About Kodungallur

Kodungallur is a quiet municipal town in the district of Thrissur in Central Kerala, India. Situated near the mouth of where one of the two arms of the perennial Periyar river empties itself into the Arabian Sea between Munambam and Azhikode, this quiet town has seen many kingdoms rise and fall, and many, many merchants, traders and religions make its way through the sea, inland.

In colonial times, Kodungallur was known by the anglicized name Cranganore - which is how it appears in Portuguese, Dutch and British records and maps - one of which dated 1672 is shown in the picture above.

Earlier, in pre-colonial times, Kodungallur was known as Makotai, Mahodayapuram and Mahodayapattanam, during the reign of the Kulasekharas or the Perumals of the second Chera Kingdom in the 8th-12th centuries CE.

Earlier still, Kodungallur, was widely considered to be the harbour port of Muziris, Muchiri or Muchirippattanam, referred to in ancient Greek, Roman sources ( Periplus of the Erythrean Sea ) and in the Sangam poetry of the early years of this millennium. Recent archaeological excavations have, however led to a nearby location, Pattanam, about 9 km upstream from Kodungallur, to the south, and its surrounding areas, to be considered as the possible site for the exact location of Muziris / Muchiri.