House with Poomukham in Musliyarangadi, Kondotty

Village house in Musliyarangadi

Some 25 years back, it was fashionable to build tiled houses in Malappuram district.  The first floor was always built minimally and the ground floor quite elaborately.  Wood was used extensively and visitors were first welcomed into a projecting sitting room called ''Poomugham''.  Small windows were used as the fashion of older times.  Ventillators were considered as part of the windows rather than holes in the ceiling.  Red oxide was the preferred flooring and on the whole it was very cool.  Maybe that is because of the red oxide or maybe because many trees surrounded houses of that period. 

Ramanattukara, Feroke, Chelari and Tenhippalam

Ramanattukara is a big town of Kozhikode district lying near the airport.  The town has gained a lot of prominence in recent years of rapid commercial growth.  There are two road junctions in Ramanattukara, one catering to the airport and the other leading to the university.There is an industrial park at Kakkanchey on the University Road.  There is a public engineering college in Kohinoor village after the university.  Feroke is the nearest railway station and this town is very beautiful because it lies on the bank of Chaliyar river.  The university road goes further to Chelari, Thalappara, Kolappuram, Tirurangadi and Kottakkal. 

Riverside drive from Edavanna to Areekode

The road from Edavanna to Areekode is ideal for a pleasant walk or a quick drive.  The journey begins by crossing the Jamalangadi Bridge to reach villages like Palapetta and Pannippara.  The bridge is set in a very scenic and shady place ideal for big angle photographs.  The next villages are Pottiyil, V.K.Padi, Vadashery, Moozhippadam and Puthalam.  At Moozhippadam, there is a riverside temple dedicated to Vishnu.  The entire road from Edavanna to Areekode is on the side of the Chaliyar river and there are many opportunities for green photos.  At Puthalam junction the left diversion takes you to Calicut and going straight means you reach the little town of Areekode.  Malabar meat dishes are available in good taste in Areekode but ambiance part is totally absent. 

Kondotty, Valluvambram, Manjeri and Malappuram

When you drive from Calicut to Malappuram, the first major town is Ramanattukara.
After Ramanattukara, you have little towns like Aykkarapadi, Ziyamkandam, Periyambalam, Pulikkal, Alungal, Kolathur and Thurakkal. After Kondotty, there are scenic villages like Kottukkara, Musliyarangadi, Pothattippara, Morayur and Mongam. You can take the right diversion from Musliyarangadi to see Arimbra hills which is just five kilometres away. The hill offers a good view of Kozhikde Airport and is popular with trekkers. At Valluvambram junction, the road forks into two. The right diversion goes to Malappuram and the left diversion goes to Manjeri.

The road to Manjeri has little towns like Pullanoor, Moochikkal, Pullara, Alukkal, Veembur, Pattarkulam, Kottupatta, Thurakkal and Kuttukkal. Manjeri is a fairly large town quite tastelessly developed. Healthy eating is near impossible in Manjeri except at the Indian Coffee House near Kauser Masjidh on Pandikkad Road.

The road to Malappuram is much more developed with richer towns on either side like Athanikkal, Aravankara, Pookkottoor and Melmuri. At Pookkottur, you can find a memorial of the freedom fighting of 1921. Other towns like Alathurpady, Valayattapadi, Swalath Nagar, Konompara and Kottappady decorate the street. The beginning of Malappuram is at ‘’downhill’’ with a prominent intersection diverting to Tirur beach town. Going straight you reach the ‘’uphill’’ town where the KSRTC bus station, Kottakkunnu hill and good lodges are located. Kottakkunnu Hill is well developed with numerous tiled footpaths, steps and decorated lamps.

Nilambur to Ooty

Nilambur is a delightful place to go. It is easy to reach and there are many attractions in and around Nilambur. Nilambur is accessible from the nearest town of Manjeri. The road from Manjeri to Nilambur goes through C.H.Bypass and passes towns like Melakkam, Nelliparamba, Cherani, Krikkad, Thrukkalangod, Karakkunnu, Pathapiriyam and Edavanna. Edavanna is a fairly big town with a lot of gulf money based business. Muslim leader Seethi Haji is behind the growth of Edavanna town. There is a scenic bridge in Edavanna town on the road to Areekode. There is one triangular junction with a lot of trees and a Sunni mosque here. After Edavanna, you come across a very photogenic bridge called Kundathode Bridge. Then comes villages like Pongallur and Thottinkara. Mampad town is next and you have to stop here for a while to enjoy the hanging bridge just behind the town. You can walk across the hanging bridge and make friendship with the autorikshaw drivers waiting on the other side. They have built a cute little shelter to sit and chat in shade. You can also visit the Syed Makham in Mampad. After Mampad comes the Vadapuram junction. If you turn right , you will reach Thrissur city. There are big landmarks in Vadapuram like Springs International School, St.George Church and the St.Francis Assissi Church. There is a prominent Sunni Mosque in Vadapuram junction which is painted in bright green. There is a photogenic river bridge here with forests all around you. P.V.S.Public School road is the next land mark and Nilambur town begins soon. Nilambur is a fairly big town with many good restaurants and hotels. The people live quite luxuriously in spite of being a remote place. Hotel Vinayaka has parking facility and the Teak Museum is worth a visit. There is another scenic spot called Karimpuzha bridge on the way. After the district agricultural farm comes the riverside road at Edamala and there is a scenic mosque at Pallippady. The next town is Chungathara where St.George Valiyapally stand majestically. Edakkara is the next town and there is a high class vegetarian restaurant near the bus station here. It is called “Hotel Devi Vilas”. There are many photo ops in Edakkara like the Palathingal village and the Edakkara bridge. The panchayath has a cattle market here which makes the whole area very lively. Palathinkal Juma Masjidh and Immanual Church are also set in picture postcard surroundings. The Guidiance Public campus is also very pretty. Nellikuth Junction and St. Thomas Orthodox church comes next before entering the border town of Vazhikkadavu. The town has no attractions except for the silent farms and fields. After taking some rest in Vazhikkadavu, you can scale the hill road to Ooty.