For many centuries, this
sea coast town in North malabar, was the capital city of the Kolathiri
rajas, the rivals of the Zamorin of Calicut. Kannur's history abounds with
the activities of colonial powers - The Portugese,French,Dutch and the
British. Today it is known for it's handloom and beedi (native version
of the cigarette) industries. Some of Kerala's industries come from this
area, though they are not as much in demand, as before. Kerala Dinesh Beedi,
the largest country's best- run beedi cooperative is located here.
Landmarks
St. Angelo's Fort, a
huge fort captured by the British, from Ali Raja of Kannur. Chirakkal,
6 km from Kannur, is where the Kolathiri Raja lived. The famous 12th century
mosque at Madayi, a village 22 km away, was built by Malik Ibn Dinar.
Ezhimala, an isolated
but conspicuous cluster of hills, about 55 km away, contains a cave and
an old burial chamber. 20 kms south lies Tellicherry, a small town
where most of India's circus artiste's come from. The gymnastic tradition
was introduced by German missionaries. One of them, Dr.
Herman Gundert, spent his entire lifetime
in his educational and literary work and complied the first Malayalam dictionary.
Between
Telicherry and Badagara, lies Mahe, a small and beautiful trading
post on the west coast, established by the French in the 17th century.
At
Parassininkadavu, 18 km away, is the Sri Muthappan Temple.The
temple's non-conformist attitude is evident in the unusual custom of offering
dried fish and toddy (a fermented drink).Taliparambu is a
temple that is said to date back to the 10th century.
Cultural Shows
There is a Kathakali club
in the Sri Muthappan Temple, which arranges shows for a price. Shows
last nearly an hour and a half. This
is the only temple in Kerala, where Theyyam
- the ritual dance form of Kerala is performed
daily.
Details
District Area - 2966 sq
km
Temperature (Mean Max. 32.6
deg C, Mean Min 21.4 deg C))
Rainfall (Annual) - 344
cm
Clothing - Tropical
Cottons
Season - August to March
Travel Stuff
The nearest airport is Kozhikode
Airport is at Karipur, 93 km away.Futher south is the Kochi Airport. Train
and Bus services link Kannur to all major towns and cities in Kerala.
Distances
Alleppy - 381 km
Bangalore - 350 km
Kochi - 317 km
Kozhikode - 93 km
Coimbatore - 284 km
Madras - 781 km
Mangalore - 167 km
Trivandrum - 227 km |