Mahodayapuram

Mahodayapuram, also known as Mahodayapura, is a historic region on the Malabar coast in present-day Kerala, India. It roughly corresponds to parts of the northern Malabar region, particularly in and around present-day Kannur district.

In medieval Kerala, Mahodayapuram was a major political and economic center within the Chera polity and its successors. The area encompassed coastal towns and interior hinterland that together formed an integrated hub for administration, temple centers, and trade networks.

The region's prominence derived from its strategic port towns that facilitated spice trade with Arab, Persian, and later European merchants. Pepper, coconuts, timber, and other coastal commodities were among the principal goods exchanged along the coast.

Historical references to Mahodayapuram appear in literary, inscriptional, and travel accounts. Its identification and precise boundaries vary among historians, but it is widely cited as a key node in the medieval geography of Kerala, and is frequently discussed in studies of Malabar trade and polity.

Today, the name Mahodayapuram survives mainly in historical scholarship. The geographic area is part of the modern Indian state of Kerala, spanning portions of Kannur and Kasaragod districts. Archaeological and cultural sites in the region reflect its long maritime and cultural connections.