Poonoor
Poonoor ( പൂനൂർ ) is a town in Kozhikode District, Kerala, India. The town is part of the Unnikulam Panchayath, within the Thamarassery Taluk of the Kozhikode District. Poonoor have more historical background than Thamarassery. Poonoor can be found on the banks of the Poonoor River 4.5 km west of Thamarassery and 8.5 km east of Balussery. The town is situated on Koyilandy-Edavanna Road State Highway 34 (SH 34) now known as (HW34) that starts in Koyilandy and ends in Edavanna. The highway is 44.0 km long. Demographics. The people of the Poonoor area tend to be well educated and  well employed. In fact, Poonoor has more employed citizens than the neighboring villages, with a number of villagers employed to key posts in both government and private sectors. A large amount of retired government employees and teachers from Poonoor work in other towns, and there are many residents seeking jobs abroad. Educational Institutions. There are five government schools in the Poonoor area. The GMLP and GMUP schools are located relatively close to the village. Together (GMLP and GMUP), conduct classes from 1st Standard to 7th standard (US equivalent of 1st grade and 7th grade, respectively. GLP School Poonoor is located  about 1 kilometer west of the town on the side of SH 34 at Keloth. GLP School Kanthapuram and Govt Higher Secondary School Poonoor are located 1.5 km and 2.5 km southeast of Poonoor. There are also a small number of private educational institutions which teach elementary through high school standard education. Some near by private education centers: Ishath Public School, Ghada Public School and College, Ishath Arts College, and Markaz Garden. Urban Growth. Poonoor town had a significant growth boost during a seven year span around the mid to late 2000's and early 2010's. Especially from the  west of Peringalam Vayal east up to Cheeni Mukku areas. Construction of the road now known as HW34 revitalized the area turning it into a new social hub. The relocation of a GMUP School generated additional growth expectancy. And, the reconstruction of Pazhaya Palam ("The Old Bridge") also contributed to increase in business activity along its road. During 2008 and 2010 period, new products and services were added to the local economy of the village as new local owned shops opened. Trades in ready made textiles, hardware & home appliance, and vegetable produce amongst others. Businesses in Poonoor saw an increase  of local ownership by lower income villagers recently. In great part thanks to a liberal approach policies of old business magnets in town. One who seemed to play a key role was Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi(VVES), strongly positioned organization of traders and merchants of Poonoor. The national strikes taking place in September 2010 did not affect Poonoor. Merchants of the area abstained from the strike to avoid public repercussions. Market Shops. The abundance of transportation to the village and proximity between its neighbors has positioned Poonoor as commerce hub. The village is famous for its market structure, with shops and  hotels being highly frequented by visitors. Sunday Markets. A once famous location was the Sunday Market(Chandha). A place for auctions and exhibitions, neighboring villages often brought their goods here to sell. Though later trends shifted to the more modern arcade galleries, the colorful scenes of the old Sunday market are not likely to be forgotten by those who frequented it. Local Religion. The village is predominantly Muslim, a Hindu minority and Christianity presence is rare. The bulk of Muslims are traditional Sunni, and the rest are the followers of Mujahid movements. Late 19th century reforms have played an important history  for all Kerala Muslims. And, religious conflict do not seem to have place here, possibly due to the importance of trade to the local economy. Kanthapuram. The Kanthapuram settlement is south of Poonoor.