This village is on the northwest boundary of Thiruvananthapuram district adjacent to the Arabian Sea and situated between two municipalities, Varkala to the south and Paravur to the north. Edava may be the only village in Kerala with two railway stations: Edava and Kappil. There is a road (TA Majeed Road) connecting Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram. Edava has witnessed important historical events in
Kerala. Historical references show that during the rule of Queen Umayamma one `Mughal Sardar’ attacked Venad in the year 1680. His reign extended from the South of Thovala to Edava.During 18th century Tippu Sultan of Mysore came to attack Edava.They stayed in the kapil bhagavathy temple.But he and his army was attacked by the honey bees. In the year 1726, Queen of Attingal gave permission to the British East Indian Company to build a Pandikasala (godown) near what is now called Vettakkada, close to the Arabian Sea. But even before that Denmark traders had constructed a trading centre over there. K P Padmanabha Menon in his work, Kerala History, has quoted English army captain Alexander Hamilton as saying during the first leg of 18th century: “Here on the beach side, Denmark traders have a small factory with coconut-thatched roof. It is in a dilaphidated condition. Their trading is likewise nominal.”
The first printing press in the erstwhile Travancore, or perhaps in Kerala, with facility to print in Arabic, was established in Edava in 1936. It was called Coronation Memorial Press and was situated at what is now called Press Mukku. Its establishment coincided with the coronation ceremony of Travancore King. Edava’s secular credentials are impeccable and sublime, with Hindus and Muslims living shoulder to shoulder without making any ripples in the placid social waters of this pristine village. There is no wonder because the village is just a microcosm of a larger Kerala. Edavites love to wake up to devotional songs from temples and call for prayers from mosques. Edavites, cutting across religious belief, enjoy major temple festivals in the village with all fervor and gaiety, without providing any room for nefarious elements to disturb this glorious tradition. Of particular mention are the temple festivals of Palakkav Temple and Sri Mangalyeshwari Devi Temple.
