Kodungallur

Kodungallur is a small municipality that comes under Thrissur District of the state of Kerala. It is situated close to the ancient seaport of Muziris, at the mouth of Periyar River. This small city was once the capital of Kulasekhara dynasty, which was ruled by Shinkli or Mahodayapuram. It is popularly believed that the name Kodungallur comes from Kodi-linga-puram which essentially means 10 million Shiva lingas. Kodungallur was once ruled by Kudaku, who was the ruler of Kodanad, which is the land covering the region between Ponnani River and Periyar River. This city was the main revenue collection centre of Kudaku and was named as Kudakonallur, which eventually became Kodungallur.

Once a maritime port of international repute because of its strategic location at the confluence of the Periyar River and the Arabian Sea, Kondugalloor was considered the gateway to ancient India or the Rome of the East, because of its status as a centre for trade. It was also the entry point of three major religions to India - Christianity, Judaism and Islam. It was known by the Greek as the Muziris and is a place immersed in rich history. It is said to be the place where St. Thomas first pr