Tanur, Malappuram

Tanur is a small town in the Tirur tehsil, Malappuram district of Kerala state, located on the coast north of Tirur. Its ancient name was Tyndis.HistoryTanur was a part of the kingdom of the same name in medieval times. The name "Tanur (Tanni-ur)" is derived from the Malayalam language. "Tanni" refers to the Bastard myrobalan tree, Terminalia bellirica, while "ur" refers to the village. The small coastal fishing town of Tanur was one of the oldest muslim settlements in India. Many ancient mosques are situated here. This was once a Portuguese colony. It is believed that St. Francis Xavier visited Tanur in 1546AD.CultureThanoor village is a predominantly Muslim populated area. Hindus exist in comparatively smaller numbers. So the culture of the locality is based upon Muslim traditions. Duff Muttu, Kolkali and Aravanamuttu are common folk arts of this locality. There are many libraries attached to mosques giving a rich source of Islamic studies. Most of the books are written in Arabi-Malayalam which is a version of the Malayalam language written in Arabic script. People gather in mosques for the evening prayer and continue to sit there after the prayers discussing social and cultural issues. Business and family issues are also sorted out during these evening meetings. The Hindu minority of this area keeps their rich traditions by celebrating various festivals in their temples. Hindu rituals are done here with a regular devotion like other parts of Kerala.