the Kaaba. Even today the mosque still includes some remnants of the shrine, including a traditional pond and a lamp that is said to have been burning for a thousand years, with oil that is brought for it by visitors and pilgrims of all religions. Location Masjid is located in the Paravur–Kodungalloor Road, NH-66 at Kodungalloor taluk, Thrissur District in Kerala. Ceremonies Vidyarambham The ceremony of Vidyarambham (Vidya means "knowledge", arambham means "beginning'), held typically on Vijayadashami, is a Hindu tradition to initiate their children into learning under the supervision of a learned person like a priest. At Cheraman Masjid, this ceremony is performed by the mosque's Muslim Imam, who traces the alphabet drawn in the sand on a child's tongue, indicating an invocation to Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning. Appointment of the Aven (Priest) According to Chellikkattil Sundaran, president of the temple trust, the aven (priest) of Shobhaparamba Sreekurumba Bhagavati temple in Tanur, Malappuram, is traditionally appointed from the local Thiyya family by a member of the Brahmin family of Pazhayakhath Ilom. The family disintegrated over the years and its remaining members converted to Islam but both the temple authorities and the family upheld the tradition. The temple's Hindu priest is appointed in a special ritual once every 12 years, presided over by a Muslim member of the Pazhayakath family, who makes the formal announcement. Locals ascribe this camaraderie to Cheraman Perumal. Maharajahs of Travancore The legend of the "Makkattupoya Perumal" or "the King who went to Makkah (Mecca)" has lived on in Kerala memory and apparently, the Maharajahs of the Princedom of Travancore in pre-Independence India would say at their swearing in, "I will keep this sword until the uncle who has gone to Makkah returns". Famous visitors A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, 11th President of India. Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. See also Islam in India Tamil Muslim Muslim chronicles for Indian history Muziris Heritage Project Baba Ratan Hindi References Mosques in Kerala History of Thrissur district Miracles attributed to Muhammad Tourist attractions in Thrissur district 7th-century mosques Religious buildings and structures in Thrissur district Grand mosques History of Islam in India