Tourism
in Kerala
Kannur
Tour Guide
Kannur
district derived its name from the location of its headquarters at Kannur
town. The old name 'Cannanore' is the anglicised form of the Malayalam word
Kannur. According to one opinion, 'Kannur' is a derivation from Kanathur, an
ancient village, the name of which survives even today in one of the wards
of Kannur Municipality.Another version is that Kannur might have assumed its
name from one of the , deities of the Hindu pantheon, a compound of two
words, Kannan (Lord Krishna) and Ur (place)making it the placeof Lord
Krishna. In this context, it is worth mentioning that the deity of the
Katalayi Sreekrishna temple was originally installed in a shrine at Katalayi
Kotta in the south eastern part of the present Kannur town.
PLACES
OF INTEREST IN AND AROUND KOCHIThe tourism potential for
Kannur district is high. The St. Angelos Fort in the Kannur Cantonment,
which was constructed in 1505, is a symbol of Portuguese architecture and
attracts plenty of tourists. The Thalassery Fort is an important tourist
centre. Kannur beach and Ezhimala are known for scenic beauty. Places of
historic importance, like the house of Gulldert, who composed the first
Malayalm- English Dictionary and the mosque at Madayi constructed in 1124,
using marble brought from Mecca attract many tourists.
Fort
St. Angelos
Fort St. Angelos is in the west of Kannur town. It was built in 1505 by the
first Portuguese Viceroy, Don Francisco De Almeida, with the permission of the
Kolathiris, on a promontory jutting into the Lakshadweep sea. The Dutch captured
the fort in 1663 and sold it to the Ali Raja of Kannur in 1772 and in 1790 it
came into the possession of the British. The British rebuilt it and made it
their most important station in Malabar.
This fort is in a fairly good state of preservation, though parts of it have
collapsed. A few obsolete guns areseeh at the place. The fort is a protected
monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.
Muzhappilangad
Beach (15.K.M from Kannur and 8 K.M from Thalasseri):
Black
rocks protect this long ,clean beach from the currents of the deep, making
it shallows waters a swimmer's paradise.Perhaps this is Keralas only drive-
in beach. Where you can drive entire length of 4 K.m.
Payyambalam
Beach Resort The Payyambalam beach is one of the beautiful beaches
in this State and is an ideal place to spend evenings, irrespepcti ve of
seasons. It is very near Kannur town. ,The mortal remains or'
Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pilla, A.K. Gopalan, K.P. Gopalan, Pamban
Madhavan and K.G. Marar are laid to rest near this resort.
Parassinikadavu
Parassinikadavu
on the banks of the river Valapattanam is 18 km away from Kannur. It is here
the well known Sri Muthappan Temple and the Snake Park are located.
Snake
Park at Parassinikkadavu The Snake Park at Parassinikkadavu is
situated 18 kms. Away from Kannur town. It Is one of the known snake parks
in the country . The park is dedicated to the preservation and conservation
of snakes, most of which are becoming extinct gradually. There is a large
collection of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes.
ThaliparambuThaliparambu,
about 20 km north-east of Kannur, is famous for its Thiruchambaram Vishnu
Temple dedicated to Lord Maha Vishnu. This temple, which dates back to the
10th century, is an example of medieval temple architecture.
EzhimalaEzhimala,
the capital of the ancient Mooshika kings, is considered to be an ancient
historical site. It is a onspicuous, isolated cluster of hills, forming a
promontory, 38 kms. north of Kannur.
A flourishing sea port and
centre of trade in ancient Kerala, it was one of the major battle fields of
the Chola-Chera war of the II th century .I It is believed that Lord Budha
had visited Ezhimala. An old mosque, believed to contain the mortal remains
of Shaikh Abdul Latif, a Muslim retormlst, is also located here. The hill is
noted for rare medicinal herbs. Bordered by sea on three sides, Ezhimala is
set to occupy a prominent place in the naval history of the country,
consequent to the proposal for ommissioning the N.aval Academy here.
Malayalakalagramam(
29 K.M from Kannur) : This renowned centre for arts and culture at New Mahe
conduct courses in painting, sclpture,music, dance and pottery.
Pazhassi
Dam (37K.M. east of kannur ) : An ideal retreat for rourists ,the
damsite is famous for its scenic beauty. The D.T.P.C provides pleasure
boating faciliaties at the reservoir. Accommodation is available at the
Project Inspection Bungalow and its dormitories.
Pythal
Mala ( 65 km from Kannur Town ): This enchanting hill station
,situated 4,500 ft. above sea level near the Kerala - Karnataka border ,is
rich in flora and fauna. It is a 6 km trek to the top of the hills.
Gundert
Bungalow (20.K.M.from Kannur, near Thalasseri twon on the national
high way at Illikunnu): Dr. Herman Gundert, the revered German Missionary,
scholar, lexicographer lived in this bungalow for 20 years from 1839. It was
here that one of the first malayalam dictionaries and the first malayalam
newspaper Rajyasamacharam took shape.
Thalassery
Fort The British arrived in Thalassery in 1683 and errected a goods
shed there. They shifted their ommercial capital to Thalassery from
Kozhikkode, following obstruction from the Dutch. In 1700, the British built
the Thalassery Fort on a small hill called Tiruvellapadkunnu and in 1708, it
was strengthened by increasing its height and with bastions. The fort is
square structure built of laterite and is distinguished by its massiv
ventilated walls and strong flanking bastions. It was here that Raider'
captain was imprisoned.The famous St. John's Anglican church is behind this
fort.
Moppila
Bay Moppila Bay is a natural fishing harbour, lying near Fort St.
Angelos. A sea wall projecting from the fort separates the rough sea and
inland water. The bay was famous during the Kolathiris' regime as a
commercial harbour that linked Kolathunadu with Lakshadweep and foreign
countriea, in imports. Today , Mopilla bay has turned into a modernised
fishing harbour, developed under the Indo-Norwegian Pact.
