Vatakara

Jetty on the Moorad river

Vatakara is located at 11.60°N 75.58°E / 11.60; 75.58 and has an average elevation of 16 m (52 ft).[6] It is situated about 49 km to the north of Kozhikode City, approximately 44 km to the south of Kannur City, and adjacent to Mahé.[7] The town lies by the side of a river variously called the Moorad river, the Kuttiady river, or Kottakkal river. The town's position relative to this river led to it being called Vadakkekara (north bank), later contracted to Vatakara. Towards the east, near the panchayats of Nadapuram and Kuttiady, Vadakara borders the Wayanad district along the Western Ghats section. In the west, like many of the towns in Kerala, Vatakara is flanked by the Arabian Sea. The Kuttiyadi river meets the sea to the south of Vatakara, forming small islands and sandbars near the river mouth.

Vatakara was the capital of the historical region called Kurumba Nadu, home of the Kurumbar people. In the pre-British era, a major part of the current Vatakara taluk, including the area currently constituting the Vatakara municipality, was ruled by a chieftain as a feudatory to the Kolathiri kingdom. The remaining part of the taluk was initially part of the Polathiri kingdom and later ruled by the Zamorins of Calicut. The boundary between these kingdoms is believed to have been in the region in Vatakara known as Puduppanam, with the Moorad river forming a geographical boundary. The Kadathanad dynasty was established when a Polathiri royal was forced to cross over to Kolathunadu after an unsuccessful battle with the Zamorins, settled in the region, and married a Kolathiri princess.Payyoli is near by city of Vadakara.

Vatakara became an important trade center in the region by the early 18th century, exporting agricultural products such as coffee, pepper and coconut. Together with smaller nearby ports at Chombal, Muttungal and Kottakkal, Badagara became one of the major centers of trade at a level with those at Cannanore, Tellicherri and Calicut. Building on a thriving economy led by a strong sea trade, the Kadathanad rulers established a strong naval force which became known as the "Lord of the Seas", since it was the strongest naval force from the Malayalam-speaking region.[8]

A significant factor in the rise of Vatakara as a trade center was the rise and subsequent fall of the Kunjali Marakkars of Kottakkal. During the 16th century CE, Kunjali Marakkars were the admirals of the Zamorin's naval fleet and were famous for their valor and sea battle tactics. The Marakkars established their stronghold in Kottakkal and built a fort there. The last Marakkar, Kunjali IV, was defeated at the beginning of the 17th century by the combined forces of the Zamorin, with whom he had fallen out, and the Portuguese, who resented the interference of Kunjali and his followers in their trade route. The fort was completely destroyed by a bombardment from the sea. However, the Marakkars' knowledge of ship handling and tactics continued to be passed down in the community of seafarers in this area of Vatakara, later allowing the ruler of Kadathanad to establish his supremacy in the sea and to enforce a 'pass' system for trade ships.

The region became a separate kingdom around 1750, when the then chieftain took the title of Kadathanad Rajah. During this period, there are records of frequent skirmishes between Kadathanad and the ruler of Kottayam as well as the foreign colonial powers of the British, based in Thalassery, and the French, based in Mahé.

In legend, Vatakara is the birthplace of Unniyarcha, Aromal Chekavar, and Thacholi Othenan, the heroes of the Vadakkanpattu (ballads of North Malabar). The Thacholi family home, Thacholi Tharavadu, is still preserved and the anniversary of Thacholi Othenan's birth is celebrated in the Thacholi Manikkothu Kavu temple.

Notable temples in the area include Lokanarkavu and Kottakkal Bhagavathi Temple, the second richest temple in North Malabar. Kalari Ullathil Temple is also situated near Vatakara town.The martial art Kalaripayattu originated in Vatakara.

Most of Vatakara's inhabitants are labourers and farmers, while some are government employees. A large number of expatriates from Vatakara work in Middle Eastern countries, and their remittances have a strong influence on the local economy. Some emigrants work in nearby states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

As of the 2011 Census of India,[9] Vatakara had a population of 75,740, with males constituting 48% of the population and females 52%. Vatakara has an average literacy rate of 83%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 80%. 11% of the population was under 6 years old.

Fishing is one of Vatakara's main commercial activities. The Moorad River flows into the Arabian Sea at a point close to the town.

Vatakara is organized around two commercial hubs, the old and new bus depots. The area around the old bus depot contains commercial establishments as old as 100 years. Recently, commerce has shifted to the area around the new bus depot and the road towards Kannur, with many new buildings, including hospitals and flats being built or planned.

Nut Street is the distribution center for nuts, including coconuts and areca nuts. Produce flows to collection outlets and is dried, packed, and transported to other states. Northern Kerala is well known for the production of coconuts.

Hospitals include the CO-OP Hospital, Asha Hospital, Janatha Hospital, Ceeyam Hospital and the Parco specialty hospital.

The Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society is a unique labour cooperative initiative centered in Madappally that was inspired by the Indian sage Vagbhatananda. The society was registered in 1925.[10]

• Train: Vatakara Railway Station is one of India's model railway stations, and is connected to all major metros.
• Air: Kannur International Airport is the closest airport, approximately 48 km away. Calicut International Airport is approximately 60 km away.
• Road: National Highway 66 (NH66) passes through Vatakara town, connecting Vatakara to Kozhikode to the south (45 km) and to Kannur (44 km) and Mangalore (188 km) to the north. A preliminary survey is being performed for a National Highway to connect Vatakara to Bangalore through Nadapuram.

The position of the Vatakara Taluk in Kozhikode district is given below:

Vatakara

Koyilandy

Thamarassery

Kozhikode

The villages included in the Taluk are:

• Ayancherry
• Azhiyur
• Chekkiad
• Chorodu
• Edacherry
• Eramala
• Kavilumpara
• Kayakkodi
• Kottappally
• Kunnummal
• Kuttiady
• Maniyur
• Maruthomkara
• Nadakkuthazha
• Nadapuram
• Narippatta
• Onchiyam
• Palayad
• Purameri
• Tinur
• Thiruvallur
• Thuneri
• Valayam
• Vanimal
• Vatakara
• Velom
• Vilangad
• Villiappally

There are many schools, colleges and tuition centers in Vatakara.

Vidya Prakash Public School, Rani Public School, Chorode (ranischool.com) and Gokulam Public School are the 3 main private schools in Vadakara.

Government College, Madappally is a post-graduate campus affiliated with the University of Calicut.

The 62nd Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Open University was established at Vatakara in January 2011, serving students from the Malabar region, including the Kasargod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode, and Malappuram districts.

Science center is a famous tution center located in vadakara.More than two thousands of students are studying there.They provide entrance couching along with plus one,plus two tution classes

• Thacholi Othenan
• Thacholi Ambadi
• Unniyarcha
• Kutti Ahmed Ali – Kunhali Marakkar I
• T. P. Chandrasekharan
• Gokulam Gopalan
• K Madhavan Asianet
• Thajudeen Vadakara
• Punathil Kunjabdulla
• Mullappally Ramachandran
• Basheer Geepas
• Vadakara Krishnadas
• V. T. Murali
• Premkumar Vadakara
• C. K. Nanu
• Meenakshi Amma

• M Dasan MLA

• Orkkatteri
• Nadapuram
• Thottilpalam
• Perambra
• Madappally
• Villiappally
• Memunda
• Iringal
• Kalari Ullathil
• Mahe, Pondicherry
• Payyoli
• Thikkodi
• Koyilandy
• Kozhikode
• Thinoor