This is actually not the original masjid built by Malik ibn Habib. the orinal one was washed away by the sea but this new one houses some historical relics which even the local are not aware. Followers of Islam first came to kerala in this Indian subcontinent, and Jonakapuram is the second place they set foot on.

The 1400 year old Valiyapalli at Jonakappuram is believed to be the second mosque erected on Indian soil by Malik Ibn Dinar, after the famous Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kodungalloor. As the mosque was destroyed by sea erosion, it has been rebuilt several times and the present structure is said to be constructed on the remnants of the ancient mosque.