During the medieval period in Kerala, the grand decennial assembly and trading festival known as 'Mamankam' was traditionally held on the banks of which river under the patronage of the Zamorin of Calicut?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Mamankam festival was conducted once every twelve years on the sandbanks of the Bharathappuzha at Tirunavaya, serving as a massive commercial fair and political congregation where the Zamorin asserted his supremacy. The right to preside over Mamankam was historically contested, leading to the legendary suicide squads known as Chaverpad sent by Valluvanad chieftains. The festival ceased after the political shifts brought by the Mysore Sultans in the late 18th century.