Malappuram is a place of high historical significance because one thing is for certain that the history of Malappuram has been eventful. Malappuram first made its appearance in the pages of history when it was made the military headquarters of the samorins of Kozhikode. However Malappuram made sure of its place in history because of the revolts against the British East India Company in Kerala called the Mappila revolts between 1792 and 1921. It was also a place for hindu-vedic learning and Islamic philosophy. Malappuram is located at 50 kilometres southeast of Kozhikode. It is bounded on the east by the Nilgiri hills, the Arabian Sea on the west and Thrissur and Palakkad districts on the south. The Chaliya, the Kadalundi and the Bharathapuzha are three famous rivers in Malappuram.
Malappuram is easily accessible by air, rail and road. Mallapuram is connected to all the major towns in Kerala by road network. The nearest airport is Kozhikode at about 36 kilometres and the main railway stations is Kozhikode (Calicut). The popular places to visit in Malappuram are the Jama-at mosque, the Thali Temple, Perinthalmanna and NIlambur. The Jamat-at mosque is a revered religious centre among the Muslims of Kerala. Nilambur is the original home of the cholainaickans which is the oldest aboriginal tribe of Kerala.
The world’s oldest teak plantation and bamboo woods in canoli’s plot are found in Nilambur. Tanur happens to be one of the oldest settlements of Portuguese and legend it has that St. Francis Xavier visited the place in 1546. Kottakkal Arya Vaidyasala is a very famous ayurvedic institution and is situated in Kottakkal. The Thali Temple is located in the west of angadipuram on the way to Malappuram from Perinthalmanna. Thus Mallapuram has made high contributions in the growth of the cultural heritage of Kerala and one must visit this place in order to see and feel the ramifications of the historical events that occurred in the past in this place.