Madayi Palli

Madayi Palli
Basic information
Location	Pazhayangadi in Kannur district, northern Kerala
Affiliation	Sunni Islam
Architectural description
Architectural type	Mosque
Architectural style	Indo-Saracenic (present structure)
Completed	2006 (present structure)

Madayi Palli (Malayalam: മാടായി പള്ളി) is mosque at Pazhayangadi in Kannur district, northern Kerala. It is one of the oldest mosques in Kerala, with local legends dating back to 8th century AD. It is believed to have been built by Malik b. Dinar and contains a block of white marble said to have been brought from Mecca.^[1] It is one of the several mosques around Pazhayangadi/Payangadi. It is situated on the banks of Kuppam River, which joins Valapattanam River at its estuary.

The local legends say of the arrival of Malik b. Dinar and his party with them letters from the Ceraman Perumal [king of the Cera Perumal Kingdom] to different native chiefs seeking their assistance to the missionary activities and construction of the mosques. The Madayi Palli was constructed with the assistance of the Kolathiri Raja to whom also there was a letter from the last Perumal. According to Shaikh Zainuddin, the first qazi of the new mosque was Malik b. 'Abdu Rahman.^[2]

Stone Plaque

The Palli bore a stone marker/plaque listing (Arabic inscription) the year 1124 AD (Hijra 518) as the date of its construction. As a part of renovation, the old structure was razed in 2006, and a new structure (Indo- Saracenic) has been built on its foundations. The stone marker is preserved and incorporated into the floor of the new building, but the original date is no longer legible.^[3]

Qibla Point

At the rear of the mosque an old wall has been retained incorporating the original mark of the qibla, while beside it stands the first pulpit (mimbar), a simple visibly ancient raised stone platform.

The old Mimbar

The second mimbar, also old, has been retained in the new mosque. It has four carved wooden posts holding up a flat canopy that is covered with painted flowers on its interior.^[4] The tombs of two saints said to have been companions of Malik Dinar have been consigned to a rear room.^[5]

Other names

• Matayi Palli/Mosque
• Malik ibn Dinar Mosque, Madayi
• Pazhayangadi Mosque

References

1. "Pilgrim's progress". The Hindu. 30 June 2003. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
2. Husain Raṇṭattāṇi. Mappila Muslims: A Study on Society and Anti Colonial Struggles Other Books, Calicut (2007)
3. Roland E. Miller. Mappila Muslim Culture: How a Historic Muslim Community in India Has Blended Tradition and Modernity. State University of New York, Albany (2015)
4. Roland E. Miller. Mappila Muslim Culture: How a Historic Muslim Community in India Has Blended Tradition and Modernity. State University of New York, Albany (2015)
5. Roland E. Miller. Mappila Muslim Culture: How a Historic Muslim Community in India Has Blended Tradition and Modernity. State University of New York, Albany (2015)