HISTORY OF EZHIMALA

Ezhimala is one of the palce which is recorded in the most ancient History of Norhtern Kerala. "Mooshika Vamsham" written by Athulan throws light into the pre 10th Century history fo Northern Kerala. This was the head quarters of the Ezhimala Radii during the Sang period. In Sang literatures, this area is referred to as "ezhil malai" which means high hillock. It is believed that in the later years ezhilmalai reduced to ezhimala. This region is also known as "Elimala", "Mooshika Sailam", "Sapta Sailam","Mount Eli" and "Mount the Eli" in the history. The first king of Mooshika Vamsham (Mooshika Dynasty)was Rama Ghata Mooshaka, and his Capital was Ezhimala. Athulan describes the later Kings of this Dynasty, which is now mentioned as the Kolathiri Dynasty. The successors of King Ramaghata Mooshakan shifted their capital to Pazhi (the Present village of Pazhayangadi), Valabha Pattanam (Valapattanam) and to nearer places.

The Lighthouse here remained a tourist attraction until this area was acquired by the Government of India for the development of Naval Academy.

Bordered by sea on three sides, Ezhimala is set to occupy a prominent place in the Naval history of the country, consequent to the proposal for commissioning the Naval Academy there. Indian Naval Ship (INS) Zamorin was commissioned marking Phase I of the Ezhimala Naval Academy project,Asia's biggest naval academy. This will be dedicated to the nation today by Hon.Prime minister Dr.Manmohan Singh.

A mountain on the Malabar coast which forms a remarkable object from seaward, and the name of which occurs sometimes as applied to a State or City adjoining the mountain. It is prominently mentioned in all the old books on India, though strange to say the Map of India in Keith Johnstone's Royal Atlas has neither name nor indication of this famous hill. [It is shown in Constable's Hand Atlas.] It was, according to Correa, the first Indian land seen by Vasco da Gama. The name is Malayal. Eli mala , ‘High Mountain.' Several erroneous explanations have however been given. A common one is that it means ‘Seven Hills. This arose with the compiler of the local Skt. Mahatmya or legend, who rendered the name Saptasaila , ‘Seven Hills,' confounding eli with elu , ‘seven,' which has no application. Again we shall find it explained as ‘Rat-hill'; but here eli is substituted for eli . [The Madras Gloss . gives the word as Mal. ezhimala , and explains it as ‘Rat-hill,' “because infested by rats.”] The position of the town and port of Ely or Hili mentioned by the older travellers is a little doubtful, but see Marco Polo , notes to Bk. III. ch. xxiv. The Ely-Maide of the Peutingerian Tables is not unlikely to be an indication of Ely.

1298.—“ Eli is a Kingdom towards the west, about 300 miles from Comari.… There is no proper harbour in the country, but there are many rivers with good estuaries, wide and deep.”— Marco Polo , Bk. III. ch. 24.

c. 1343.—“At the end of that time we set off for Hili , where we arrived two days later. It is a large well-built town on a great bay (or estuary) which big ships enter.”— Ibn Batuta , iv. 81.

1516.—“After passing this place along the coast is the Mountain Dely , on the edge of the sea; it is a round mountain, very lofty, in the midst of low land; all the ships of the Moors and the Gentiles … sight this mountain … and make their reckoning by it.”— Barbosa , 149.

.c. 1562.—“In twenty days they got sight of land, which the pilots foretold before that they saw it, this was a great mountain which is on the coast of India, in the Kingdom of Cananor, which the people of the country in their language call the mountain Dely , elly meaning ‘the rat,' arMenu1[9] = ' 1 A correction is made here on Lord Stanley’s translation. '; 1 and they call it Mount Dely , because in this mountain there are so many rats that they could never make a village there.”— Correa, Three Voyages , &c., Hak. Soc. 145

1579.—“… Malik Ben Habeeb … proceeded first to Quilon … and after erecting a mosque in that town and settling his wife there, he himself journeyed on to [ Hili Marawi].…”—Rowlandson's Tr. of Tohfutul-Mujahideen , p. 54. (Here and elsewhere in this ill- edited book Hili Marawi is read and printed Hubaee Murawee ).

1638.—“Sur le midy nous passames à la veüe de Monte-Leone , qui est vne haute montagne dont les Malabares descouurent de loin les vaisseaux, qu'ils peuuent attaquer avec aduantage.”— Mandelslo , 275.