Kannur

A land that has a rich past and flourishes in legends and myths, Kannur located in Kerala is a small and a beautiful city. Far away from the bustling city life, nestled away in the northern most corner of Kerala, is this enchanting city of Kerala. If you want to experience the beauty of India in Kerala, traveling to Kannur would be the best option. The tourism in Kannur is fast catching up, as it is one of the most preferred destinations in Kerala. Check out our related sections that tell you more about the attractions of Kannur.

Theyyam or Theyattam is an ancient and still popular ritual dance of Malabar viz North Kerala. It’s a unique combination of dance, music and also reflects the main features of a tribal culture. The Theyyam performance has an aura of divine splendour as its accompanied by rituals & other devotional hymns. Its indeed an unprecedented experience to watch this dance symbolising the ultimate power. Theyyam is generally performed in front of the village shrines. Performance of a particular deity according to its significance and hierarchy in the shrine continues for 12 to 24 hours in the intervals. There are a large number of temples in Kannur where Theyyam is performed.

The Theyyam perfromance can be observed from Oct to March at various Kavu (small temples) spread over the district. Watching theyyam in the midnights invoke the inner feelings of our mind.

Kannur is full of beautiful tourist attractions that can be visited as a part of Kannur sight seeing tours. This lovely coastal town should not be missed and the famous tourist attractions are worth the visit. Your tour to Kannur will be all the more enjoyable when you go and visit all these beautiful tourist attractions. Read on further about these places to visit.

St. Angelo's Fort - Angelo's Fort was built in 1505 by Sir Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy of India and is on the Arabian sea about 3 km from Kannur town. Historian Nandakumar Koroth in his work 'Forts in North Malabar' reveals the mighty construction of the fort. The fort changed hands several times. In 1663 the Dutch captured it and sold it to the Arakkal Royal Family. The British conquered it in 1790 and transformed it into one of their major military stations on the Malabar Coast. It is fairly well preserved as a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. A painting of this fort and the fishing ferry behind it can be seen in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Moppila Bay
This bay is a famous fishing harbor that is situated near St. Angelo's fort. The place has the latest fishing harbor, equipped with latest fishing technology. It has been built under the Indo-Norwegian treaty and is a joint collaboration between the two countries.

Payyambalam Beach - Is the beach of Kannur town. It has an unbroken coastline of a few kilometres. From the beach, one can see ships in transit along the Malabar coast, that is, beyond Calicut (Kozhikode) and moving towards Mangalore, Goa and Bombay (Mumbai). The well laid out garden and the massive landscaped sculpture of mother and child erected by noted sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman makes it extremely captivating.

Ezhimala - the capital of the ancient Mooshika kings, is considered to be an ancient historical site. It is a conspicuous, 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 11th century.It is believed that Lord Budha had visited Ezhimala. An old mosque believed to contain the mortal remains of Shaikh Abdul Latif, a Muslim reformist, 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 commissioning the Naval Academy here.

Arakkal Palace:-The Arakkal Palace belonged to the only Muslim royal family of Kerala. The palace is of much historical significance and is a popular tourist attraction of Kannur.

Pythal Mala - the enchanting hill station, situated near the Kerala-Karnataka border, is rich in flora and fauna. It is a 6 kms trek to the top of the hills. This beautiful, calm hill station, 65Km from Kannur is at an altitude of 4500 ft. above sea level. Abundant in flora and fauna, this place is now being developed as a hill resort. One has to trek 6 kms to reach the top of the hills. There is a proposal to set up a zoo at the top of the hill. The enchanting hill station offers a challenging trek to those inclined to stretch their legs. Trekkers are rewarded by a profusion of exotic flora and fauna and an exhilirating view from the top.

Parassinikadavu Muthappan Temple - The famous Muthappan (Siva) Temple (Parassinikadavu Madappura) is on the banks of the Valapatanam river. According to tradition, the main abode of Muthappan was Puralimala near Mattannur. The story goes that Muthappan appeared in the form of a child before one Padikutti Amma. The child had an insatiable appetite for liquor, fish and meat and became a nuisance to the family was therefore turned out from the house. Armed with a bow and arrow Muthappan wandered from place to place and eventually reached Puralimala. At Kunnathurpadi, on his way to Puralimala, he climbed on to the top of a palmyra tree near the house of one Chandan and drank toddy.