Chaliyar River () is the fourth longest river in
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
at 169 km in length. The Chaliyar is also known as Chulika River, Nilambur River or Beypore River as it is near the sea.
Pothukal
Pothukallu (Pothukal) is located between Palunda and Munderi (9.0 km from Palunda in the Nilambur Taluk of Malappuram District). Pothukallu is well known for its greenery, hospitality of the natives, and availability of all basic amenities ...
,
Chungathara
Chungathara is a village panchayat in Nilambur Taluk in Malappuram district, Kerala, India. It is one of the smallest gramapnachayat in Kerala. It is surrounded by Western Ghats.
Geography
Two rivers, Chaliyar and Punnappuzha, pass through ...
,
Nilambur
Nilambur () is a major town, a municipality and a Taluk in the Malappuram district of the Indian state of Kerala. It is located close to the Nilgiri Mountains, Nilgiris range of the Western Ghats on the banks of the Chaliyar River. This place is ...
,
Mampad,
Edavanna
Edavanna is a town in the Eranad Taluk of Malappuram District, Kerala, South India. The town is situated on the Kozhikode-Nilambur- Gudalur state highway and near the banks of the Chaliyar River. The Koyilandy
Koyilandy (;A Survey of Kera ...
,
Kavanoor
Kavanoor is a Town near Areekode in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala.
Name
The name of the town is spelled in English either Kavanoor or Kavanur or even Kavannur. Kavanur is the first high tech village office in Kerala.The ori ...
,
Perakamanna,
Areekode
Areekode is a town on the banks of the Chaliyar River in Areekode Grama Panchayat in Malappuram district, India. It was part of the Malabar District, Malabar district in British India.
Areekode has an area of 7.25 square miles and is one of t ...
,
Kizhuparamba
Kizhuparamba or Keezhuparamba is a village and Panchayath on the northern boundary of Malappuram District In Kerala State of India.
Kizhuparamba is situated on the banks of the Chaliyar River and on the border of Malappuram and Kozhikode dist ...
,
Elamaram
Elamaram is a village in the Indian state of Kerala. It is situated near Edavannappara in Malappuram District of Kerala. This village is very scenic as it is on the bank of Chaliyar. There is a ferry service here that can take you to the ...
,
Cheekkode,
Vazhakkad
Vazhakkad is a village located on the banks of River Chaliyar Kondotty Taluk, Malappuram District, State of Kerala, India. East and some north part of Vazhakkad bordering with River Chaliyar, South Cheekode and Pulikkal Panchayats and West Vaz ...
,
Vazhayur
Vazhayur is a census town in Malappuram in the state of Kerala, India. The Vazhayur Census Town has a population of 36,909, of which 18,163 are males and 18,746 are females, as per the report released by Census India 2011. The 2018 Malayalam f ...
,
Cheruvadi
Cheruvadi is a village in the Kozhikode district of Kerala. It is located 24 kilometres east of Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, ...
,
Edavannappara
Edavannappara is a town in the Indian state of Kerala. Edavannappara town is 26 km away from Kozhikode city and 33km away from Malappuram. The towns in Malappuram district like Kondotty, Areekode, Calicut Airport, 19 km) (Nilambur ...
,
Mavoor
Mavoor is a town in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, India. It is located 19 km from Kozhikode city.
Etymology
The former name of Mavur, Mavoor was Pulpparambu, or "hayfields" in Malayalam, as grass for thatching houses was stored i ...
,
Peruvayal
Peruvayal is the largest village in Kozhikode district in the Indian state of Kerala. This village is surrounded by Panchayaths of Mavoor, Kunnamangalam, Olavanna and Kozhikode corporation. The Chaliyar river forms one of the borders of Peruva ...
,
Perumanna
Perumanna is a census town in the Kozhikode district in the state of Kerala, India. It belongs to the north Kerala division and is located 13 km from Kozhikode city.
Demographics
India census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess ...
,
Feroke
Feroke () is a Municipality and a part of Kozhikode metropolitan area under Kozhikode Development Authority (K.D.A) in the Kozhikode district of the Indian state of Kerala.
Feroke municipality shares its borders with Kozhikode corporation, Ra ...
and
Beypore
Beypore or Beypur (, formerly Beypoor) is an ancient port town and a locality town in Kozhikode district in the state of Kerala, India. It is located opposite to Chaliyam, the estuary where the river Chaliyar empties into the Arabian Sea. Beyp ...
are some of the towns/villages situated along the banks of the Chaliyar. It mainly flows through
Malappuram district
Malappuram (), is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala, with a coastline of . The most populous district of Kerala, Malappuram is home to around 13% of the tot ...
. Its tributaries flow through both the districts of
Malappuram
Malappuram (also Malapuram) () is a municipality and town in Kerala and the headquarters of the Malappuram district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Kerala, 4th largest urban agglomeration in Kerala and ...
and
Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature.
It is the nineteenth large ...
. The bank of river Chaliyar in the Nilambur region is also known for its natural
Gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
fields. Explorations done at the valley of the river Chaliyar in Nilambur have shown reserves of the order of 2.5 million cubic meters of placers with 0.1 gram per cubic meter of gold.
It originates at the Ilambaleri hills of
Nilgiri Mountains in
Nilgiris district
The Nīlgiris district is one of the 38 List of districts of Tamil Nadu, districts in the South India, southern Indian States and union territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. Nilgiri () is the name given to a range of mountains spread acro ...
(
Ooty
Ooty (; officially Udagamandalam (), Anglicisation, anglicized: Ootacamund , abbreviated as Udagai, ) is a town and municipality in the Nilgiris district of the Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. It is located north ...
district), which is also near
Wayanad
Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of the Indian state of Kerala, with its administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, ...
-
Malappuram
Malappuram (also Malapuram) () is a municipality and town in Kerala and the headquarters of the Malappuram district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Kerala, 4th largest urban agglomeration in Kerala and ...
district border. It flows mainly through the erstwhile region of
Eranad
Eranad () also known as Ernad refers to the erstwhile province in the midland area of Malabar, consisting of Malappuram and nearby regions such as Anakkayam, Manjeri, Kondotty, Nilambur, etc. Currently Eranad Taluk is a Taluk in Malappuram dis ...
(present-day
Malappuram district
Malappuram (), is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala, with a coastline of . The most populous district of Kerala, Malappuram is home to around 13% of the tot ...
), and finally empties into the
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...
at
Beypore
Beypore or Beypur (, formerly Beypoor) is an ancient port town and a locality town in Kozhikode district in the state of Kerala, India. It is located opposite to Chaliyam, the estuary where the river Chaliyar empties into the Arabian Sea. Beyp ...
port, opposite to
Chaliyam
Chaliyam is a village situated at the estuary of Chaliyar (River Beypore) in Kozhikode district of Kerala, India. Chaliyam forms an island, bounded by the Chaliyar in the north, and River Kadalundi in south, and the Conolly Canal in the east. ...
harbour.
Name

The river has three names - Chaliyar, Nilambur River, and
Beypore puzha, of which the first one is more popular. The river meets the
Lakshadweep Sea
The Laccadive Sea ( ), also known as the Lakshadweep Sea, is a body of water bordering India (including its Lakshadweep islands), the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. It is located to the southwest of Karnataka, to the west of Kerala and to the south of ...
at an 'azhi' (
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...
), the southern part of which is known as
Chaliyam
Chaliyam is a village situated at the estuary of Chaliyar (River Beypore) in Kozhikode district of Kerala, India. Chaliyam forms an island, bounded by the Chaliyar in the north, and River Kadalundi in south, and the Conolly Canal in the east. ...
and northern part as
Beypore
Beypore or Beypur (, formerly Beypoor) is an ancient port town and a locality town in Kozhikode district in the state of Kerala, India. It is located opposite to Chaliyam, the estuary where the river Chaliyar empties into the Arabian Sea. Beyp ...
. Unlike many other rivers in Kerala, Chaliyar does not dry up during the dry season in December and March.
Chaliyar is also the name of a place and a
Grama panchayat in
Nilambur
Nilambur () is a major town, a municipality and a Taluk in the Malappuram district of the Indian state of Kerala. It is located close to the Nilgiri Mountains, Nilgiris range of the Western Ghats on the banks of the Chaliyar River. This place is ...
Taluk
A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administrative ...
, which is located near the
Nilambur
Nilambur () is a major town, a municipality and a Taluk in the Malappuram district of the Indian state of Kerala. It is located close to the Nilgiri Mountains, Nilgiris range of the Western Ghats on the banks of the Chaliyar River. This place is ...
Municipality, where Conolly's plot, the oldest manmade teak plantation in the world is located.
Course
The Chaliyar originates in the
Western Ghats range at Ilambaleri hills in the ranges of
Nilgiri Mountains of
Western Ghats,
which is also near
Wayanad
Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of the Indian state of Kerala, with its administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, ...
-
Malappuram
Malappuram (also Malapuram) () is a municipality and town in Kerala and the headquarters of the Malappuram district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Kerala, 4th largest urban agglomeration in Kerala and ...
district border. Chaliyar flows through
Malappuram District
Malappuram (), is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala, with a coastline of . The most populous district of Kerala, Malappuram is home to around 13% of the tot ...
for most of its length and then for around 17 km it forms the boundary between
Malappuram District
Malappuram (), is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala, with a coastline of . The most populous district of Kerala, Malappuram is home to around 13% of the tot ...
and
Kozhikode District
Kozhikode (), is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, along its southwestern Malabar Coast. The city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, is the district headquarters.
The Kozhikode Municipal Corporation has a corporation l ...
before entering the city of
Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature.
It is the nineteenth large ...
for its final 10 km journey and finally empties into the
Lakshadweep Sea
The Laccadive Sea ( ), also known as the Lakshadweep Sea, is a body of water bordering India (including its Lakshadweep islands), the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. It is located to the southwest of Karnataka, to the west of Kerala and to the south of ...
at
Beypore
Beypore or Beypur (, formerly Beypoor) is an ancient port town and a locality town in Kozhikode district in the state of Kerala, India. It is located opposite to Chaliyam, the estuary where the river Chaliyar empties into the Arabian Sea. Beyp ...
. Six major streams Chaliyarpuzha, Punnapuzha, Kanjirapuzha,
Karimpuzha, Iruvahnipuzha and
Thottumukkampuzha constitute the Chaliyar River drainage system. Other important tributaries are Kurumanpuzha, Pandipuzha, Maradipuzha, Kuthirapuzha and Karakkodupuzha. Most of these rivers have their origin in the
Nilgiri hills in the east and Wayanad hills in the north, where they form a number of rapids and
waterfalls
A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge
of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in several ...
.
Near the origin of river are the
Meenmutty Falls at coordinates by
Vaduvanchal
Vaduvanchal is a small town in Wayanad district in the state of Kerala, India. It is situated in the Kozhikode-Ooty road. The town is part of the Muppainad Panchayat.
Tourism
The region is full of plantations, primarily tea, coffee and rubbe ...
,
Wayanad
Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of the Indian state of Kerala, with its administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, ...
&
Soochipara_Falls
Soochipara Falls also known as Sentinel Rock Waterfalls is a three-tiered waterfall in Vellarimala, Wayanad, India. It is surrounded by deciduous, evergreen and montane forests. Locally referred to as Soochipara ("Soochi" meaning "Needle" and "P ...
which situated in Chullikka River a part of Chaliyar River.
Economy
During late 19th century and early 20th century, the Chaliyar was extensively used as a waterway for carrying
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...
from the forest areas in and around
Nilambur
Nilambur () is a major town, a municipality and a Taluk in the Malappuram district of the Indian state of Kerala. It is located close to the Nilgiri Mountains, Nilgiris range of the Western Ghats on the banks of the Chaliyar River. This place is ...
to the various mills in
Kallai of
Calicut
Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature.
It is the nineteenth large ...
city.
Rafts
A raft is any flat structure for support or transportation over water. It is usually of basic design, characterized by the absence of a hull. Rafts are usually kept afloat by using any combination of buoyant materials such as wood, sealed barrel ...
made of logs were taken downstream during the
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
season to Kallayi, where these were sawn to size in the
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...
mills dotting the banks of the river. Kallai was during this period one of the most important centers in the world for timber business. The place was famous for wood of superlative strength and durability like
teak
Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panic ...
,
rosewood
Rosewood is any of a number of richly hued hardwoods, often brownish with darker veining, but found in other colours. It is hard, tough, strong, and dense. True rosewoods come from trees of the genus '' Dalbergia'', but other woods are often ca ...
, etc. Towards the second half of the 20th century, the activity came down drastically as tree felling was banned or strictly controlled with a view to stop deforestation. Many mills still operate in Kallai, though with far less output. Many have closed down.
Ecology

Chaliyar River was in the news a few years ago because of the ecological damage caused by a
pulp
Pulp may refer to:
* Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit
* Pulp (band), an English rock band
Engineering
* Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper
* Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture
...
factory at
Mavoor
Mavoor is a town in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, India. It is located 19 km from Kozhikode city.
Etymology
The former name of Mavur, Mavoor was Pulpparambu, or "hayfields" in Malayalam, as grass for thatching houses was stored i ...
, that released effluents into the river and affected the marine life. This factory has since closed down.
K. A. Rahman led the agitation for cleanup of the river, and inspired the formation of an anti-pollution committee, Paristhithi Samrakshana Samithi, in 1999.
Tributaries
*
Cherupuzha (Mavoor)
Cherupuzha is one of the tributaries of the Chaliyar River.
It originates from the foothills of the Thamarassery churam as three separate rivulets. Iruthullippuzha (coming from Manalvayal) and Kadungampuzha (from Adivaram) merge near Kaithappoy ...
**Engappuzha
**Iruthullippuzha
**Kadungampuzha
*
Iruvanjippuzha
Iruvazhanjippuzha, or Iruvanjipuzha, is a major tributary of River Chaliyar flowing in Kerala. It joins into Chaliyar at Koolimadu near Cheruvadi. Its major tributary is Chalippuzha, which joins with it about 3 km north of Thiruvambady town. Oth ...
**Pulingappuzha
**
Chalippuzha
Chaliyar River () is the fourth longest river in Kerala at 169 km in length. The Chaliyar is also known as Chulika River, Nilambur River or Beypore River as it is near the sea. Pothukal, Chungathara, Nilambur, Mampad, Edavanna, Kavanoor, ...
. The
Thusharagiri Falls
Thusharagiri Falls is a waterfall located in Kozhikode district in the Indian state of Kerala, India.
Two streams originating from the Western Ghats meet here to form the Chalippuzha River. The river diverges into three waterfalls creating a ...
are situated on this river.
**Muthappanpuzha
*
Thottumukkampuzha
*
Kuthirappuzha
**
Kottappuzha
*
Kuruvanpuzha
*
Kanjirappuzha
*
Karimpuzha
**Cherupuzha (Karulai)
**
Punnappuzha
Punnappuzha is a tributary of Karimpuzha, which is the biggest tributary of the Chaliyar river in Kerala, India.
Punnappuzha is also known as Pandiyar when it flows through Tamil Nadu.
One branch of this river originate from northern slopes of M ...
or
Pandiyar
***
Maruthappuzha or
Kalakkanpuzha
****
Karakkodan puzha
*
Pandippuzha
* Neerppuzha
* Vadapurampuzha
In addition to these rivers some creeks also join Chaliyar from Neelithode, Poonkudi, Vadasseri,
Edavanna
Edavanna is a town in the Eranad Taluk of Malappuram District, Kerala, South India. The town is situated on the Kozhikode-Nilambur- Gudalur state highway and near the banks of the Chaliyar River. The Koyilandy
Koyilandy (;A Survey of Kera ...
, Kunduthodu and
Mampad.
Tourism

]
The banks of the Chaliyar River offer a variety of tourist attractions, rich in natural beauty, historical significance, and cultural heritage.
Bridges
Bridges on this river include:
*Edavanna Bridge
*Areekkode Bridge
*Edasherikadavu Bridge
*Elamaram Bridge
*Oorkadavu Regulator cum Bridge
*Arappuzha Bridge (Part of NH 66 Bypass)
*Feroke New Bridge (Part of NH 66)
*Feroke Old Bridge
*Feroke Railway Bridge
*Myladi Bridge
Ghost town
Across the river Chaliyar lies the abandoned Grasim Industries factory which once employed 2,000 employees. Environmental agitations in 1998 caused the closure of the factory and the entire village went bankrupt because of the sudden development and eleven people even committed suicide because of not being able to face unexpected poverty.
Pilgrimage
The Konnara Dargah is three kilometres away from
Elamaram
Elamaram is a village in the Indian state of Kerala. It is situated near Edavannappara in Malappuram District of Kerala. This village is very scenic as it is on the bank of Chaliyar. There is a ferry service here that can take you to the ...
on the bank of the Chaliyar river. It is the holy resting place of a
Muslim saint
The term ''wali'' is most commonly used by Muslims to refer to a saint, or literally a "friend of God".John Renard, ''Friends of God: Islamic Images of Piety, Commitment, and Servanthood'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008); John ...
where hundreds of pilgrims visit regularly.
Nearby villages
* Irumooliparamba, Ponnempadam, Channayil Palliyali (Santhigram), Akode, Virippadam, Korappadam, Mundumuzhi, Vazhakkad, Valillappuzha, Pancheeri, Elamaram, Mapram, Konnar, Vettathur, Cheruvadikavu, Neerad, Muthuvalloor, Moochikal, Mundakkulam, Muthuparamba, Vettukad, Omanoor, Ponnad, Iruppanthody Karatt Chola Kolambalam Edavannappara, Arappuzha, Cheruvannur.
See also
*
Chaliyam
Chaliyam is a village situated at the estuary of Chaliyar (River Beypore) in Kozhikode district of Kerala, India. Chaliyam forms an island, bounded by the Chaliyar in the north, and River Kadalundi in south, and the Conolly Canal in the east. ...
*
Beypore
Beypore or Beypur (, formerly Beypoor) is an ancient port town and a locality town in Kozhikode district in the state of Kerala, India. It is located opposite to Chaliyam, the estuary where the river Chaliyar empties into the Arabian Sea. Beyp ...
*
Feroke
Feroke () is a Municipality and a part of Kozhikode metropolitan area under Kozhikode Development Authority (K.D.A) in the Kozhikode district of the Indian state of Kerala.
Feroke municipality shares its borders with Kozhikode corporation, Ra ...
*
Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary
The Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary lies in kadalundi grama panchayat of Kozhikode district and vallikunnu Grama Panchayat of Malappuram district in Kerala, India. It spreads over a cluster of islands where the Kadalundipuzha River flows into the A ...
References
*
The River Chaliyar, by M. P. Chandran*
K A Rahman
Kavungal Amakkode Abdurahman (K. A. Rahman) (born 1 January 1940 – 11 January 1999), popularly known as Adhrehyaka or simply Adreyi, was the founder leader of the Chaliyar agitation in Kerala, India.
Personal life
Adreyi was the third son of ...
External links
Chaliyar River and Mayladi Bridge NilamburNews report about the River after the pulp factory was closed.Life returns to Chaliyar river
{{Waters of Kerala
Rivers of Kerala
Rivers of the Western Ghats
Rivers of Kozhikode district
Rivers of Malappuram district