Dharmadom

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Dharmadom

 or Dharmadam is a census town in Thalassery taluk of Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India. This town is located in between Anjarakandi River and Ummanchira river, and Palayad town and Arabian sea. It is known for the 100-year-old Government Brennen College and Dharmadam Island. Dharmadam is also home to famous Andaloor Kavu. The annual festival here draws thousands of devotees. A variety of theyyams are performed during the week-long fest in February. During the festive season the entire village follows vegetarian diet and offers rice flakes, jaggery and plantains to all guests. India’s premier circus Academy, Circus Academy Thalassery is also located at Dharmadam. There is a small railway station in Dharmadam where only the local passenger trains stop.

Dharmadam was earlier known as Dharmapattanam and was previously a Buddhist stronghold.

The Dharmadam Island is located 100 metres away from the mainland at Dharmadam. Geographically, Dharmadam is an island, en route Thalassery and Kannur. It is surrounded by the Anjarakandi River on three sides and by the Arabian sea on the fourth side. The Jews and the Arabs have named this place Dahfattan in their records in the 12th century, the British named it Darmapatam and the Portuguese called it Darmapatao.

History

The Kolathunadu emerged into independent 10 principalities i.e., Kadathanadu (Vadakara), Randathara or Poyanad (Dharmadom), Kottayam (Thalassery), Nileshwaram, Iruvazhinadu (Panoor, Kurumbranad etc., under separate royal chieftains due to the outcome of internal dissensions. The Poyanad (Randu Thara) and a vast area of land upto New Mahe was ruled by Ayathan royal family, who were the head of 4 families and “5 Tharas” of Randuthara Poyanad province under the kingship of Ayathan Kunjambu (Ambu Karnor) forefather of Ayyathan Gopalan.  The Nileshwaram dynasty on the northernmost part of Kolathiri dominion, were relatives to both Kolathunadu as well as the Zamorin of Calicut, in the early medieval period.

The Dharmadam region was also called Poyanadu due to the belief that Dharmadam was the place from where the last Cheraman Perumal king of Kerala took his final departure on the journey to Mecca and sailed to Mecca. It was originally a part of Kolathunadu earlier. According to the Legend of Cheraman Perumals, the first Indian mosque was built in 624 AD at Kodungallur with the mandate of the last the ruler (the Cheraman Perumal) of Chera dynasty, who converted to Islam during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (c. 570–632). According to Qissat Shakarwati Farmad, the Masjids at Kodungallur, Kollam, Madayi, Barkur, Mangalore, Kasaragod, Kannur, Dharmadam, Panthalayini, and Chaliyam, were built during the era of Malik Dinar, and they are among the oldest Masjids in Indian Subcontinent. The 16th century Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen also states about the Masjid at Dharmapattanam (Dharmadam).

The island of Dharmapattanam was claimed by all of the Kolattu Rajas, Kottayam Rajas, and Arakkal Bibi in the late medieval period. The island of Dharmadam was ceded to East India Company in 1734, along with Thalassery.

Demographics

As of 2011 Census,, Dharmadam had a population of 30,804. Males constitute 45.4% of the population and females 54.6%. The average sex ratio was 1202 higher than state average of 1084. Dharmadam census town has an area of 10.66 km2 (4.12 sq mi) with 6,751 families residing in it. Dharmadom had an average literacy rate of 97.2%, higher than the state average of 94%: male literacy was 98.4% and, female literacy was 96.3%. In Dharmadam, 9.2% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Education

  • Govt. Brennen College, Dharmadam
  • Kannur University Thalassery Campus, Palayad
  • District Institute of Education Training, Palayad
  • Govt. Higher Secondary School, Palayad
  • Jeycee Special School, Dharmadam
  • Rotary Special School, Dharmadam

Notable citizens

  • Pinarayi Vijayan- Chief Minister of Kerala 2016 to present
  • M.N. Vijayan – Critic, writer and orator
  • N Prabhakaran – Writer
  • Valsalan Vathussery – Writer
  • M.P. Kumarn – Historian, translator.
  • DR.Ayyathan Gopalan – Renaissance leader and social reformer of Kerala, Doctor, Writer.
  • Moorkoth Ramunni – First malayalee fighter pilot

Access

  • Road :Kanyakumari-Mumbai NH 66 (previously NH 17) passes through Dharmadam. Dharmadam is 3.5 km away from the nearest city Thalassery. Frequent bus services from Thalassery to Andaloor, Meloor, Parapram and Kannur criss cross Dharmadam. Fast Passenger and Town to Town buses stop at Meethalepeetika in Dharmadam.
  • Railway: Dharmadam has a railway station where local passenger trains stop. Nearest major station is in Thalassery 3.5 km from Dharmadam. Kannur railway station is 18 km away.
  • Nearest airport -The Kannur International Airport is 25 km from Dharmadam.