Edayilakkad

Edayilakkad is a low, marshy island in the Kavvayi backwaters of Valiyaparamba panchayat, Kasaragod district, with Madakkal island to the south, Trikkaripur on the mainland to the east and Ayitti to the north. At about 312 acres it is one of the largest islands in northern Kerala, and some 1,305 people live in 250 houses. Settlement began only in the early 1900s, with workers, mainly from Sri Lanka, arriving in the 1930s.

The island is known for its wildlife and local conservation work. It has a large mangrove forest, Nervilia orchids grow here, and the endangered white-bellied sea eagle nests on it. A small sacred grove, or kaavu, shelters many monkeys, which visitors come to feed; a woman living nearby feeds them regularly, and at Onam they are given a special feast. The Kavvayi backwaters, fed by seven rivers, are about 30 km from Bekal.