Ports of Kasargod District (Kerala State, India) As revealed by Kadatas of Manjesvara and Kannada Manuscript

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Dr K. Vasanthamadhava
Senior Research Fellow (ICHR)
Aradhana, Pavnje, Haleyangadi -574146

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The ports of Kasargod district of Kerala state are apprised here on the
basis of britherto unknown Kadatas and paper documents available at
Manjesvara Srimadanantesvara temple and in Cochin Archives. The nature of
these documents, the ports mentioned therein are noted down. The trade
commodities in these ports and the nature of trade are also traced. The
different types of vessels used in sea trade are mentioned. The role of
trading communities and their mode of trade are explained. 

The study of these documents reveals that the sea trade activities in the
ports in the Kasargad district were brisk especially in the ports of
Manjesvara, Kumbale and Nilesvara. 

These ports had trade contacts with the ports in Malabar, Cochi, Karnataka
and especially Managalore, Ankola, Honnavar, and ports of Maharashtra and
Gujarat. The records mention sea trade activities with Maldive and Lakhadive
islands as well as the ports in Arabia. 

The skill of the indigenous craftsmen employed in the construction of
different types of vessels also comes to light from these records. Gowda -
Sarasvats community was in a dominant position in sea trade at the above
cited ports.