History The begining of evangelisation in codacal area has an interesting background. Rev.Clodius Bukkanan, a scholar and chaplain of the East India Company, travelled much in the interior parts of the places like Coorg, Mysore and Malabar in South India. He studied the life of the downtrodden tribes of these areas and published a book about them. He influenced the British Government to do something for the upliftment of these tribes. Most of the British officials were moved by his book and they started thinking seriously about the ways of uplifting these community. It was at this time that the renowned missionaries Gundert, Fritz & Arion came down to Calicut from Thalassery with the Gospel. On May 14th 1842 Rev: John Michael Fritz and two other church workers settled in Calicut with their work. Even before their arrival, there were plans to launch a mission field at codacal. During that period Mr. Thomas, the former collector of Malabar had started fund raisal for the upliftment of the tribal people at codacal. After the transfer of Malabar collector Mr. Thomas, his second successor Mr. Canolly was closely involved in the work and it was he who purchased agricultural land through the Ponnani Tahsildar for the families living in and around Codacal. Mr.Conolly, the principal collector of Malabar, at last succeeded in settling a few families on a piece of ground at Codacal. Little huts were erected for them and a man was engaged to instruct them in agriculture and other useful occupation. At the request of Mr.Conolly Rev.J.M.Fritz and his Colleagues took charge of the settlement at Codacal in November 1843. There were 9 families consisting of about 50 souls settled there. The men cultivated the ground allotted to them and the women took care of the gardens round their huts. A Christian school master settled among them in January 1843. Mr. Canolly then handed over all the work in Codacal to Rev.Fritz and in July 1842 he made his first visit to Codacal. Rev:Fritz established a school at Codacal for the education of the children of the socially backward in this region. He appointed Mr.Titus Parakkandi as the church worker to work among these tribes. The tribes here were used to a gypsy style of life and were accustomed only to hunting and begging. They were not accustomed to this disciplined colony life and were not willing to toil in the soil for livelihood. But Rev:Fritz did not give up his efforts. He used to come on horse back from Calicut to codacal. When he established a church at Codacal in 1857, it was a sub center of calicut pastorate under Rev:J.Bosshart. It was recorded that just before Rev:Fritz left India in 1859 he came to Codacal and baptized 12 new members and more than a 100 took part in the holy communion. The Codacal church had an impressive growth. After that in 1862 it was recognised as an Independent Church. The present church building was completed in 1870. By 1892 codacal church became a major pastorate with subcenters at Pallatt, Thrithala, Andathod, Chavakkad, Ponnani, Parapperi, Nilambur, Manjeri & Malappuram. For the past 150 years church remains as a beacon of light to all. Role of Basel Mission Missionaries in the education sector in codacal area Industrial Establishments Medical Works Back