Charachira Jama Masjid

This mosque is located at Palayam in Thiruvananthapuram city. It has a spacious hall to accommodate several hundreds for prayers. Also known as the Palayam Mosque, it is the most important mosque in Thiruvananthapuram. Situated at Palayam, the mosque has a temple and a Christian church as its neighbours, establishing the communal harmony of Keralites. P K Ahmed Kutty Moulavi, the Imam of the Palayam mosque, opened the doors of the mosque for women for the first time in south Kerala. More than 250 women attend the prayers at the Palayam Mosque on ordinary days, whereas on Fridays their numbers increase to around 1,000. The Imam is of the opinion that there is nothing unIslamic in women offering prayers in mosques.