Thalangara Thoppi

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Thalangara Thoppi (Thalangara Cap) is a traditional handmade Muslim prayer cap from Thalangara, near Kasaragod, Kerala. It is made of pure cotton, with stiff sides and patterns like Persian prayer rugs. The cap was mentioned in 14th-century writings by Ibn Battuta and is often called the Omani cap in Gulf countries. Before mass production, these caps were exported to the Persian Gulf, Southeast Asia, and North Africa. Today, many caps come from Bangladesh and China, reducing local production in Thalangara. A Thalangara cap takes about 15–20 days of careful handwork and costs around five times more than a machine-made cap. Currently, only one craftsman, Abdul Raheem, still makes them in Thalangara. In the past, cap making was a thriving cottage industry in the region. People often buy these caps as souvenirs when visiting the Malik Dinar Mosque during Ramadan. Thalangara Thoppi is an important part of Malabar’s Islamic traditions, alongside Beypore Uru, Koyilandy hookah, and Mappila Theyyam.