kozhikode and kuttichira mishkal mosque

A few days at kozhikode opened up a myriad of reasons in our heart to say that it is one of the best places we have been, so far. The varied cultural/historical/architectural diversities which it still preserves, the astounding friendliness rendered by the people, the geographical beauty along with the beaches, all made kozhikode a place close to our heart.

Kozhikode was supposed to be only a ‘stop by’ during our kerala trip. It ended up as one of our  major destinations. One reason could be the contrast in the regions within kerala. Though we belong to the pala (specifically bharananganam) nazrani achayan clan, boasting a  rich cultural and traditional backup, much of it is on the fading route. This could be one of the reasons that kozhikode, less influenced by westernization and still preserving a lot of its unique culture, came up as a heaven on earth for us.

Kuttichira community
The city centre itself is filled with a lot of smaller localities surrounding mosques and temples. One of our first venture was the Kuttichira community, specifically the Mishkal Mosque, Kuttichira Tank and the Juma Masjid. Though we started off as enthusiastic tourists, we ended up researching the history, culture, architecture and the community of the area. The local community were a lot enthusiastic to provide information, which showed their friendliness.

Mishkal Mosque at Kuttichira, Kozhikode, was built by Nakhuda Mishkal in the 14th century. Nakhuda Mishkal was a renowned trader and ship owner from Yemen. The title Nakhuda is of persian origin, meaning Captain of the ship; from nāv = boat + khudā = master. As you can see, the mosque was designed in the traditional kerala architecture of that period.

Mishkal Mosque at Kuttichira, Kozhikode

The Mishkal Mosque at Kuttichira stands as a symbol of communal harmony. In 1510 AD, the Portuguese had attacked the mosque and partially destroyed it. Supposedly, their mission was to divide and rule, breaking the harmony between hindus and muslims. The Samoothiri (Zamorin), the local ruler at that time, didn’t fall for this and helped in defending and repairing the mosque. 

The mosque was 5 storeyed, but after the destruction, it remained as a 4 storeyed structure. The walls of the mosque, except the ground floor are made of wood. Remnants of the portuguese destruction can still be seen on the upmost floor.

Do you know that the burka/purdah came to Kerala as part of the fashion and modernity, which was Arab influenced?

Mishkal Mosque at Kuttichira, Kozhikode

The kids in the locality actively involved in performing before our video/still cameras too.

Diving at Kuttichira Tank, Kozhikode

As per the local residents: the area surronding this vast pool is a place akin to the Piazzas (Squares) of Italy, where the locals meet and the day/nightlife activities are carried out.

Diving Acrobatics at Kuttichira Tank, Kozhikode

Shoal of fishes at the Kuttichira Tank…

Shoal of fishes at the Kuttichira Tank

Thanks to all Kuttichira residents for opening up a new world for us! We will surely visit you again.

Smiling faces.Around the Kuttichira Mishkal Mosque, Kozhikode

More photographs on the Kuttichira Mishkal area are available at https://www.rocksea.org/images/kerala/

Geographical Location of the Kuttichira Mishkal Mosque is given below. Zoom In, and you can see a temple like mosque in front of the large rectangular tank! Easily accessible by road from the Beach Road.



Kuttichira Pond, Kozhikode, Kerala

Kuttichira Mishkal Mosque, Kozhikode, Kerala, India

20 Responses

  1. james says:

    Do you have any clue; Mishkal Mosque was 7 storey . I read so, is this true.

  2. bushra says:

    its very beautiful to see………

  3. Navas ev says:

    My lovely place in kuttichira….. Mis u sooooo any time……

  4. hi,
    i have created a virtual of mishkalpalli,muchendi and juma mosque of kuttichira. last year. please visit the below link

    http://p4panorama.com/panos/kuttichra/index.html

  5. ronaldo says:

    This does not look like a Mosque but resembles a Hindu Temple with a pond nearby. I think this could have been a temple before and when it was attacked by Tippu Sultan he might have reformed the temple into a Mosque. I have been to Kuttichira and all the houses that is there looks like ancient Hindu Tharavaad, maybe these people who were high caste Brahmins were forcefully converted into Islam by Tippu or Hyderali.

    • rocksea says:

      Hello Ronaldo, I think you missed to read what is written here, and made assumptions based on the pictures shown here, or what you have seen in kuttichira. This was ofcourse built as a mosque and there are other mosques also around this area, which were built according to the traditional kerala architecture.

      If you look around kerala, you can see many mosques, churches and christian/muslim houses built w.r.to the kerala architecture. People following a religion naturally assimilate some of the local characteristics in their lifestyle and vice-versa, and that is what you see here.

      • ronaldo81 says:

        people who wanted to follow another religion could not forgo completely the traditions and values of their old religion when and that could be the reason that still one can see “Nilavilakku” in Mosques and Churches.

  6. Nakhuda Talha says:

    Hi
    Nice pics of mishkal mosque. Reminds me of our ancestor. I am from Nakhuda clan, decendant of Nakhuda ibrahim who has been mentioned by great sailor Ibn Batoota in his book.

    • rocksea says:

      Dear Nakhuda Talha,
      It is of great delight for us to hear from a descendant of the Nakhuda clan! Where are you and your families located as of now? I guess Nakhudas used to be masters of ship and travel during those times. Thanks for leaving the message. It gives a meaning to our article, a depth to its history, when it is connected to someone from that particular background 🙂

  7. shanthan says:

    Hi nice post.

    The mosque looks beautiful. is there any attempt from the archeological department or the government to preserve this old structure??

  8. wow!…this is some piece to read…liked the pics especially the kids diving into the water…got nostalgic, hmmm my good old days in kerala…diving, swimming, fishing….eh!

  9. rocksea says:

    pramod, muhad, 🙂

  10. pramod.km says:

    nice pictures. will read the post later:)

  11. Gini says:

    We were in Kerala too. Just returned.

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