Kodungallur in the context of "Thrissur"

Islam is India's second-largest religion, with 14.2% of the country's population, or approximately 172.2 million people, identifying as adherents of Islam in a 2011 census. India has the third-largest number of Muslims in the world. Most of India's Muslims are Sunni, with Shia making up around 15% of the Muslim population.

Islam first spread in southern Indian communities along the Arab coastal trade routes in Gujarat and in Malabar Coast shortly after the religion emerged in the Arabian Peninsula. Later, Islam arrived in the northern inland of Indian subcontinent in the 7th century when the Arabs invaded and conquered Sindh. It arrived in Punjab and North India in the 12th century via the Ghaznavids and Ghurids conquest and has since become a part of India's religious and cultural heritage. The Barwada Mosque in Ghogha, Gujarat built before 623 CE, Cheraman Juma Mosque (629 CE) in Methala, Kerala and Palaiya Jumma Palli (or The Old Jumma Masjid, 628–630 CE) in Kilakarai, Tamil Nadu are three of the first mosques in India which were built by seafaring Arab merchants. According to the legend of Cheraman Perumals, the first Indian mosque was built in 624 CE at Kodungallur in present-day Kerala with the mandate of the last ruler (the Tajudeen Cheraman Perumal) of the Chera dynasty, who converted to Islam during the lifetime of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (c. 570–632). Similarly, Tamil Muslims on the eastern coasts also claim that they converted to Islam in Muhammad's lifetime. The local mosques date to the early 700s.

The Cheraman Juma Mosque is a mosque in Kodungallur, Thrissur district, in the state of Kerala, India. The mosque was built in 629 CE by Malik Bin Dinar though some scholars suggest a later construction date in the 14th–15th century. Due to these claims, it is often regarded as the first mosque built in India and the oldest mosque on the Indian subcontinent still in use. However, historical research has cast doubt on these claims, suggesting that the origin story may be fictitious or legendary rather than factual.

The mosque was built in the Kerala-Islamic traditional Vastu shastra architectural style, with hanging lamps, making the historicity of its date claims more convincing.

Methala is a census town in Thrissur district in the Indian state of Kerala. Methala was added to Kodungallur Municipality on 11 November 2009.

The Palaiya Jumma Palli (transl. Paḻaiya jum'mā paḷḷi – transl. Old Jumma Masjid), also known as the Meen Kadai Palli, is a mosque, located in Kilakarai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Completed in 630 CE, it is believed to be one of the oldest mosques in the world and along with Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kodungallur, Kerala and Barwada Mosque in Ghogha, Gujarat, the first mosque in India.

The mosque is located in Kilakarai, an ancient port town in South India. It was built between 628–630 CE and was re-constructed in 1036 CE. The mosque, along with the others in the town, is one of the greatest examples of Tamil Islam architecture.

Thomas the Apostle (Greek: Θωμᾶς, romanized: Thōmâs; Classical Syriac: ܬܐܘܡܐ, romanized: Tʾōmā, meaning 'the Twin'), also known as Didymus (Greek: Δίδυμος, romanized: Dídymos 'twin'), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Thomas is commonly known as "doubting Thomas" because he initially doubted the resurrection of Jesus when he was told of it (as is related in the Gospel of John); he later confessed his faith ("The lord of me and the God of me") on seeing the places where the wounds appeared still fresh on the holy body of Jesus after the Crucifixion of Jesus.

According to traditional accounts of the Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala, Thomas travelled outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel, traveling through southern India in the modern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and eventually reached Muziris (modern-day North Paravur and Kodungalloor) in 52 AD. He started the Church of the East in the region around the Van Province, Edessa, and Hakkari regions of Upper Mesopotamia (modern-day southeastern Turkey), presumably sometime between mid-late 30s and 45, and spent many years evangelizing both Jews and pagans in the area before heading further east in the late 40s. In 1258, some of the relics were brought to Ortona, in Abruzzo, Italy, where they have been held in the Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle. He is regarded as the patron saint of India among its Christian adherents, and the Feast of Saint Thomas on July 3 is celebrated as Indian Christians' Day. The name Thomas remains quite popular among the Saint Thomas Christians of the Indian subcontinent.

Muciṟi (Tamil: [musiri]), (Malayalam: [mutːʃiri]),, commonly anglicized as Muziris (Ancient Greek: Μουζιρίς, Old Tamil: Mucciṟi or Mucciṟippaṭṭaṇam, possibly identical with the medieval Muyiṟikkōṭŭ), was an ancient harbour and urban centre on India's Malabar Coast. It was the major ancient port city of the Chera dynasty of Ancient Tamilakam.

The exact location of the ancient city has been a matter of dispute among historians and archaeologists. Earlier it was believed to be in the region around Mangalore in the state of Karnataka; then later in Kodungallur in the state of Kerala. Excavations since 2004 at Pattanam, near Kodungallur in Kerala, have led some experts to favour that location.