plate roofing and golden dome in the minor and share the scenic features as the ones noted in the Brahmonical tradition. There was opposition in laying the dome - a privilege enjoyed by the temples so Zamorin gave speed permission to lay the domes and the minaret. It highlights the communal harmony that prevailed in those days and the policy of enlightened toleration followed by the Kerala rulers. All the Muslims can offer prayers but in the Kabaristan (graveyard adjacent to the mosque) where only the dead bodies of the Keyis, their wives and children are buried.
[edit] Highlights
Odathil Palli is indeed one of the destinations that tourists and travellers come to see. The highlights of Odathil Palli are that it has the typical Kerala architecture and it is in the heart of Tellicherry. The Crown on the roof is made of gold. The mosque is still in use for worship even today.
