Religion and Customs
Hindus constitute the majority of the population and next come the Muslim and the Christian communities respectively.

The Hindu community is organised on the basis of caste and sub castes as elsewhere in the State. They worship all the major gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon as well as several minor deities. Vishnu and Siva are the major gods worshipped. The temples here are in many respects different from those of the East Coast. Elaborate rules prescribed by the Sastras are followed in their construction. The Kavu dedicated to the Bhadrakali is a typical example. They have their own oracles called Velichappad. There are also temples devoted to such deities as Ayyappan, Hanuman and Garuda. Serpent worship has been widely prevalent here. Ancestor worship is practiced by the Hindus.

The Muslims of the district are knows as a Mappilas. a great majority of them are sunnis following the Shafi school of thought. They are noted for their piety.

Though Christianity is believed to have been introduced in Kerala in 52 A.d, not much progress was made by the Christians of this district before the advent of the Portuguese towards the close of the 15th century. Almost all different sections of Christians are represented here. Christians of Travancore and Cochin have migrated to the hilly regions and have settled there.