Chavakkad is a municipality in Thrissur District of Kerala state in India. Chavakkad is noted for its beach and fishing. It lies on National Highway 17 is about 75 km (47 mi) north of the city of Kochi, the commercial capital of Kerala and 25 km (16 mi) west of Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala.

Understand

Temple in Chavakkad Town

In spite of being a small fishing village, Chavakkad is an extremely rich place. You will be surprised by the sheer number of luxury villas in this village. The people make their money by working in the gulf countries and as per the local grape wine, from smuggling and such illegal business activities. The locals will introduce themselves as smugglers because it is a respectable profession in two cities of Kerala: Chavakkad and Kasaragod.

History

Muslim Community procession in Chavakkad

The Chavakkad Province, which was under the control of the Punnathur Swarupam, was captured by the Dutch in 1717 and the Mysore force in 1776. In 1789, on the 26th of September, Chavakkad came to be under the British Malabar used to be a district in the Madras Province. It had then for its Province self rule certain Unions The history of the local self-government of chavakkad commences with the formation of the chavakkad union in 1918 under the Malabar District Board. In 1927, a new administrative machinery formed the Panchayat Board was introduced. In those day only the big landlords, who paid regular taxes had the right to candidature in the elections and the right to vote as well. The elections were not conducted on the basis of secret ballots then. Such a system was started only in 1953, six years after the attainment of independence, during the Panchayat elections. Prior to the Panchayat elections of 1963, the first ever such election after formation of the Kerala State in 1956, the Chavakkad Panchayat had to be re-partitioned in the course of which the Guruvayoor Province was separated from the Chavakkad Panchayat and certain other provinces like the southern Palayoor, Punna, Thiruvathra, Blangad and Manathala included. On October 1st 1978, Chavakkad Panchayat was upgraded to the status of a Municipality.

See

Boats lined up on Chavakkad Beach

• 1 Chavakkad Beach. Located on the coast of Arabian Sea in West Coast, Chavakkad Beach is counted amongst Kerala's most popular beaches. It is two kilometres from the Chavakkad town. Chavakkad Beach is famous for the spectacle called 'Azhimokam' in Malayalam which means a place where a river confluences with the sea. 
• 2 Chettuva Light House. 3-5PM. Located at Thottappu 6 km from Chavakkad Town. Breathtaking view of Kerala and Arabian Sea. There are 140 steps in the lighthouse. You can see the western ghats from here on clear day. Near by the village orumanayoor ₹5. 
• 3 Guruvayur Temple. A major shrine in India. 

• 4 St. Thomas Church, Palayur. Located at Palayur, the church was established in 52 AD by St Thomas, one of the twelve close disciples of Jesus Christ. Palayoor church is the oldest (Romo-Syrian) Church in India and is called an Apostolic Church credited to the Apostolate of St. Thomas who preached and also started conversion of people to Christianity here. 

Buy

• EMKE Supermarket, 22/521A, Enamavu Road (Enamavu road, opposite Mughal Jewelry), ☏ +91 487 250 7027. 9AM-9PM. (updated Aug 2018)

Eat

Street food in Chavakkad

• A.P.S.Restaurant, Mallurkkadavu Road. (updated Jun 2015)
• Kallayi Coffee Shop, Opposite Police Station. For local snacks. (updated Feb 2016)
• Parambans Hotel, Mullathara. (updated Jun 2015)
• Rahmaniyya Restaurant, Near Police Station. Fine ambiance. Popular for Rottippathiri, a kind of rice cake that goes well with meat. (updated Feb 2016)
• Salkkara Restaurant, Chavakkad. (updated Jun 2015)

Sleep

• Golden Beach resort, Munakka Kadavu, ☏ +91 487 250 8489. (updated Jun 2015)
• Kalai Hotel, State Highway 50. (updated Jun 2015)
• Riverside Retreat, Thangal Pady. (updated Jun 2015)

Stay safe

Smuggling and other illegal activities are quite rife in Chavakkad and there is a big and established underworld. Take care of speeding vehicles and suspicious looking persons coming near your luggage. You need not carry this fear complex with you everywhere in Kerala, as there is only one more place in Kerala where smuggling is widespread, that is Kasaragod in the north.