Payangadi

Payangadi (aka Pazhayangadi, Malayalam: പഴയങ്ങാടി) means old market. Payangadi is a small township approximately 22 kilometers north of Kannur town, in Kerala, South India. The west side of this town is Madayi Hills (Madayippara) and one side is Payangadi Rivers. Ezhimala, the hills with lot of medical herbs and ancient history is situated nearly 4 km west to Payangadi. One has to travel to the west to Muttam and Ettikkulam to reach there. This township spreads over in the Madayi and Ezhome Panchayaths.

Malik Dinar, a scholar during the times of the Islamic prophet Muhammad arrived here to set up a mosque, making it one of the first places that Islam was introduced in India. Much of the population of Payangadi is Muslim although followers of other religions also live here. Payangadi is a bustling township with a lot of old houses and mosques built in traditional architecture.

Most of the people living in Payangadi are merchants. Payangadi also has a railway bridge and a railway station which according to history was built by the British, during their rule in India. The Payangadi riverwinds through the town and provides some spectacular views,especially from Madayi Paara.From top of Madayi Paara one can see the entire town snuggled under the Ezhmala The Madayi hill is locally known as the Madayi Paara (Paara in Malayalam means 'rock'). On this hilltop, there are a number of educational institutions, like Wadi Huda College, Madayi Co-operative College, Madayi Govt Higher Secondary School etc.

Payangadi is famous for the Madayi Kavu which was the worship place for the Kolathiris (Mooshika Kings). Payangadi is just 4 kilometers away from Ezhimalai (Ezhimala), which was the Capital of the ancient Mooshika Dynasty. The name Payangadi is also believed to be derived from "Pazhi" a place mentioned in the "Mooshika Vamsham" a poetry text, which was written in the first half of the eleventh century by Athulan.

The text mentions that the Mooshika King Nannan ( Udayan Venmon Nannan) fought heroic battles at Pazhi against the Chera Kings who invaded Kolathu Nadu. The Madayi village which includes Payangadi is mentioned as "Marahi" in this poetry-text, which was a famous port of the ancient times. The history of Payangadi and near by places which belonged to the Koalthunadu, is mentioned in the book 'KOLATHUPAZHAMA' written by MP Kumaran, published by KERALA SAHITYA AKADEMI.

Madayi Hill offers a splendid scene of Ezhimala which means a chain of seven mountains, where the Indian Naval Academy is situated.

See also

• Matool
• Muttam
• Kannur
• Madayi
• Cherukunnu
• North Malabar
• Ezhome