Edava is a village in Varkala Taluk and one of the 5 panchayats that forms the city of Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district in the state of Kerala, India. Edava is located 5km North of Varkala city centre, 5km from Varkala Beach and 49km north-west of state capital city Trivandrum. Kappil located in Edava Panchayat is one the major tourist destination in Kerala.
History
Edava was the frontier of the erstwhile Province of Travancore: Venad. This village is on the northwest boundary of Thiruvananthapuram district adjacent to the Arabian Sea and situated between two municipalities, Varkala to the south and Paravur to the north. The railway line between Trivandrum and Kollam passes through this village. Edava may be the only village in Kerala with two railway stations: Edava and Kappil. There is a road connecting Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram. Edava has witnessed important historical events in Kerala. Historical references show that during the rule of Queen Umayamma one `Mughal Sardar' attacked Venad in the year 1680. His reign extended from the South of Thovala to Edava. In the year 1726, Queen of Attingal gave permission to the British East Indian Company to build a Pandakasaala near what is now called Vettakkada, close to the Arabian Sea. But even before the setting up of this Pandakasaala, Denmark traders had constructed a trading hub over there. K P Padmanabha Menon, in his seminal work, Kerala History, has quoted English army captain Alexander Hamilton as saying that during the first leg of 18th century: "Here on the beach side, Denmark traders have a small warehouse with coconut-thatched roof. It is in a dilapidated condition. Their trading, likewise, is nominal." This location at Vettakkada is still named Paandiyala, a worn-out usage of Paandakasaala, which is the Malayalam for warehouse. The first printing press in the erstwhile Travancore, or perhaps in Kerala, with facility to print in Arabic script, was established in Edava in 1936. It was called Coronation Memorial Press and was situated at what is now called Press Mukku. Its establishment coincided with the coronation ceremony of Travancore King. Orders for books, in Arabic, used to come from even far-flung places such as the present-day Pakistan. Edava is the birthplace of late T A. Majeed, who was the PWD Minister in the first Communist Ministry of 1957. He was known for his impeccable political career minus any blemishes. Edava's secular credentials are impeccable and sublime, with Hindus and Muslims living shoulder to shoulder without making any ripples in the placid social waters of this pristine coastal village. There is no wonder because the village is just a microcosm of a larger Kerala. Edavites, cutting across religious affiliations, are used to wake up to devotional songs from temples and call for prayers from mosques. Edavites, cutting across religious belief, enjoy major temple festivals in the village with all fervor and gaiety, without providing any room for nefarious communal elements to disturb this glorious tradition. Of particular mention is the temple festival of Palakkav Temple.
Geography
Demographics
Indiacensus, Edava had a population of 26,903, with 12,292 males and 14,611 females. While some people eke out a living through fishing, a majority of Edavites migrate to the Middle East countries in search of jobs, and a few find their livelihood in private sector. Edava has had a tradition of its people migrating to countries like Singapore and Malaysia in the 18th and 19th century and this trend still continues even today, though to the Gulf region.
Like other kerala villages, Edava also have schooling facilities in Government as well as private sectors. Unfortunately there is no educational facilities available in Edava after schools. Major Schools in Edava is as follows:-
Little Flower English Medium Higher Secondary School
Temples
Edava is rich for its temples.
Edava Palakkavu Bhagavathy Temple
Prominent People
Late T A Majeed, PWD Minister in the EMS ministry, 1957, the first democratically elected Communist government in the world.
Late Thakiyudeen Wahid, Founder-Chairman of the now-defunct East West Airlines, the first private airline company to have touched the Indian skies.
Late M R Mohammed Kunju, eminent social reformer, who, upon the advise of Vakkom Maulavi, went on to found schools like GMUPS Vettakkada and Edava Muslim High School.
