Melapalayam is a town located very close to Palayamkottai in the Tirunelveli district. It is also known as North Palayamkottai. Melapalayam offers excellence in all fields such as education, business and nature and etc. Once a mere earthen city, the Melapalayam has now evolved to the point where people are now settling in due to the labor of many people. Many years of hard work by many people have created this city so it has a huge history. Most of the people here are Muslims.
History of Melapalayam
The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Melapalayam is the Islamic people. Because that much of Islamic people living in the Melapalayam. Nearly 80 percent of the population is Muslim. The Islamic people living here did not settle here a century or two ago. According to some sources, three Muslim immigration first settled here in the 9th century AD.
No traces of ancient temples have been found in the Melapalayam town. From this, it is clear that only the Islamic people have lived here for more than a century. Due to the large Muslim population, an average of 2 mosques can be found on a single street in the Melapalayam. And there are also 34 dargahs is here. Many people in those days converted to Islam through these dargahs. But in the present times, the worship by Dargah has diminished, that one should worship only Allah.
Clan (inherited industry)
The beedi industry is very widespread in the present Melapalayam. This is because most of the housewives here are in the beedi business. However, it is mentioned that the beedi industry started in Melapalayam after 1915. Before 1915 the weaving industry was widespread here. The Islamists who came from Kerala and Arabia and settled here learned the weaving industry as their craft. They taught the same thing to their descendants. Based on this more looms and weaving methods were found here.
Names of Melapalayam
The present Melapalayam was called by other names in the past. Kayalpattinam is one of the old names of Melapalayam. Apart from this, Melapalayam is also known as Mangai Nagar, Mangai Pathi, Mangai Nallur, and Keezha Veera Ragavapuram in ancient history. All these names are mentioned in the inscriptions.
Melapalayam also calls it Little Pakistan because of the large number of Muslims living here. During the Second World War, the people of this place went to work in Rangoon and at that time Melapalayam was known as Kutty Rangoon. After world war II it was known as little Kolombo since people went to Kolombo for work.
Lastly, the name Melapalayam came under the rule of the British. Palayam means a place where a fort is built or a place where soldiers stay. Palayamkottai got its name from the presence of soldiers during British rule and the settlers(Paliyan's) who built the fort. It is said to have got the name Melapalayam as it (Melapalayam) is located in the western part of Palayamkottai.
Palay Canal
Once upon a time, there were areas of the Palayam Canal in the Melapalayam. The canal is said to have run very clean water. There are many dargahs and mosques around that canal cause the canal was convenient for cleansing the body prior to praying.
Famous Personalities
Ali, the historian has written a legend about the history and glories of this Melapalayam. The name of that legend is Miss Saj Maalai. He could not stage this legend in the Melapalayam. But his legend was staged in Thuckalay. His tomb is still near the Palai bus stand in Palayamkottai. Another important personality in the Melapalayam was Sadakathullah. He is the one who founded the Sadakathullah college in palayamkottai.
Unity in Melapalayam
The Muslim population in Melapalayam is large but the Hindu population is relatively small. But to date, there has been no problem for the Hindus and Muslims there. The main reason why Melapalayam is a great city for business today is because of the cooperation between Hindus and Islam without regard to division.
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