Kerala Destinations Holidays

Kannur Travel 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 KANNUR

The 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.

» Thaliparambu
Thaliparambu, 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.

» Ezhimala
Ezhimala, 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.

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