Kannur district
Encyclopedia
Kannur District is one of the 14 districts
in the state of Kerala
, India
. The town of Kannur
is the district headquarters, and gives the district its name. The old name Cannanore is the anglicised form of the Malayalam name Kannur. Kannur District is bounded by Kasaragod District
to the north and Kozhikode District
and Wayanad District
to the south. To the east the district is bounded by the Western Ghats
, which forms the border with Karnataka
state, in its district of Kodagu
. The Arabian Sea
lies to the west.
Kannur is the most urbanised district in Kerala, with more than 50% of its residents living in urban areas. Kannur has an urban population of 1,212,898, which is the second largest in Kerala after Ernakulam district
.
Kannur District is known as the land of loom
s and lores, because of the loom industries functioning in the district and festivals held in temple
s. The district is a major centre of Theyyam
, a ritual dance of northern Kerala. Small shrines known as kavu
s associated with the Theyyam
dot the district. The district is set to have a new international airport
. Kannur International Airport
will be the fourth International Airport
in Kerala.
and legend
s behind the name Kannur. It is said to be a portmanteau derived from two Malayalam words, ‘Kannan’ (Krishna
), a Hindu deity, and ‘Ur’ (place), making it the place of Lord Krishna. One support for this theory is that the deity of the Kadalayi
Srikrishna Temple was originally installed in a shrine at Kadalayi Kotta in the southeastern part of the present Kannur town. During British Raj
, the city was known as Cannanore, the Portuguese version of its ancient name, 'Kannanore'.
age. The Taliparamba
-Kannur-Thalassery
area abounds in rock-cut caves, dolmen
s, burial stone circles and menhir
s, all of megalith
ic burial order. The district was part of the Chera
kingdom, which ruled most of Kerala
during the first several centuries CE. Later Kannur was the capital of the Kolattiri Rajas, whose kingdom had trading relations with Arabia and Persia
in the 12th century and 13th centuries. In his book on travels (Il Milione), Marco Polo
recounts his visit to the area in mid 1290s. Other visitors included Faxian
, the Buddhist pilgrim and Ibn Batuta, writer and historian of Tangiers.
It is also said that the ships of Solomon had anchored along the coasts of Kannur to collect timber for building the Temple of the Lord
. Kannur also finds mention as Naura in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
, a Greek
work of great antiquity.
The Portuguese
explorer Vasco da Gama
visited Kannur in 1498, and shortly thereafter it became a Portuguese settlement. The Portuguese led by Don Francisco de Almeda
, the first Portuguese viceroy for India, built the St. Angelo's Fort north of Kannur in 1505. In 1663 the Dutch captured the fort and in 1772 they sold the fort to Arakkal (King of Kannur). In 1790 the British captured the fort. At present, the fort is under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India
. In the latter half of the 18th century, Hyder Ali
and Tipu Sultan
, rulers of Mysore
, conquered much of the district and came into conflict with the British. In 1792, at the conclusion of the Third Anglo-Mysore War
, the British took over Kannur and the surrounding region, which became the new Malabar District
of British India's Madras Presidency
.
in 1792 - 1804 period kept a large part of district in a state of war.
, which was founded in 1885, established a Malabar District
committee in 1908. A branch of the All India Home Rule League, founded by Dr. Annie Besant
, functioned in Thalassery during this period and among its active workers was V.K. Krishna Menon. By the end of 1939, a branch of the Communist Party of India
was formally founded at Pinarayi, a village near Thalassery
. The decision of the Nagpur
Congress to give up constitutional methods of agitation and resort to Non-Violent non Co-operation as a means of achieving swaraj
, led to the widespread boycott of foreign goods, Courts of law and educational institutions in Kannur. Mahatma Gandhi and Maulana Shaukat Ali
toured the district to carry the message of the Non-Co-operation and Khilafat Movement
s. The Khilafat movement of 1921 was the uprising of Muslims against the British for abolishing the Islamic Chaliphate in West Asia resulting in the formation of a secular Turkey.
) during that year.
, a major turning point in the Indian Freedom Movement, in Malabar. On 13 April 1930, a batch of Congress volunteers under the leadership of K. Kelappan
started on foot from Kozhikkode to the beaches of Payyannur and broke the salt laws there on April 21. The Satyagraha
camp at Payyannur was raided and the campers were beaten up. The Uliyath Kadav Payyanur incident became a turning point in the history of freedom struggle in Kerala. It thrilled the people and thousands were ready to join in the struggle for freedom. There were widespread demonstrations in Kannur, Thalassery and other parts of the district and a number of Congress workers were arrested. The period following the withdrawal of the Civil Disobedience
Movement witnessed the emergence of radical
wing in the Kerala Provincial Congress. Some of the radical elements in the Kerala Provincial Congress organized a Kerala unit of the Congress Socialist Party
in 1934 and functioned as a separate group within the Provincial Congress. The leadership of this group was in the hands of persons like P. Krishna Pillai
, A.K. Gopalan and E. M. S. Namboodiripad
. An extremist
group of Nationalist
Muslims also emerged within the Congress during this period under the leadership of Muhammad Abdur Rahiman. The Congress Socialists and the Nationalist Muslims made common cause against the Gandhi an group known as the Right Wing which was led by such leaders as K. Kelappan
, C.K. Govindan Nair and K.A. Damodara Menon.
A notable development in the politics of Malabar during the thirties was the rise of the Muslim League as a district political party. It was the Muslim leaders of Kannur and Thalassery who played the lead role in forming this organization. The leftist elements in the Kerala Provincial Congress were also active in the politics of Malabar in the late thirties. They took an active part in organizing the workers, peasants, students and teachers of Kannur district under their banner. In the election held to the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee
in January 1939, the Rightists suffered a severe setback. Muhammad Abdur Rahiman Sahib http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muhammed_Abdul_Rahman_Sahib&redirect=no was elected as the president of the K.P.C.C and E. M. S. Namboodiripad
as its general secretary. Towards the end of the same year, a branch of the Indian Communist Party
was formally founded in Malabar. The Congress Socialist Party
workers joined the Communist Party en bloc.
to observe September 15, 1940 as Anti-Imperialist
Day. The action was disapproved by the Congress High Command, but there were meetings and demonstrations all over Malabar on this day. Kannur district was the centre of this agitation. There were violent clashes between the people and the police at several places and lathicharge and firing were resorted to by the police to meet the situation. Two young men were killed in a clash between a mob and a police party at Morazha. The young men were two police officers Sub-Inspector
K.M Kuttikrishna Menon and Constable
Raman. In connection with this incident, K.P.R. Gopalan, a prominent communist, was arrested on a charge of murder and later sentenced to death. But, owing to the intervention of several top ranking political leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, the death penalty was not carried out. The Quit India Movement
of August 1942 also had its echoes in Kannur district. A socialist group among the Congress workers under Dr. K.B. Menon, provided leadership to the movement.
and cholera
epidemic
took thousands of lives from the lower strata of society. On the initiative of the people under the leadership of the Kisan Sabha, commendable services were rendered to tide over the crisis. The “Grow More Food Campaign” organized at Mangattuparamba by the Kisan Sabha was a new chapter in the history of mass movement
. More than 50 acre
s (200,000 m²) of government land was brought under cultivation. But the government suppressed the movement by force and destroyed the farm.
Though the War ended in 1945, famine continued to haunt the people. Karivellor,Poomaram (Thillenkeri) the northern most village of the present Kannur district, made a historic stride in the struggle against poverty and famine. The transporting of paddy
from Karivellore to Chirakkal Kovilakom was blocked and distributed to the people of the village. The movement was led by peasant
leaders like A.V. Kunhambu and K. Krishnan Master. One Kannan and Kunhambu became martyr
s in the struggle when police opened fire.
During the month of December 1946, the people of Kavumbayi, an eastern village of the district, raised their demand for punam cultivation
. A strong police contingent was sent to the spot. The peasants resisted the armed forces
which led to the killing of five peasants in the firing.
The rise of the organized working class
in the industrial
sector was another important phenomenon of the period that changed the course of the anti-imperialism movement. The struggle of Aron Mill workers in the year 1946 is noteworthy in this regard. Even after independence, the struggles of the peasantry formed an important part in the history of the state. They fought against landlord
s and their exploitation. Places like Thillankeri, Manayankunnu, Korom and Paddikkunnu are memorable in the annals of the peasant struggles in the post independence era. The All India Conference of Kisan Sabha, held at Kannur in 1953, resolved to initiate struggles for new tenancy legislations. The movement for Aikya Kerala also got momentum during this period and all sections of the society rallied under the movement.
and E. K. Nayanar
, former Chief Minister of Kerala. K. Karunakaran, a former Chief Minister, also hails from Kannur.
Communist parties have a strong base in this district. The Communist Party of India (Marxist)
-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) governs five of six municipalities in Kannur district. Around 70% of the panchayats are governed by LDF.
Panoor
, Kuthuparamba
and Mattanur
areas of Thalassery
Taluk in the district have been a hub of political violence between the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
(CPI(M)) and the BJP-led Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS) combine. Clashes in 2008 left seven people killed and many have been injured. The High Court of Kerala called this manslaughter a “compelling sport” and suggested permanent deployment of Central forces in the affected areas.
s 11° 40' to 12° 48' North and longitude
s 74° 52' to 76° 07' East and covers an area of 2,996 km² . Kannur can be geographically divided into highland, midland and lowland regions. Highlands are the mountainous region forming part of the Western Ghats
and are covered by rainforests, plantations of coffee
, tea
and different types of spices like cardamom
. There are also timber
plantations in this region. The midland region lies between the highlands and lowlands and is made up of undulating hills and valleys. The lowland is the narrow stretch containing rivers, deltas
and the coastal region. Six rivers drain Kannur, the longest being the Valapattanam river with a length of 110 km. Other rivers flowing through Kannur district are Kuppam, Mahe River, Anjarakandi, Thalassery, Ramapuram and Perumba. The highest place in the district is Elapeedika (2,500 - 3,200 ft.), near to Peravoor.
which continues till the end of September. October and November from the post-monsoon [North-East Monsoon] or retreating monsoon season.
During the months of April and May, the mean daily maximum temperature is about 35 °C. Temperature is low in December and January and the minimum temperature is about 20 °C. On certain days the night temperature may go down to 16 °C, although this is extremely rare. The annual average rainfall is 3438 mm and more than 80% of it occurs during the period of South-West monsoon. The rainfall during July is very heavy and the district receives 68% of the annual rainfall during this season.
es, some of which are:
, coconut
, pepper
, cashew
, tapioca
, arecanut and plantation crops like rubber
. Asia's largest cinnamon estate producing cinnamon spice established by Lord Brown of British East India company in the year CE 1767 is located at Anjarakandy in Kannur district
Paddy occupies the largest area among annual crops. Under the high yielding variety programme, substantial increase in paddy production has been achieved, even though the percentage of area sown under paddy is decreasing year after year, due to conversion of paddy fields to other purposes. The average yield of paddy is recorded as 2146 kg. per hectare. Next to paddy, coconut is the most important crop in the district. Coconut is extensively grown throughout the district. An important cash crop grown in the district is cashewnut. The district plays a unique role in its cultivation and production. The vast stretches of suitable waste lands with low fertility status extends scope for expansion of cashew cultivation and its allied industries.
Among spices, pepper occupies an important place. Pepper is mostly grown as an intercrop with coconut, arecanut and various fruit trees. In the hilly areas of the district, the inter-cultivation is done with rubber and cashew. Rubber is the most important industrial cash crop among the plantation crops.
About 55% of the rubber cultivation of Kannur district is in Taliparamba
taluk, followed by Thalassery and Kannur taluks. The yield of rubber per hectare varies from 2000 kg to 4000 kg.
textile
or plywood
manufacturing.
Handloom Textiles, beedi
and coir
are the important traditional industries in the district. About one lakh people depend on the textile industry for livelihood. The textile industry which accounts for 40% of all Small Scale Industrial (SSI) units in the district, was introduced in early 19th century by the German Basel Mission. The first ready-made garment unit in Kannur and the first hosiery unit in Kuthuparamba were started around the end of the 19th century. The beedi industry provides employment to about 50,000 people. The famous beedi co-operative ‘Dinesh Beedi’ and Private owned Sadhu Beedi companies are in Kannur district. The coir industry which uses traditional technology provides employment to about 11,000 workers.
There are 6934 small scale industrial units in the district. The district has 202 sick units which is about 9.3% of the sick units of the state. Only 4828 units are working now. 162 industrial societies and four power loom
societies are also functioning here. Kannur, Thalassery, Payyannur, Taliparamba and Edakkad have been identified as growth centers, having potential for industrial development.
and Kasaragod taluk of Madras state were reconstituted into three revenue districts, viz; Kannur, Kozhikode
and Palakkad
. At the time of its formation, the district consisted of seven taluks, viz, Kasaragod
, Hosdurg, Taliparamba
, Kannur
, Thalassery
, North Wayanad and South Wayanad. Subsequently, the South Wayanad taluk was included in Kozhikode district with effect from 15 March 1957. Later, on first November 1980, Wayanad district was formed carving out South Wayanad and North Wayanad taluks.The two northern most taluks of Kannur district, viz; Kasaragod and Hosdurg were separated on 24 May 1984 for the formation of Kasaragod district
.
There are nine development blocks comprising 82 panchayats. The development blocks are Kannur
, Edakkad
, Irikkur
, Iritty
, Kuthuparamba
, Payyannur, Peravoor
, Taliparamba
and Thalassery
.
The Municipal towns in the district are Taliparamba
, Kannur
, Thalassery
, Kuthuparamba
, Payyannur and Mattannur.
Kannur district has three taluks, viz., Kannur
, Taliparamba
and Thalassery
. Thalassery is also known as Tellicherry.
The state legislative constituencies of the District are: Irikkur
, Payyannur, Taliparamba
, Kalliasseri
, Azhikode
, Kannur
, Dharmadam, Thalassery
, Mattannur, Kuthuparamba
and Peravoor
.
The West Coast road from Mahe to Talapady is the backbone of the road system in Kannur district. This is part of the National Highway (NH-17). Kannur
- Mattannur - Iritty
Road, Pappinisseri
- Pilathara Road, Taliparambu - Sreekandapuram
Road, Payyannur - Peringome (Kozhichal) Road, Thalassery
–Kodagu
road and the Thalassery
– Mysore road are the other important roads. The airports at Mangalore
in Karnataka
and Kozhikode
are about 125 kilometres away from Kannur. Kannur Airport is coming up at Mattannur is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.
Thalassery
(Tellicherry), Kannur
and Azhikkal
are the minor ports in the district. Kannur is an ancient port. The nearest all-weather sea port is Mangalore
, presently in Karnataka
state name. The inland water transport system connecting Perumba and Thaliparamba was constructed in 1766 by the Ali Raja of Kannur. This 3.8 km long canal is known as the Sultan's Canal. The west flowing rivers are used for navigation. The Kuppam river has 244 km of navigable length; Valappattanam, 55 km and Anjarakandi, 23 km.
The international airport
at Kannur is coming up at Mattanur
..
Kannur district has a population
of 2,525,637, roughly equal to the nation of Kuwait
or the US state of Nevada
. This gives it a ranking of 170th in India (out of a total of 640
). The district has a population density of 852 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
over the decade 2001-2011 was 4.84 %. Kannur has a sex ratio
of 1133 females
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
of 95.41 %.
The District has a population of 2,412,365 (2001 census). This is the most urbanised district in Kerala. About 50.35% of the population reside in the urban agglomerations. The total urban population of Kannur district is 1,212,898. This is the second largest urban population in Kerala after Ernakulam
and is more than the population of a metro city. http://www.censusindiamaps.net/page/India_WhizMap/IndiaMap.htm
The high urban population of the district is due to the 45 towns in the district which is the highest in Kerala. Kannur district has 7 statutory towns namely Kannur
, Kannur Cantonment
, Thalassery
, Payyannur, Thaliparamba, Kuthuparamba
and Mattannur. In addition to this there are 38 census towns which are Ancharakandy
, Azhikode North
, Azhikode South
, Chala, Chelora
, Cherukunnu
, Cheruthazham
, Chirakkal
, Chockli
, Dharmadom
, Elayavoor
, Eranholi
, Iriveri
, Kadachira
, Kadirur
, Kalliasseri
, Kanhirode
, Kannadiparamba
, Kannapuram
, Kottayam-Malabar
, Mavilayi
, Munderi, Muzhappilangad
, Narath
, New Mahe
, Paduvilayi
, Pallikkunnu
, Panniyannur
, Panoor
, Pappinisseri
, Pathiriyad
, Pattiom
, Peralasseri
, Peringathur
, Pinarayi
, Puzhathi
, Thottada
, Valapattanam, Varam
.
Kannur city has, apart from Malayalam,Kannada,Tulu and Tamil speakers.
Kannur district is very rich in vegetation. Natural vegetation, except in some coastal regions, consists of different types of forests. But, in spite of generally favourable climatic conditions, vegetation is not uniform. In restricted regions, with their own micro climate or special edaphic
features, plant formations assume different characters. Thus, plant communities, ranging from psammophytes and mangrove
s to evergreen forest
s are seen in this district.
The coastal region is a comparatively narrow zone, characterised by secondary soil which is rather lose and sandy. The sterile sandy tract supports only a poor vegetation of the psammophyte type. Plants are few and mostly prostrate. Erect species are small and short. Owing to very poor water holding capacity of the soil, these plants are provided with special xerophytic adaptations. Another conspicuous feature of this area is the mangroove vegetation, found at the estuaries of rivers and backwater
s, and often extending to the interior along their banks. Human interference has much changed the vegetation of the coastal region.
Major part of the district comes under midland region with numerous hills and dales and it presents an undulating surface gradually ascending and merging into the slopes of Western Ghats
. Soil is secondary and lateritic with underlying rock of laterite
or disintegrated gneiss
. Typical flora of this area is deciduous forest consisting of a mixture of evergreen and deciduous
trees. Undergrowth consists of a variety of annuals and perennials.
The mountains are a continuation of the midland
region, gradually ascending to the main ridge of the Western Ghats
. Soil in the western slopes is a ferrugenous red, sandy loam. Vegetation over the whole area is of the forest type. Irregular distribution of teak
, localised areas of bamboo
dominance, change of good quality forest into open grass lands, etc. are characteristic.
The Aralam Wildlife sanctuary is spread over 55 square kilometres of undulating forested highlands on the slopes of the Western Ghats
. It was established in 1984. The headquarters of the sanctuary is near Iritty
, a small town about 55 kilometres from Kannur. The sanctuary adjoins the Central state Farm at Aralam. Aralam wild life is situating in Muzhakkunnu panchayathu and Aralam panchayath. Muzhakkunnu is also a tourist spot.
The elevation varies from 50 m to 1145 m. The highest peak here Katti Betta rises to a majestic 1145 m above sea level. Covered with tropical and semi evergreen forests, the Aralam Sanctuary is home to a vast variety of flora and fauna endemic to the Western Ghats. Herds of deer
, elephant
, boar
and bison
are common sights. Leopards, jungle cats and various types of squirrels are also seen here. The proposed Ranipuram
wildlife sanctuary of Kasaragod district
also has similar flora and fauna as that of Aralam
wildlife sanctuary
master, provided facilities to pupils to acquire elementary education. After undergoing the preliminary course of study in these institutions, the children were sent to the kalari
es for acquiring training in gymnastics
and in the use of arms and then they were sent to study Sanskrit
in Vedic schools under well trained teachers. This district had in the past, its share of such kalaries and Vedic schools. The art, kalaripayattu, is particularly associated with this district.
The beginning of western education in the district may be traced back to the middle of the 16th century. The first English school, known as the Basel German Mission English School, was started on 1 March 1856 at Thalassery. The Brennen School at Thalassery, the nucleus of the present Govt. Brennen College, was started in 1862 with a donation made by Mr. Brennen, Master Attendant at Thalassery.
Kannur University
was established by the Act 22 of 1996 of Kerala Legislative Assembly. The University by the name “Malabar University” had come into existence even earlier by the promulgaton of an Ordinance by the Governor of Kerala, on 9 November 1995. The University was inaugurated on 2 March 1996 by the Hon. Chief Minister of Kerala. The objective of the Kannur University Act 1996 is to establish in the state of Kerala a teaching, residential and affiliating University so as to provide for the development of higher education in Kasargod and Kannur revenue Districts and the Mananthavady Taluk of Wayanad district. The present Vice-Chancellor of Kannur University is Dr P. K. Michael Tharakan, who took over from Dr P Chandramohan. Pariyaram Medical college established in 1999 near Payyanur
and Kannur Medical college with a 500 bed super speciality hospital established in 2006 at Anjarakkandy are two medical colleges functioning in Kannur district.
Kannur
hosts the 13th cente for National Institute of Fashion Technology NIFT.
, cricket
, football
, etc. to Kannur during the pre-independence period. The famous Fort Maidan (ground) and Police Maidan provide ample facilities for youths to excel in this field. The CDRE Football team and Hockey team excelled in those days. At the same time, the traditional martial arts like Kalaripayatu has also been flourishing here all along.
After Independence, the football clubs helped spread the spirit of the game in Kannur. Spirited Youths, Lucky Star, Brothers Club and Gymkhana Club were popular and produced well known players like D'cruz, Soman, Dasan, etc. Sree Narayana College in Thottada was considered a nursery of sporstmen the most prominent of them being B Devananad who captained the college and later Calicut University (the college is now under Kannur University) to national universities title. Devananad later played for the Indian Youth team in Bangkok
and several other tournaments to be picked by Tata Football team in Mumbai
. He was the fullback when Kerala won its first Santosh Trophy title in 1973. Similarly Mani, the captain of the Santosh Trophy winning Kerala team was another well known player though he faded off the sports horizon.
Jimmy George
, the veteran Volley Ball player who was selected as one of the top 10 strikers in the world when he was playing for an Italian Club was born and brought up in Kannur.
In Hockey too, apart from the military team, there were good teams in Kannur and Thalassery. Cricket, ball-badminton, weightlifting
, gymnastics
, wrestling
, volleyball
, etc. have been widely played in both urban and rural areas. Volleyball has been concentrated upon by youths in rural areas. Former Indian hockey goalkeeper Manuel Fredricks is from Kannur.
When Sports Divisions were started in schools in 1976 to tap talents, one of its divisions was started in the district. The Sports Division attached to Govt. Higher Secondary School, Kannur, produced international stars like P.T Usha and M.D. Valsamma in athletics. Leelamma Thomas and Moly Benedict in basketball and Anitha Retnam and Anandavalli in volleyball. The Police Maidan was the venue for M.D Valsamma and Mercy Mathew to practise athletics; P.K. Balachandran, V.P. Sathyan, D'cruz, Rajan, Ramanan, Sugunan, C.M. Chidanandan, B Devananad and George in football and Ford and Olympian Federicks in hockey. Westline & Leslie in cricket had their training at Fort Maidan.
Kannur became famous in South India for ball badminton, when T.K. Ramakrishnan and Kumaran were playing. A.M. Bharathan created history in weight lifting in the early fifties. Nelliary Krishnan Nair, the first Malayalee to represent India (weightlifting) at the first Asian Games held at New Delhi in 1951 is from Kannur.
It is also believed that the game of cricket first found its way to Kannur, with the British
,thus making it the birthplace of the game in India
. A few years back, the district cricket association celebrated the 200th anniversary of the game in the district, in a function attended by eminent cricketers like Dilip Vengsarkar
.
, en route from Kannur to Taliparamba, 2 km from National Highway (NH) 17. Here one gets to see a large genre of snakes and other small animals and there is even a live show, where trained personnel play and 'interact' with a variety of snakes, including cobra
s and viper
s, and seek to quell mythical fears and superstitions about snakes. The Snake Park set up by the Visha Chikista Kendra at Pappinisseri, has been a centre of attraction to both foreign and domestic tourists. This Kendra (center) offers effective treatment for snake bites with almost 100% cure. This is the only place, perhaps where Ayurveda
and Allopathy are effectively combined for curing snake bites. The snake park here houses about 150 varieties of snakes including the Spectacled Cobra, King Cobra
, Russell's viper
, Krait and various pit vipers
. There is also a large collection of non-poisonous snakes including Pythons. A research laboratory to extract venom from snakes is proposed to be set up here. The park is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of snakes, many species of which are getting extinct gradually. It is located 16 km from Kannur. Parassinikkadavu
is also noted for the famous Muthappan temple
. This is the only temple in Kerala where a Theyyam performance is a daily ritual offering.
, built in 1505 by Sir Francisco de Almeida
, the first Portuguese Viceroy of India, is situated near the sea coast and about 2 km from Kannur town. This fort has a legendary past. Having witnessed several wars for seizing the control of the fort, the British flag flew over it finally in 1790. Even now, it is in a fairly good state of preservation, and is a protected monument under Archaeological Survey of India
(ASI). A painting of this fort and the fishing ferry behind the fort can be seen in the Rijksmuseum
in Amsterdam
.
St Angelo Fort is an important historical monument and tourist centre. Kerala Police has posted six Tourism Police Officers for protection and guidance to the tourists. Among them, Sathyan Eddakkad has detailed knowledge about this fort and the surrounding places. He wrote and published a book in Malayalam named Vasco Da Gaamyum charithrathile kaanaappurangalum (Vasco Da Gama and the unknown pages of history) in which he describes the past and present of the Fort.
The fort, though not as large as the famous Bekal Fort
in Kasaragod
, is a treat to the eyes with lush greenery and well maintained surroundings. The Payyambalam and Government guest house are some of the other famous landmarks near the fort.
'vaithalmala
vaithalmala is a hill station on the Kerala-Karnataka border is 65 km north of Kannur. Ideal for trekking; it is around 1,371.6 metres above sea level. A base reception centre and a watchtower atop the cliff function for the benefit of tourists and trekkers.It is near to Kudiyanmala.
town. 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 Buddha 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 herb
s. There is an old tower of great antiquity here, the Mount Deli Light House. It is maintained by the Indian Navy
and is a restricted area. The beach sand is of a different texture and the sea is bluer than in other areas. At Ettikulam bay, one can enjoy watching dolphins. Bordered by sea on three sides, Ezhimala is set to occupy a prominent place in the Naval history of the country, subsequent to the proposal for commissioning the Naval Academy there.
as well as history. Madayipara was the administrative center of the Ezhimala kings. In and around Madayipara, one can find remnants from the past. At the southern side of the hill, stand the remains of a fort called Pazhi Kotta (kotta means fort in Malayalam). Here one can also find watchtowers at the four corners of the fort. Between AD 14 and AD 18, Madayipara used to be the site for the coronation ceremony of the rulers of the princely state of Kolathunadu.
The hillock of Madayipara, which carries several signs of historic relevance, is also a place important from a religious point of view. Here, a pond in the shape of a hand held mirror, connected to ancient Jewish settlers, is another historic attraction. Similarly, a temple at this site, called Vadukunda Siva Temple, and the adjoining lake, about an acre in extent, form another attraction. The lake near the temple will not go dry even in hot summer months and remains a source of nourishment to life forms. The pooram festival of Madayi Kavu (kavu – family temples and those in the midst of thick vegetation) held at Madayipara has been responsible for much of its fame.
With regard to the biodiversity of Madayipara, the region contains about 300 flowering plants, about 30 varieties of grass, and several insect-eating plant species. Madayipara is also home to several rare medicinal herbs. Coming to avian life, Madayipara sustains about 100 species of butterflies and about 150 species of birds. Among the biggest butterflies in the world, the Atlas butterfly is a visitor to Madayipara.
district.
.
who was the ruler of Pazhassi kingdom which is in the present Kannur district.
The Kannur district was host to many Kerala politicians, including A. K. Gopalan
, founder of the Communist Party of Kerala, E. K. Nayanar
, three time Chief Minister
of Kerala, K. Karunakaran, former Chief Minister of Kerala and Congress leader, E. Ahamed, Minister of State for Railways, M. V. Raghavan
, former Minister, P. K. Sreemathy
, Health Minister, and Pinarayi Vijayan
, former Minister.
Other notable people tracing their origin to this district include film actor Sreenivasan, Vineeth
, Samvrutha Sunil
and Manju Warrier
, writers Sanjayan and T. Padmanabhan, sportsmen V P Sathyan (football) and Jimmy George
(volleyball) and Fighter pilot Moorkoth Ramunni
. K.T. Arun is a notable artist and creative director hailing from the district.
Districts of Kerala
The Indian state of Kerala borders with the states of Tamil Nadu on the south and east, Karnataka on the north and the Arabian Sea coastline on the west. The Western Ghats, bordering the eastern boundary of the State, form an almost continuous mountain wall, except near Palakkad where there is a...
in the state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The town of Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
is the district headquarters, and gives the district its name. The old name Cannanore is the anglicised form of the Malayalam name Kannur. Kannur District is bounded by Kasaragod District
Kasaragod district
Kasaragod District is one of the districts of the Indian state of Kerala. Kasaragod District was organised as a separate district on 24 May 1984...
to the north and Kozhikode District
Kozhikode district
Kozhikode District , formerly Calicut, is a district of Kerala state, situated on the southwest coast of India. The city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, is the district headquarters. The district is 38.25% urbanised...
and Wayanad District
Wayanad District
Wayanad District in the north-east of Kerala, India, was formed on November 1, 1980 as the 12th district by carving out areas from Kozhikode and Kannur districts. Kalpetta is the district headquarters as well as the only municipal town in the district. The region was known as Mayakshetra in the...
to the south. To the east the district is bounded by the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
, which forms the border with Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
state, in its district of Kodagu
Kodagu
Kodagu , also known by its anglicised former name of Coorg, is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. As of 2001, the population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least...
. The Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
lies to the west.
Kannur is the most urbanised district in Kerala, with more than 50% of its residents living in urban areas. Kannur has an urban population of 1,212,898, which is the second largest in Kerala after Ernakulam district
Ernakulam district
-Economy:Agriculture constitutes the most important segment of the district’s economy and it is the biggest source of employment. Of the geographical 235319 hectares, crops are grown in 0 hectares. Coconut is the principal crop followed by rubber, paddy, and tapioca...
.
Kannur District is known as the land of loom
Loom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads...
s and lores, because of the loom industries functioning in the district and festivals held in temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
s. The district is a major centre of Theyyam
Theyyam
Theyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu area Theyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu...
, a ritual dance of northern Kerala. Small shrines known as kavu
Kavu
Kavu is the traditional name given for sacred groves across the Malabar Coast in Kerala, South India. Kavus are notable for Theyyam, the centuries old ritual dance....
s associated with the Theyyam
Theyyam
Theyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu area Theyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu...
dot the district. The district is set to have a new international airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
. Kannur International Airport
Kannur International Airport
Kannur International Airport is an upcoming international airport located at Mattanur in Kannur District, Kerala, India. The airport is the fourth international airport in Kerala.As of 19 July 2011, has been acquired for the airport out of notified...
will be the fourth International Airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
in Kerala.
Etymology
There are many mythsMythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
and legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s behind the name Kannur. It is said to be a portmanteau derived from two Malayalam words, ‘Kannan’ (Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
), a Hindu deity, and ‘Ur’ (place), making it the place of Lord Krishna. One support for this theory is that the deity of the Kadalayi
Kadalayi
Kadalayi is a Hindu temple in the village of Chirakkal, Kerala, India.-Origins:There is an interesting legend associated with the origin of the temple. It is believed that the idol of Lord Vishnu consecrated here is the very idol worshiped by Sathyabhama, the consort of Lord Krishna at Dwaraka in...
Srikrishna Temple was originally installed in a shrine at Kadalayi Kotta in the southeastern part of the present Kannur town. During British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, the city was known as Cannanore, the Portuguese version of its ancient name, 'Kannanore'.
History
The earliest evidence of human habitation in the district are rock-cut caves and megalithic burial sites of the NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
age. The Taliparamba
Taliparamba
Taliparamba is a city and a municipality in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala and spread over an area of 43.05 km2. It stretches from the coastal area of Ramanthali to Nuchiyard and Vayathur villages, touching the Karnataka border.Taliparamba is a big town of 67,000 people...
-Kannur-Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
area abounds in rock-cut caves, dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
s, burial stone circles and menhir
Menhir
A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...
s, all of megalith
Megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...
ic burial order. The district was part of the Chera
Chera dynasty
Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...
kingdom, which ruled most of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
during the first several centuries CE. Later Kannur was the capital of the Kolattiri Rajas, whose kingdom had trading relations with Arabia and Persia
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
in the 12th century and 13th centuries. In his book on travels (Il Milione), Marco Polo
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
recounts his visit to the area in mid 1290s. Other visitors included Faxian
Faxian
Faxian was a Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled to India, Sri Lanka and Kapilavastu in today's Nepal between 399 and 412 to acquire Buddhist scriptures...
, the Buddhist pilgrim and Ibn Batuta, writer and historian of Tangiers.
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
. Kannur also finds mention as Naura in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea or Periplus of the Red Sea is a Greco-Roman periplus, written in Greek, describing navigation and trading opportunities from Roman Egyptian ports like Berenice along the coast of the Red Sea, and others along Northeast Africa and India...
, a Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
work of great antiquity.
The Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
explorer Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
visited Kannur in 1498, and shortly thereafter it became a Portuguese settlement. The Portuguese led by Don Francisco de Almeda
Francisco de Almeida
Dom Francisco de Almeida , also known as "the Great Dom Francisco" , was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492...
, the first Portuguese viceroy for India, built the St. Angelo's Fort north of Kannur in 1505. In 1663 the Dutch captured the fort and in 1772 they sold the fort to Arakkal (King of Kannur). In 1790 the British captured the fort. At present, the fort is under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
. In the latter half of the 18th century, Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
and Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
, rulers of Mysore
Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a kingdom of southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. The kingdom, which was ruled by the Wodeyar family, initially served as a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire...
, conquered much of the district and came into conflict with the British. In 1792, at the conclusion of the Third Anglo-Mysore War
Third Anglo-Mysore War
The Third Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company and its allies, including the Mahratta Empire and the Nizam of Hyderabad...
, the British took over Kannur and the surrounding region, which became the new Malabar District
Malabar District
Malabar District was an administrative district of Madras Presidency in British India and independent India's Madras State. The British district included the present-day districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad , and Chavakad Taluk of Thrissur District in the northern part of...
of British India's Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
.
Early resistance to British rule
Kannur District witnessed the one of the longest and bloodiest resistance to British rule in India. This revolt led by Pazhassi RajaPazhassi Raja
Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja , popularly known as Kerala Simham or Lion of Kerala, was the Hindu Nair King of Kottayam , which was based in modern Kannur District, North Malabar zone of Kerala State in...
in 1792 - 1804 period kept a large part of district in a state of war.
Indian freedom movement
Kannur District played an important role in Indian freedom movement. The Indian National CongressIndian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, which was founded in 1885, established a Malabar District
Malabar District
Malabar District was an administrative district of Madras Presidency in British India and independent India's Madras State. The British district included the present-day districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad , and Chavakad Taluk of Thrissur District in the northern part of...
committee in 1908. A branch of the All India Home Rule League, founded by Dr. Annie Besant
Annie Besant
Annie Besant was a prominent British Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self rule.She was married at 19 to Frank Besant but separated from him over religious differences. She then became a prominent speaker for the National Secular Society ...
, functioned in Thalassery during this period and among its active workers was V.K. Krishna Menon. By the end of 1939, a branch of the Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
was formally founded at Pinarayi, a village near Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
. The decision of the Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
Congress to give up constitutional methods of agitation and resort to Non-Violent non Co-operation as a means of achieving swaraj
Swaraj
Swaraj can mean generally self-governance or "self-rule", and was used synonymously with "home-rule" by Gandhi but the word usually refers to Gandhi's concept for Indian independence from foreign domination. Swaraj lays stress on governance not by a hierarchical government, but self governance...
, led to the widespread boycott of foreign goods, Courts of law and educational institutions in Kannur. Mahatma Gandhi and Maulana Shaukat Ali
Maulana Shaukat Ali
Maulana Shaukat Ali was an Indian Muslim nationalist and leader of the Khilafat movement. He was the brother of Maulana Mohammad Ali.-Early life:...
toured the district to carry the message of the Non-Co-operation and Khilafat Movement
Khilafat Movement
The Khilafat movement was a pan-Islamic, political campaign launched by Muslims in British India to influence the British government and to protect the Ottoman Empire during the aftermath of World War I...
s. The Khilafat movement of 1921 was the uprising of Muslims against the British for abolishing the Islamic Chaliphate in West Asia resulting in the formation of a secular Turkey.
Payyannur Conference
Kannur District came into the limelight of Kerala politics in May 1928, when the fourth All Kerala Political Conference was held at Payyannur under the auspices of the Kerala Provincial Congress. This conference was presided over by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The Payyannur Conference passed a resolution requesting the Indian National Congress to adopt “Complete Independence” instead of “Swaraj” as its goal at the annual session which was scheduled to take place at Calcutta (now KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
) during that year.
Civil Disobedience Movement
Payyannur was the main venue of the Salt SatyagrahaSalt Satyagraha
The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagrahah began with the Dandi March on March 12, 1930, and was an important part of the Indian independence movement. It was a campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly in colonial India, and triggered the wider...
, a major turning point in the Indian Freedom Movement, in Malabar. On 13 April 1930, a batch of Congress volunteers under the leadership of K. Kelappan
K. Kelappan
K. Kelappan was born in the small village Muchukunnu in Calicut in Kerala. He studied in Calicut and Madras and graduated from the University of Madras. He began his career as a teacher at in St. Berchmans High School, Changanassery and was the founder President of the Nair Service Society. Later...
started on foot from Kozhikkode to the beaches of Payyannur and broke the salt laws there on April 21. The Satyagraha
Satyagraha
Satyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...
camp at Payyannur was raided and the campers were beaten up. The Uliyath Kadav Payyanur incident became a turning point in the history of freedom struggle in Kerala. It thrilled the people and thousands were ready to join in the struggle for freedom. There were widespread demonstrations in Kannur, Thalassery and other parts of the district and a number of Congress workers were arrested. The period following the withdrawal of the Civil Disobedience
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
Movement witnessed the emergence of radical
Extremism
Extremism is any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
wing in the Kerala Provincial Congress. Some of the radical elements in the Kerala Provincial Congress organized a Kerala unit of the Congress Socialist Party
Congress Socialist Party
The Congress Socialist Party was founded in 1934 as a socialist caucus within the Indian National Congress. Its members rejected what they saw as the anti-rational mysticism of Mohandas Gandhi as well as the sectarian attitude of the Communist Party of India towards the Congress Party...
in 1934 and functioned as a separate group within the Provincial Congress. The leadership of this group was in the hands of persons like P. Krishna Pillai
P. Krishna Pillai
P. Krishna Pillai was a Communist revolutionary from Kerala, India, Kerala's First Communist, Founder of the Communist movement in Kerala, and poet....
, A.K. Gopalan and E. M. S. Namboodiripad
E. M. S. Namboodiripad
Elamkulam Manakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad, , popularly known as EMS, was an Indian Communist leader and the first Chief Minister of Kerala. As the first non-Congress chief minister in independent India, he became the leader of the first democratically elected communist government in the world...
. An extremist
Extremism
Extremism is any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
group of Nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
Muslims also emerged within the Congress during this period under the leadership of Muhammad Abdur Rahiman. The Congress Socialists and the Nationalist Muslims made common cause against the Gandhi an group known as the Right Wing which was led by such leaders as K. Kelappan
K. Kelappan
K. Kelappan was born in the small village Muchukunnu in Calicut in Kerala. He studied in Calicut and Madras and graduated from the University of Madras. He began his career as a teacher at in St. Berchmans High School, Changanassery and was the founder President of the Nair Service Society. Later...
, C.K. Govindan Nair and K.A. Damodara Menon.
A notable development in the politics of Malabar during the thirties was the rise of the Muslim League as a district political party. It was the Muslim leaders of Kannur and Thalassery who played the lead role in forming this organization. The leftist elements in the Kerala Provincial Congress were also active in the politics of Malabar in the late thirties. They took an active part in organizing the workers, peasants, students and teachers of Kannur district under their banner. In the election held to the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee is the unit of the Indian National Congress - the world's largest political organization -working in the state of Kerala. Its head office is situated at Trivandrum ....
in January 1939, the Rightists suffered a severe setback. Muhammad Abdur Rahiman Sahib http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muhammed_Abdul_Rahman_Sahib&redirect=no was elected as the president of the K.P.C.C and E. M. S. Namboodiripad
E. M. S. Namboodiripad
Elamkulam Manakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad, , popularly known as EMS, was an Indian Communist leader and the first Chief Minister of Kerala. As the first non-Congress chief minister in independent India, he became the leader of the first democratically elected communist government in the world...
as its general secretary. Towards the end of the same year, a branch of the Indian Communist Party
Indian Communist Party
The Indian Communist Party was a small communist group in India, led by U. Krishnappa from Karnataka. In May 1985 ICP merged into the Communist Organisation of India ....
was formally founded in Malabar. The Congress Socialist Party
Congress Socialist Party
The Congress Socialist Party was founded in 1934 as a socialist caucus within the Indian National Congress. Its members rejected what they saw as the anti-rational mysticism of Mohandas Gandhi as well as the sectarian attitude of the Communist Party of India towards the Congress Party...
workers joined the Communist Party en bloc.
Morazha Incident
The KPCC gave a call to the people of MalabarNorth Malabar
North Malabar , is a historic as well as geographic distinction in India used to refer the area covering; present Kasaragod and Kannur Districts, Mananthavady taluk of Wayanad District and Koyilandy & Vatakara taluks of Kozhikode District in modern Kerala and the entire Mahé sub-Division of...
to observe September 15, 1940 as Anti-Imperialist
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
Day. The action was disapproved by the Congress High Command, but there were meetings and demonstrations all over Malabar on this day. Kannur district was the centre of this agitation. There were violent clashes between the people and the police at several places and lathicharge and firing were resorted to by the police to meet the situation. Two young men were killed in a clash between a mob and a police party at Morazha. The young men were two police officers Sub-Inspector
Sub-inspector
Sub-inspector is a rank used extensively in the Indian Police, Pakistani Police and Sri Lankan Police, which is primarily based on the British model. It was formerly used in most British colonial police forces and in certain British police forces as well...
K.M Kuttikrishna Menon and Constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
Raman. In connection with this incident, K.P.R. Gopalan, a prominent communist, was arrested on a charge of murder and later sentenced to death. But, owing to the intervention of several top ranking political leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, the death penalty was not carried out. The Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
of August 1942 also had its echoes in Kannur district. A socialist group among the Congress workers under Dr. K.B. Menon, provided leadership to the movement.
Peasant struggles
The War period, especially from 1943 to 1945, had its ravages on the district. FamineFamine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
and cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
took thousands of lives from the lower strata of society. On the initiative of the people under the leadership of the Kisan Sabha, commendable services were rendered to tide over the crisis. The “Grow More Food Campaign” organized at Mangattuparamba by the Kisan Sabha was a new chapter in the history of mass movement
Mass movement
Mass movement refers to the political concept of a political party or movement which is supported by large segments of a population. Political movements that typically advocate the creation of a mass movement include the ideologies of communism and fascism...
. More than 50 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (200,000 m²) of government land was brought under cultivation. But the government suppressed the movement by force and destroyed the farm.
Though the War ended in 1945, famine continued to haunt the people. Karivellor,Poomaram (Thillenkeri) the northern most village of the present Kannur district, made a historic stride in the struggle against poverty and famine. The transporting of paddy
Paddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
from Karivellore to Chirakkal Kovilakom was blocked and distributed to the people of the village. The movement was led by peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
leaders like A.V. Kunhambu and K. Krishnan Master. One Kannan and Kunhambu became martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s in the struggle when police opened fire.
During the month of December 1946, the people of Kavumbayi, an eastern village of the district, raised their demand for punam cultivation
Tillage
Tillage is the agricultural preparation of the soil by mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. Examples of human-powered tilling methods using hand tools include shovelling, picking, mattock work, hoeing, and raking...
. A strong police contingent was sent to the spot. The peasants resisted the armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
which led to the killing of five peasants in the firing.
The rise of the organized working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
in the industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
sector was another important phenomenon of the period that changed the course of the anti-imperialism movement. The struggle of Aron Mill workers in the year 1946 is noteworthy in this regard. Even after independence, the struggles of the peasantry formed an important part in the history of the state. They fought against landlord
Landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
s and their exploitation. Places like Thillankeri, Manayankunnu, Korom and Paddikkunnu are memorable in the annals of the peasant struggles in the post independence era. The All India Conference of Kisan Sabha, held at Kannur in 1953, resolved to initiate struggles for new tenancy legislations. The movement for Aikya Kerala also got momentum during this period and all sections of the society rallied under the movement.
Government and politics
Kannur was once the nurturing ground and think tank of the Communist movement in Kerala, and was home of the famous communist leaders A.K. Gopalan, Azhikodan RaghavanAzhikodan Raghavan
Azhikodan Raghavan was a leader of Communist Party of India /CPI.He was born on July 1, 1919 at South Bazar, Kannur. He had his primary education from the 'Model Primary School' attached to Kannur Govt. Training school.After passing Vth std he was forced to discontinue his formal education...
and E. K. Nayanar
E. K. Nayanar
Erambala Krishnan Nayanar was a prominent Indian political leader of the Communist Party of India . He held the post of Chief Minister of Kerala three times; during 1980-81, 1987–91 and 1996-2001. He is the longest serving Chief Minister of Kerala, having been in office for a total of 4009 days,...
, former Chief Minister of Kerala. K. Karunakaran, a former Chief Minister, also hails from Kannur.
Communist parties have a strong base in this district. The Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) governs five of six municipalities in Kannur district. Around 70% of the panchayats are governed by LDF.
Panoor
Panoor
Panoor is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Panoor had a population of 23,857. Males constitute 46% of the population and females 54%. Panoor has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is...
, Kuthuparamba
Kuthuparamba
Kuthuparamba is a town and a municipality in Kannur district in the Kerala state of the country India.-Geography:Kuttuparamba has an average elevation of ....
and Mattanur
Mattanur
Mattanur , also spelt Mattannur, is a town and a municipality in Kannur district in Kerala state of south India. Mattanur is around 25 km east of Kannur town and Thalassery....
areas of Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
Taluk in the district have been a hub of political violence between the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
(CPI(M)) and the BJP-led Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or National Patriotic Organization), also known the Sangh, is a right-wing Hindu nationalist, paramilitary, volunteer, and allegedly militant organization for Hindu males in India...
(RSS) combine. Clashes in 2008 left seven people killed and many have been injured. The High Court of Kerala called this manslaughter a “compelling sport” and suggested permanent deployment of Central forces in the affected areas.
Geography
The district lies between latitudeLatitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
s 11° 40' to 12° 48' North and longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
s 74° 52' to 76° 07' East and covers an area of 2,996 km² . Kannur can be geographically divided into highland, midland and lowland regions. Highlands are the mountainous region forming part of the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
and are covered by rainforests, plantations of coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
and different types of spices like cardamom
Cardamom
Cardamom refers to several plants of the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to India and Bhutan; they are recognised by their small seed pod, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds...
. There are also timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
plantations in this region. The midland region lies between the highlands and lowlands and is made up of undulating hills and valleys. The lowland is the narrow stretch containing rivers, deltas
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
and the coastal region. Six rivers drain Kannur, the longest being the Valapattanam river with a length of 110 km. Other rivers flowing through Kannur district are Kuppam, Mahe River, Anjarakandi, Thalassery, Ramapuram and Perumba. The highest place in the district is Elapeedika (2,500 - 3,200 ft.), near to Peravoor.
Climate
The district has a humid climate with an oppressive hot season from March to the end of May. This is followed by the South-West monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
which continues till the end of September. October and November from the post-monsoon [North-East Monsoon] or retreating monsoon season.
During the months of April and May, the mean daily maximum temperature is about 35 °C. Temperature is low in December and January and the minimum temperature is about 20 °C. On certain days the night temperature may go down to 16 °C, although this is extremely rare. The annual average rainfall is 3438 mm and more than 80% of it occurs during the period of South-West monsoon. The rainfall during July is very heavy and the district receives 68% of the annual rainfall during this season.
Beaches
Kannur has several beachBeach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es, some of which are:
- Payyambalam BeachPayyambalam BeachPayyambalam Beach is a beach in Kannur district of Kerala in India that attracts tourists and local people. It often finds mention in tourism related publications as a beautiful beach. It has now a garden close to it. The beach is just 2 km from Kannur town....
: It is the beach of the Kannur town. It has an unbroken coastline of a few kilometres. From the beach, one can see shipShipSince the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s in transit along the Malabar CoastMalabar CoastThe Malabar Coast is a long and narrow coastline on the south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing mountain...
, that is, beyond Calicut (KozhikodeKozhikodeKozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
) and moving towards MangaloreMangaloreMangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
and Bombay (MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
). The well laid out garden and the massive landscaped sculpture of mother and child erected by noted sculptor Kanayi KunhiramanKanayi KunhiramanKanayi Kunhiraman is a sculptor from Kuttamath in Hosdurg Taluk in Kasaragod district of Kerala state, India. He is the Former Chairman of the Lalit Kala Academy....
makes it extremely captivating.
- Baby Beach: It is called so as it is smaller than its bigger neighbourhood, Payyambalam BeachPayyambalam BeachPayyambalam Beach is a beach in Kannur district of Kerala in India that attracts tourists and local people. It often finds mention in tourism related publications as a beautiful beach. It has now a garden close to it. The beach is just 2 km from Kannur town....
. The famous St. Angelo FortSt. Angelo FortSt. Angelo Fort , is a fort facing the Arabian Sea, situated 3 km from the town of Kannur, a city in Kerala state, south India.-History:...
is adjacent to it.
- Meenkunnu BeachMeenkunnu BeachMeenkunnu Beach, is a beach in Kannur district of Kerala, India. It is endowed with vast stretch of golden sand and coconut trees.-Location:...
: Situated at Azhikode, it is a few kilometres from the town.
- Mapila Bay: Situated near the St. Angelo’s Fort, the Mopila bay has a historical background. Centuries ago, it was the seat of Kolathiri Kings. The Kadalayi Fort and Sree KrishnaKrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
TempleTempleA temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
were quite famous. The remnants of the fort and the temple are still seen in Mopila Bay. A fishing harbour, built with Indo Norwegian project assistance, can be seen at this bay.
- Kizhunna Ezhara Beach: 11 km from kannur, is one of the most secluded beaches in Kerala.
- Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach: is Kerala’s only drive-in beach, situated about 5 km north of Thalassery and 15 km from Kannur. There is an unpaved road winding through coconutCoconutThe coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
groveGrove (nature)A grove is a small group of trees with minimal or no undergrowth, such as a sequoia grove, or a small orchard planted for the cultivation of fruits or nuts...
s, leading to the beach. The beach is about 5 kilometres long and curves in a wide area providing a good view of Kannur beach on the north. To the South and about 200 metres away from the beach there is a beautiful island called the "Green Island" which adds to the allure of the beach.
- Dharmadam IslandDharmadam IslandDharmadam Island is a small 2 hectare private island in the Kannur District of Kerala, southern India. It lies 100 metres from the mainland at Dharmadam. This island, covered with coconut palms and dense bush is a beautiful sight from the Muzhappilangad beach. During low tide, one can walk out to...
: (100 metres away from the mainland at Dharmadam): The small 5 acre (20,000 m²) islandIslandAn island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
covered with coconutCoconutThe coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
palms and dense bushes is a beautiful sight from the Muzhappilangad beach. During low tideTideTides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
, one can walk to the islandIslandAn island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
from the beach. It is surrounded by riverRiverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s and seaSeaA sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
s. Permission is required to enter this privately owned island. Dharmadam, earlier known as Dharmapattanam was a Buddhist stronghold.
Kannur Town and Kannur City
- Kannur townKannurKannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
- formerly known as Cannanore, is a town and the administrative headquarters of Kannur DistrictKannur districtKannur District is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala, India. The town of Kannur is the district headquarters, and gives the district its name. The old name Cannanore is the anglicised form of the Malayalam name Kannur. Kannur District is bounded by Kasaragod District to the north and...
. - Kannur CityKannur CityKannur 'City' is a residential suburb of Kannur Town. This place is called a 'city' because it was the ancient capital of the Kannur town. It is different from the actual city of Kannur, which is the administrative head quarters of the Kannur District....
- is a part of the Kannur town. This area was the actual downtown in the olden times, but is now mostly a residential area.
Economy
A majority of the population of the district is dependent directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihood. The main crops grown in the district are paddyRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
, pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
, cashew
Cashew
The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.-Etymology:The...
, tapioca
Tapioca
Tapioca is a starch extracted Manihot esculenta. This species, native to the Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and most of the West Indies, is now cultivated worldwide and has many names, including cassava, manioc, aipim,...
, arecanut and plantation crops like rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
. Asia's largest cinnamon estate producing cinnamon spice established by Lord Brown of British East India company in the year CE 1767 is located at Anjarakandy in Kannur district
Paddy occupies the largest area among annual crops. Under the high yielding variety programme, substantial increase in paddy production has been achieved, even though the percentage of area sown under paddy is decreasing year after year, due to conversion of paddy fields to other purposes. The average yield of paddy is recorded as 2146 kg. per hectare. Next to paddy, coconut is the most important crop in the district. Coconut is extensively grown throughout the district. An important cash crop grown in the district is cashewnut. The district plays a unique role in its cultivation and production. The vast stretches of suitable waste lands with low fertility status extends scope for expansion of cashew cultivation and its allied industries.
Among spices, pepper occupies an important place. Pepper is mostly grown as an intercrop with coconut, arecanut and various fruit trees. In the hilly areas of the district, the inter-cultivation is done with rubber and cashew. Rubber is the most important industrial cash crop among the plantation crops.
About 55% of the rubber cultivation of Kannur district is in Taliparamba
Taliparamba
Taliparamba is a city and a municipality in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala and spread over an area of 43.05 km2. It stretches from the coastal area of Ramanthali to Nuchiyard and Vayathur villages, touching the Karnataka border.Taliparamba is a big town of 67,000 people...
taluk, followed by Thalassery and Kannur taluks. The yield of rubber per hectare varies from 2000 kg to 4000 kg.
Industry
Kannur district has had industrial importance from very early days. Being blessed with a variety of factors such as good soil, salubrious climate, rich forests, enormous fishing potentials, minerals as well as infrastructural facilities like road, rail, inland water transport, etc., the district offers ample scope for the development of industries. Nevertheless, Kannur is an industrially backward district in the state. There is only one major and five mini industrial estates in the district. Keltron Complex, Mangattuparamba and Western India Plywood's, Valappattanam are the two major industries. The Western India Plywoods is one of the biggest wood based industrial complexes in South East Asia. The district has 12 medium-scale industries, most of which are either cottonCotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
or plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
manufacturing.
Handloom Textiles, beedi
Beedi
A beedi is a thin, South Asian cigarette filled with tobacco flake and wrapped in a tendu leaf tied with a string at one end.The word comes from beeda, Marwari for a leaf wrapped in betel nuts, herbs, and condiments....
and coir
Coir
Coir is a natural fibre extracted from the husk of coconut and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes, mattresses etc. Technically coir is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut. Other uses of brown coir are in upholstery...
are the important traditional industries in the district. About one lakh people depend on the textile industry for livelihood. The textile industry which accounts for 40% of all Small Scale Industrial (SSI) units in the district, was introduced in early 19th century by the German Basel Mission. The first ready-made garment unit in Kannur and the first hosiery unit in Kuthuparamba were started around the end of the 19th century. The beedi industry provides employment to about 50,000 people. The famous beedi co-operative ‘Dinesh Beedi’ and Private owned Sadhu Beedi companies are in Kannur district. The coir industry which uses traditional technology provides employment to about 11,000 workers.
There are 6934 small scale industrial units in the district. The district has 202 sick units which is about 9.3% of the sick units of the state. Only 4828 units are working now. 162 industrial societies and four power loom
Power loom
A power loom is a mechanized loom powered by a line shaft. The first power loom was designed in 1784 by Edmund Cartwright and first built in 1785. It was refined over the next 47 years until a design by Kenworthy and Bullough, made the operation completely automatic. This was known as the...
societies are also functioning here. Kannur, Thalassery, Payyannur, Taliparamba and Edakkad have been identified as growth centers, having potential for industrial development.
Divisions
Kannur district came into existence as an administrative unit on January 1, 1957, when the erstwhile Malabar DistrictMalabar District
Malabar District was an administrative district of Madras Presidency in British India and independent India's Madras State. The British district included the present-day districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad , and Chavakad Taluk of Thrissur District in the northern part of...
and Kasaragod taluk of Madras state were reconstituted into three revenue districts, viz; Kannur, Kozhikode
Kozhikode district
Kozhikode District , formerly Calicut, is a district of Kerala state, situated on the southwest coast of India. The city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, is the district headquarters. The district is 38.25% urbanised...
and Palakkad
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
. At the time of its formation, the district consisted of seven taluks, viz, Kasaragod
Kasaragod taluk
Kasaragod, is a taluk which along with Hosdurg taluk constitute the Kasaragod district, Kerala, India.- External links :* *...
, Hosdurg, Taliparamba
Taliparamba
Taliparamba is a city and a municipality in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala and spread over an area of 43.05 km2. It stretches from the coastal area of Ramanthali to Nuchiyard and Vayathur villages, touching the Karnataka border.Taliparamba is a big town of 67,000 people...
, Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
, Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
, North Wayanad and South Wayanad. Subsequently, the South Wayanad taluk was included in Kozhikode district with effect from 15 March 1957. Later, on first November 1980, Wayanad district was formed carving out South Wayanad and North Wayanad taluks.The two northern most taluks of Kannur district, viz; Kasaragod and Hosdurg were separated on 24 May 1984 for the formation of Kasaragod district
Kasaragod district
Kasaragod District is one of the districts of the Indian state of Kerala. Kasaragod District was organised as a separate district on 24 May 1984...
.
There are nine development blocks comprising 82 panchayats. The development blocks are Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
, Edakkad
Edakkad
Edakkad is one of the grama panchayats in Kannur District of Kerala state, in southern India.-History:Edakkad grama panchayat of Kannur in ancient times was referred to as Madhya-adavi . Similarly Eda means middle and kadu means forest...
, Irikkur
Irikkur
Irikkur is a town in Kannur District of Kerala state, south India. It has historic and commercial importance, and is one of the largest Mappila Muslim majority towns in Kannur district and lies on the banks of the Irikkur River, locally known as Ayippuzha...
, Iritty
Iritty
Iritty is a small town in the district of Kannur in the state of Kerala, India. It comes in Keezhur-Chavassery Panchayath. The town is the main market place for the farmer communities in the surrounding regions.-Location:...
, Kuthuparamba
Kuthuparamba
Kuthuparamba is a town and a municipality in Kannur district in the Kerala state of the country India.-Geography:Kuttuparamba has an average elevation of ....
, Payyannur, Peravoor
Peravoor
Peravoor is a small town in Kannur district of Kerala state, south India.Peravoor is a panchayt. This is a small town located in Kannur district. It south of Kannur and Thalaserry. Same distance from each railway station. The nearest town with hotels is Iritty. Iritty is forty kilometers from...
, Taliparamba
Taliparamba
Taliparamba is a city and a municipality in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala and spread over an area of 43.05 km2. It stretches from the coastal area of Ramanthali to Nuchiyard and Vayathur villages, touching the Karnataka border.Taliparamba is a big town of 67,000 people...
and Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
.
The Municipal towns in the district are Taliparamba
Taliparamba
Taliparamba is a city and a municipality in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala and spread over an area of 43.05 km2. It stretches from the coastal area of Ramanthali to Nuchiyard and Vayathur villages, touching the Karnataka border.Taliparamba is a big town of 67,000 people...
, Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
, Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
, Kuthuparamba
Kuthuparamba
Kuthuparamba is a town and a municipality in Kannur district in the Kerala state of the country India.-Geography:Kuttuparamba has an average elevation of ....
, Payyannur and Mattannur.
Kannur district has three taluks, viz., Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
, Taliparamba
Taliparamba
Taliparamba is a city and a municipality in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala and spread over an area of 43.05 km2. It stretches from the coastal area of Ramanthali to Nuchiyard and Vayathur villages, touching the Karnataka border.Taliparamba is a big town of 67,000 people...
and Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
. Thalassery is also known as Tellicherry.
The state legislative constituencies of the District are: Irikkur
Irikkur
Irikkur is a town in Kannur District of Kerala state, south India. It has historic and commercial importance, and is one of the largest Mappila Muslim majority towns in Kannur district and lies on the banks of the Irikkur River, locally known as Ayippuzha...
, Payyannur, Taliparamba
Taliparamba
Taliparamba is a city and a municipality in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala and spread over an area of 43.05 km2. It stretches from the coastal area of Ramanthali to Nuchiyard and Vayathur villages, touching the Karnataka border.Taliparamba is a big town of 67,000 people...
, Kalliasseri
Kalliasseri
Kalliasseri is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Kalliasseri had a population of 25005 and the projected population for 2010 is 28,066. Males constitute 47% of the population and females 53%...
, Azhikode
Azhikode
Azhikode may refer to:* Azhikode, Kannur is a village situated in Kannur district of Kerala, south India*Sukumar Azhikode, an influential thinker and literary critic...
, Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
, Dharmadam, Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
, Mattannur, Kuthuparamba
Kuthuparamba
Kuthuparamba is a town and a municipality in Kannur district in the Kerala state of the country India.-Geography:Kuttuparamba has an average elevation of ....
and Peravoor
Peravoor
Peravoor is a small town in Kannur district of Kerala state, south India.Peravoor is a panchayt. This is a small town located in Kannur district. It south of Kannur and Thalaserry. Same distance from each railway station. The nearest town with hotels is Iritty. Iritty is forty kilometers from...
.
Transport
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
- Mattannur - Iritty
Iritty
Iritty is a small town in the district of Kannur in the state of Kerala, India. It comes in Keezhur-Chavassery Panchayath. The town is the main market place for the farmer communities in the surrounding regions.-Location:...
Road, Pappinisseri
Pappinisseri
Pappinisseri is a census town in Kannur districtകണ്ണൂര് கண்ணூர் कण्णूर in the Indian state of Kerala.-Geography:Pappinisseri is located at . It has an average elevation of 1 metres .-Demographics:...
- Pilathara Road, Taliparambu - Sreekandapuram
Sreekandapuram
Sreekandapuram is a town and panchayat in Kannur district, in the Indian state of Kerala.-Administration:Sreekandapuram was historically ruled by the Mushika Kingdom....
Road, Payyannur - Peringome (Kozhichal) Road, Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
–Kodagu
Kodagu
Kodagu , also known by its anglicised former name of Coorg, is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. As of 2001, the population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least...
road and the Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
– Mysore road are the other important roads. The airports at Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
are about 125 kilometres away from Kannur. Kannur Airport is coming up at Mattannur is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.
Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
(Tellicherry), Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
and Azhikkal
Azhikkal
Azhikkal is a coastal village in Kannur district, Kerala, India. The village has a small port and a fishing harbour. It is the site for a proposed expanded cargo port. The Valapattanam River empties into the Arabian Sea at Azhikkal....
are the minor ports in the district. Kannur is an ancient port. The nearest all-weather sea port is Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, presently in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
state name. The inland water transport system connecting Perumba and Thaliparamba was constructed in 1766 by the Ali Raja of Kannur. This 3.8 km long canal is known as the Sultan's Canal. The west flowing rivers are used for navigation. The Kuppam river has 244 km of navigable length; Valappattanam, 55 km and Anjarakandi, 23 km.
The international airport
Kannur International Airport
Kannur International Airport is an upcoming international airport located at Mattanur in Kannur District, Kerala, India. The airport is the fourth international airport in Kerala.As of 19 July 2011, has been acquired for the airport out of notified...
at Kannur is coming up at Mattanur
Mattanur
Mattanur , also spelt Mattannur, is a town and a municipality in Kannur district in Kerala state of south India. Mattanur is around 25 km east of Kannur town and Thalassery....
..
Demographics
According to the 2011 census2011 census of India
The 15th Indian National census was conducted in two phases, houselisting and population enumeration. Houselisting phase began on April 1, 2010 and involved collection of information about all buildings...
Kannur district has a population
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
of 2,525,637, roughly equal to the nation of Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
or the US state of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. This gives it a ranking of 170th in India (out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). The district has a population density of 852 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
Family planning in India
Family planning in India is based on efforts largely sponsored by the Indian government. In the 1965-2009 period, contraceptive usage has more than tripled and the fertility rate has more than halved , but the national fertility rate is still high enough to cause long-term population growth...
over the decade 2001-2011 was 4.84 %. Kannur has a sex ratio
Sex ratio
Sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....
of 1133 females
Women in India
The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful...
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
Literacy in India
Literacy in India is key for socio-economic progress, and the Indian literacy rate grew to 74.04% in 2011 from 12% at the end of British rule in 1947. Although this was a greater than sixfold improvement, the level is well below the world average literacy rate of 84%, and India currently has the...
of 95.41 %.
The District has a population of 2,412,365 (2001 census). This is the most urbanised district in Kerala. About 50.35% of the population reside in the urban agglomerations. The total urban population of Kannur district is 1,212,898. This is the second largest urban population in Kerala after Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
and is more than the population of a metro city. http://www.censusindiamaps.net/page/India_WhizMap/IndiaMap.htm
The high urban population of the district is due to the 45 towns in the district which is the highest in Kerala. Kannur district has 7 statutory towns namely Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
, Kannur Cantonment
Kannur Cantonment
Kannur Cantonment is a cantonment town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala, between Kannur town and Kannur City. The Cantonment was a military camp for Portuguese, Dutch and British rulers...
, Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
, Payyannur, Thaliparamba, Kuthuparamba
Kuthuparamba
Kuthuparamba is a town and a municipality in Kannur district in the Kerala state of the country India.-Geography:Kuttuparamba has an average elevation of ....
and Mattannur. In addition to this there are 38 census towns which are Ancharakandy
Ancharakandy
Ancharakandy is a census town in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India. The village is a Gram Panchayat and situated 18 km away from Kannur as well as Thalasseri town.- Demographics :...
, Azhikode North
Azhikode North
Azhikode North is a census town in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India.-Demographics: India census, Azhikode North had a population of 22,001. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Azhikode North has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of...
, Azhikode South
Azhikode South
Azhikode South is a census town in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India.-Demographics: India census, Azhikode South had a population of 23,948. Males constitute 47% of the population and females 53%. Azhikode South has an average literacy rate of 86%, higher than the national average of...
, Chala, Chelora
Chelora
Chelora is a census town in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India 7 km from Kannur town and lies on Kannur-Mysore Highway.-Demographics: India census, Chelora had a population of 19,566. Males constitute 48% of the population and females 52%...
, Cherukunnu
Cherukunnu
Cherukunnu is a census town in the Kannur district of North Malabar region in the Indian state of Kerala.- Demographics : India Census, Cherukunnu had a population of 16,246, with 7,473 males and 8,773 females....
, Cheruthazham
Cheruthazham
Cheruthazham is a census town in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India. It is the location of the famous Hanumarambalam, dedicated to Sri Rama and Hanuman.Cherutazham is also the birthplace of Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair who gave a new dimension to the art of Kathakali...
, Chirakkal
Chirakkal, Kannur
Chirakkal is a census town in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India. It is 7 km from Kannur town.India census, Chirakkal has a population of 43,290. Males constitute 48% of the population and females 52%. Chirakkal has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average...
, Chockli
Chockli
Chockli is a census town in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India.-Demographics: India census, Chockli had a population of 31,779. Males constitute 45% of the population and females 55%. Chockli has an average literacy rate of 85%, which is higher than the national average of 59.5%; with...
, Dharmadom
Dharmadom
Dharmadom or Dharmadam is a census town in Thalassery taluk of Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India.It is known for the 100-year-old Government Brennen College and Dharmadam Island.Dharmadam is also home to famous Andaloor Kavu.The annual festival here draws thousnds of devotees. Variety...
, Elayavoor
Elayavoor
Elayavoor is a census town in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India.-Demographics: India census, Elayavoor has a population of 31,545. Males constitute 47% of the population and females 53%. Elayavoor has an average literacy rate of 86%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male...
, Eranholi
Eranholi
Eranholi is a census town near Thalassery in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India, and located on Tellichery Mysore high way nearest town is Thalassery.The College of Engineering, Thalassery is located at Kundoormala, a hilly area near Eranholi....
, Iriveri
Iriveri
Iriveri is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Iriveri had a population of 15,672. Males constitute 48% of the population and females 52%. Iriveri has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is...
, Kadachira
Kadachira
Kadachira is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Kadachira had a population of 17,438. Males constitute 47% of the population and females 53%. Kadachira has an average literacy rate of 85%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male...
, Kadirur
Kadirur
Kadirur is a census town within the Thalassery Taluk of Kannur District in the State of Kerala, India. Kadirur is located about 8 km from the Thalassery Township on the Tellicherry-Mysore road.-Demographics:...
, Kalliasseri
Kalliasseri
Kalliasseri is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Kalliasseri had a population of 25005 and the projected population for 2010 is 28,066. Males constitute 47% of the population and females 53%...
, Kanhirode
Kanhirode
Kanhirode is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Kanhirode had a population of 13,954. Males constitute 47% of the population and females 53%. Kanhirode has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male...
, Kannadiparamba
Kannadiparamba
Kannadiparamba is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Kannadiparamba had a population of 12,656. Males constitute 47% of the population and females 53%. Kannadiparamba has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the national average of...
, Kannapuram
Kannapuram
Kannapuram is a census town in Kannur district of North Malabar region in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Kannapuram had a population of 18,568. Males constitute 46% of the population and females 54%. Kannapuram has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national...
, Kottayam-Malabar
Kottayam-Malabar
Kottayam-Malabar is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Kottayam-Malabar had a population of 17,500. Males constitute 47% of the population and females 53%. Kottayam-Malabar has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average...
, Mavilayi
Mavilayi
Mavilayi is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.Situated in on Kannur-Kuthuparamba State Highway, 15 km away from Kannur Town-Demographics:...
, Munderi, Muzhappilangad
Muzhappilangad
Muzhappilangad is a small coastal village in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. This village is renowned for its 5 km long pristine Muzhappilangad beach. Dharmadam island is visible from here and Anjarakandy river enters in Arabian sea near this place.The nearest town to...
, Narath
Narath
Narath is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Narath had a population of 12,553. Males constitute 48% of the population and females 52%. Narath has an average literacy rate of 88%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is...
, New Mahe
New Mahe
New Mahe is a census town in Talassery taluk of Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is part of Greater Mahé Region.-Demographics: India census, New Mahe had a population of 11,230. Males constitute 46% of the population and females 54%...
, Paduvilayi
Paduvilayi
Paduvilayi is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Paduvilayi had a population of 19,167. Males constitute 48% of the population and females 52%. Paduvilayi has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male...
, Pallikkunnu
Pallikkunnu
Pallikkunnu is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Pallikkunnu had a population of 26,963. Males constitute 47% of the population and females 53%. Pallikkunnu has an average literacy rate of 87%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male...
, Panniyannur
Panniyannur
Panniyannur is a census town in Talassery taluk of Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is part of Greater Mahé Region.- Proposed New Mahe Municipality :The proposed New Mahe Municipality comprises:...
, Panoor
Panoor
Panoor is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Panoor had a population of 23,857. Males constitute 46% of the population and females 54%. Panoor has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is...
, Pappinisseri
Pappinisseri
Pappinisseri is a census town in Kannur districtകണ്ണൂര് கண்ணூர் कण्णूर in the Indian state of Kerala.-Geography:Pappinisseri is located at . It has an average elevation of 1 metres .-Demographics:...
, Pathiriyad
Pathiriyad
Pathiriyad is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Pathiriyad had a population of 16,608. Males constitute 48% of the population and females 52%. Pathiriyad has an average literacy rate of 85%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male...
, Pattiom
Pattiom
Pattiom is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Pattiom had a population of 19,948. Males constitute 46% of the population and females 54%. Pattiom has an average literacy rate of 86%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is...
, Peralasseri
Peralasseri
Peralasseri is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. Situated on Kannur Kuthuparamba high road 12 km from Kannur town.- Demographics :...
, Peringathur
Peringathur
Peringathur is a census town in Talassery taluk of Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is part of Greater Mahé Region.-Demographics: India census, Peringathur had a population of 42,079. Males constitute 45% of the population and females 55%...
, Pinarayi
Pinarayi
Pinarayi is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Geography:Pinarayi is from the district headquarters Kannur. The nearest town and railway station is Thalassery which is away. The village is surrounded by rivers on three sides, and the remaining boundaries consist of...
, Puzhathi
Puzhathi
Puzhathi is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Puzhathi had a population of 33,470. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Puzhathi has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy...
, Thottada
Thottada
Thottada is situated on Kannur-Tellichery highway 8 km away from Kannur Railway station in Kannur District between Kannur town and Thalassery in Kerala state, South India.The Sree Narayana College Thottada is situated on Kannur-Tellichery highway 8 km away from Kannur Railway station in...
, Valapattanam, Varam
Varam
Varam is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. Situated on Kannur Mysore Highway, 12 km from Kannur town.- Demographics :...
.
Kannur city has, apart from Malayalam,Kannada,Tulu and Tamil speakers.
Flora and fauna
Edaphic
Edaphic is a nature related to soil. Edaphic qualities may characterize the soil itself, including drainage, texture, or chemical properties such as pH. Edaphic may also characterize organisms, such as plant communities, where it specifies their relationships with soil...
features, plant formations assume different characters. Thus, plant communities, ranging from psammophytes and mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
s to evergreen forest
Evergreen forest
An temperate evergreen forest is a forest consisting entirely or mainly of evergreen trees that retain green foliage all year round. Such forests exist in the tropics primarily as broadleaf evergreens, and in temperate and boreal latitudes primarily as coniferous evergreens.-Tropical evergreen...
s are seen in this district.
The coastal region is a comparatively narrow zone, characterised by secondary soil which is rather lose and sandy. The sterile sandy tract supports only a poor vegetation of the psammophyte type. Plants are few and mostly prostrate. Erect species are small and short. Owing to very poor water holding capacity of the soil, these plants are provided with special xerophytic adaptations. Another conspicuous feature of this area is the mangroove vegetation, found at the estuaries of rivers and backwater
Backwater (river)
A backwater is a part of a river in which there is little or no current. It refers either to a branch of a main river which lies alongside it and then rejoins it or to a body of water in a main river which is backed up by an obstruction such as the tide or a dam.-Alternative channel:If a river has...
s, and often extending to the interior along their banks. Human interference has much changed the vegetation of the coastal region.
Major part of the district comes under midland region with numerous hills and dales and it presents an undulating surface gradually ascending and merging into the slopes of Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
. Soil is secondary and lateritic with underlying rock of laterite
Laterite
Laterites are soil types rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are rusty-red because of iron oxides. They develop by intensive and long-lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock...
or disintegrated gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
. Typical flora of this area is deciduous forest consisting of a mixture of evergreen and deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
trees. Undergrowth consists of a variety of annuals and perennials.
The mountains are a continuation of the midland
Midland
-Places:In Australia:* Midland, Western AustraliaIn Canada:* Midland, OntarioIn Germany:* Mittellandkanal, the Midland CanalIn Ireland:* Midland Region, a region of the Republic of IrelandIn the United States:...
region, gradually ascending to the main ridge of the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
. Soil in the western slopes is a ferrugenous red, sandy loam. Vegetation over the whole area is of the forest type. Irregular distribution of teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
, localised areas of bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
dominance, change of good quality forest into open grass lands, etc. are characteristic.
Aralam wildlife
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
. It was established in 1984. The headquarters of the sanctuary is near Iritty
Iritty
Iritty is a small town in the district of Kannur in the state of Kerala, India. It comes in Keezhur-Chavassery Panchayath. The town is the main market place for the farmer communities in the surrounding regions.-Location:...
, a small town about 55 kilometres from Kannur. The sanctuary adjoins the Central state Farm at Aralam. Aralam wild life is situating in Muzhakkunnu panchayathu and Aralam panchayath. Muzhakkunnu is also a tourist spot.
The elevation varies from 50 m to 1145 m. The highest peak here Katti Betta rises to a majestic 1145 m above sea level. Covered with tropical and semi evergreen forests, the Aralam Sanctuary is home to a vast variety of flora and fauna endemic to the Western Ghats. Herds of deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
, boar
Boar
Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
and bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
are common sights. Leopards, jungle cats and various types of squirrels are also seen here. The proposed Ranipuram
Ranipuram
Ranipuram is a hill station located within Kasargod district of Kerala state, south India. It is located about east of Kanhangad on the Panathoor road branching off at Panathady and lies above sea level adjacent to Bhagamandala forest range.-History:Evidence of pre-settlement traditions exist in...
wildlife sanctuary of Kasaragod district
Kasaragod district
Kasaragod District is one of the districts of the Indian state of Kerala. Kasaragod District was organised as a separate district on 24 May 1984...
also has similar flora and fauna as that of Aralam
Aralam
-Demographics: India census, Aralam had a population of 26508 with 13195 males and 13313 females.Heart of Aralam Village is Edoor. Panchayat and Village offices are situated at Edoor. The village has a Government Higher Secondary School at Aralam and two other aided Higher Secondaries, one at...
wildlife sanctuary
Education
In the 14th and 15th centuries, during the regime of the Kolathiri Rajas, Taliparamba was renowned all over Kerala as a seat of learning, enlightenment and culture. In the early days, the Eshuthu pallies under the Ezhuthachan or village schoolSchool
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
master, provided facilities to pupils to acquire elementary education. After undergoing the preliminary course of study in these institutions, the children were sent to the kalari
Kalari
The word Kalari means battle ground in Tamil and translates as "threshing floor" or "battlefield" in Malayalam. Training for Kalarippayattu, a martial art of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, is traditionally done inside the Kalari....
es for acquiring training in gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
and in the use of arms and then they were sent to study Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
in Vedic schools under well trained teachers. This district had in the past, its share of such kalaries and Vedic schools. The art, kalaripayattu, is particularly associated with this district.
The beginning of western education in the district may be traced back to the middle of the 16th century. The first English school, known as the Basel German Mission English School, was started on 1 March 1856 at Thalassery. The Brennen School at Thalassery, the nucleus of the present Govt. Brennen College, was started in 1862 with a donation made by Mr. Brennen, Master Attendant at Thalassery.
Kannur University
Kannur University
Kannur University was established in 1996 to provide development of higher education in Kasaragod, Kannur, and Wayanad districts of Kerala, India.It was established after the promulagation of Act No. 22 of 1996 of Kerala Legislative Assembly...
was established by the Act 22 of 1996 of Kerala Legislative Assembly. The University by the name “Malabar University” had come into existence even earlier by the promulgaton of an Ordinance by the Governor of Kerala, on 9 November 1995. The University was inaugurated on 2 March 1996 by the Hon. Chief Minister of Kerala. The objective of the Kannur University Act 1996 is to establish in the state of Kerala a teaching, residential and affiliating University so as to provide for the development of higher education in Kasargod and Kannur revenue Districts and the Mananthavady Taluk of Wayanad district. The present Vice-Chancellor of Kannur University is Dr P. K. Michael Tharakan, who took over from Dr P Chandramohan. Pariyaram Medical college established in 1999 near Payyanur
Payyanur
Payyanur is a Municipal Town situated at the northern end of Kannur district in North Malabar region of Kerala, India. This Municipality consists of three administrative villages viz. Vellur, Korom and Payyannur. Other villages are; Annur and Kokkanissery....
and Kannur Medical college with a 500 bed super speciality hospital established in 2006 at Anjarakkandy are two medical colleges functioning in Kannur district.
Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
hosts the 13th cente for National Institute of Fashion Technology NIFT.
Sports and games
Many well-known personalities in the field of sports and games have adorned Kannur in their respective fields. The Englishmen of the Military Centre brought field hockeyField hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, etc. to Kannur during the pre-independence period. The famous Fort Maidan (ground) and Police Maidan provide ample facilities for youths to excel in this field. The CDRE Football team and Hockey team excelled in those days. At the same time, the traditional martial arts like Kalaripayatu has also been flourishing here all along.
After Independence, the football clubs helped spread the spirit of the game in Kannur. Spirited Youths, Lucky Star, Brothers Club and Gymkhana Club were popular and produced well known players like D'cruz, Soman, Dasan, etc. Sree Narayana College in Thottada was considered a nursery of sporstmen the most prominent of them being B Devananad who captained the college and later Calicut University (the college is now under Kannur University) to national universities title. Devananad later played for the Indian Youth team in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
and several other tournaments to be picked by Tata Football team in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. He was the fullback when Kerala won its first Santosh Trophy title in 1973. Similarly Mani, the captain of the Santosh Trophy winning Kerala team was another well known player though he faded off the sports horizon.
Jimmy George
Jimmy George
Jimmy George is often considered one of the greatest Indian volleyball players of all time...
, the veteran Volley Ball player who was selected as one of the top 10 strikers in the world when he was playing for an Italian Club was born and brought up in Kannur.
In Hockey too, apart from the military team, there were good teams in Kannur and Thalassery. Cricket, ball-badminton, weightlifting
Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, etc. have been widely played in both urban and rural areas. Volleyball has been concentrated upon by youths in rural areas. Former Indian hockey goalkeeper Manuel Fredricks is from Kannur.
When Sports Divisions were started in schools in 1976 to tap talents, one of its divisions was started in the district. The Sports Division attached to Govt. Higher Secondary School, Kannur, produced international stars like P.T Usha and M.D. Valsamma in athletics. Leelamma Thomas and Moly Benedict in basketball and Anitha Retnam and Anandavalli in volleyball. The Police Maidan was the venue for M.D Valsamma and Mercy Mathew to practise athletics; P.K. Balachandran, V.P. Sathyan, D'cruz, Rajan, Ramanan, Sugunan, C.M. Chidanandan, B Devananad and George in football and Ford and Olympian Federicks in hockey. Westline & Leslie in cricket had their training at Fort Maidan.
Kannur became famous in South India for ball badminton, when T.K. Ramakrishnan and Kumaran were playing. A.M. Bharathan created history in weight lifting in the early fifties. Nelliary Krishnan Nair, the first Malayalee to represent India (weightlifting) at the first Asian Games held at New Delhi in 1951 is from Kannur.
It is also believed that the game of cricket first found its way to Kannur, with the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
,thus making it the birthplace of the game in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. A few years back, the district cricket association celebrated the 200th anniversary of the game in the district, in a function attended by eminent cricketers like Dilip Vengsarkar
Dilip Vengsarkar
Dilip Balwant Vengsarkar is an Indian cricketer and cricket administrator. He was one of the most stylish batsmen of his time, known as one of the foremost exponents of the drive. He was also known by the nickname 'Colonel'....
.
Snake Park
Snake Park is a famous landmark in the district of Snake Park at ParassinikkadavuParassinikkadavu
Parassinkkadavu is a small village about 16 km from Kannur town in the Kannur district of Kerala state, south India. It is a popular tourist destination in north Kerala...
, en route from Kannur to Taliparamba, 2 km from National Highway (NH) 17. Here one gets to see a large genre of snakes and other small animals and there is even a live show, where trained personnel play and 'interact' with a variety of snakes, including cobra
Cobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
s and viper
Viperidae
The Viperidae are a family of venomous snakes found all over the world, except in Antarctica, Australia, Ireland, Madagascar, Hawaii, various other isolated islands, and above the Arctic Circle. All have relatively long, hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of venom. Four...
s, and seek to quell mythical fears and superstitions about snakes. The Snake Park set up by the Visha Chikista Kendra at Pappinisseri, has been a centre of attraction to both foreign and domestic tourists. This Kendra (center) offers effective treatment for snake bites with almost 100% cure. This is the only place, perhaps where Ayurveda
Ayurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
and Allopathy are effectively combined for curing snake bites. The snake park here houses about 150 varieties of snakes including the Spectacled Cobra, King Cobra
King Cobra
The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length up to 5.6 m . This species, which preys chiefly on other snakes, is found predominantly in forests from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia...
, Russell's viper
Daboia
Daboia is a monotypic genus of venomous Old World viper. The single species, D. russelii, is found in Asia throughout the Indian subcontinent, much of Southeast Asia, southern China and Taiwan...
, Krait and various pit vipers
Crotalinae
The Crotalinae, commonly known as "pit vipers" or crotaline snakes, are a subfamily of venomous vipers found in Asia and the Americas. They are distinguished by the presence of a heat-sensing pit organ located between the eye and the nostril on either side of the head...
. There is also a large collection of non-poisonous snakes including Pythons. A research laboratory to extract venom from snakes is proposed to be set up here. The park is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of snakes, many species of which are getting extinct gradually. It is located 16 km from Kannur. Parassinikkadavu
Parassinikkadavu
Parassinkkadavu is a small village about 16 km from Kannur town in the Kannur district of Kerala state, south India. It is a popular tourist destination in north Kerala...
is also noted for the famous Muthappan temple
Muthappan temple
Muthappan Temple is located in the Kannur District of North Malabar region in Kerala state, South India, on the banks of the Valapattam river. It is dedicated to Sree Muthappan, the most popular local deity.-A Story of Muthappan Relating to the Temple:...
. This is the only temple in Kerala where a Theyyam performance is a daily ritual offering.
St. Angelo Fort
St. Angelo FortSt. Angelo Fort
St. Angelo Fort , is a fort facing the Arabian Sea, situated 3 km from the town of Kannur, a city in Kerala state, south India.-History:...
, built in 1505 by Sir Francisco de Almeida
Francisco de Almeida
Dom Francisco de Almeida , also known as "the Great Dom Francisco" , was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492...
, the first Portuguese Viceroy of India, is situated near the sea coast and about 2 km from Kannur town. This fort has a legendary past. Having witnessed several wars for seizing the control of the fort, the British flag flew over it finally in 1790. Even now, it is in a fairly good state of preservation, and is a protected monument under Archaeological Survey of India
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
(ASI). A painting of this fort and the fishing ferry behind the fort can be seen in the Rijksmuseum
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam or simply Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum in Amsterdam, located on the Museumplein. The museum is dedicated to arts, crafts, and history. It has a large collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age and a substantial collection of Asian art...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
St Angelo Fort is an important historical monument and tourist centre. Kerala Police has posted six Tourism Police Officers for protection and guidance to the tourists. Among them, Sathyan Eddakkad has detailed knowledge about this fort and the surrounding places. He wrote and published a book in Malayalam named Vasco Da Gaamyum charithrathile kaanaappurangalum (Vasco Da Gama and the unknown pages of history) in which he describes the past and present of the Fort.
The fort, though not as large as the famous Bekal Fort
Bekal Fort
'Bekal Fort' is the largest fort in Kasargod, Kerala, India, spreading over . An important features of this fort are the water-tank with its flight of steps, the tunnel opening towards the south, the magazine for keeping ammunition and the broad and wide steps leading to the Observation Tower...
in Kasaragod
Kasaragod district
Kasaragod District is one of the districts of the Indian state of Kerala. Kasaragod District was organised as a separate district on 24 May 1984...
, is a treat to the eyes with lush greenery and well maintained surroundings. The Payyambalam and Government guest house are some of the other famous landmarks near the fort.
'vaithalmala
vaithalmala is a hill station on the Kerala-Karnataka border is 65 km north of Kannur. Ideal for trekking; it is around 1,371.6 metres above sea level. A base reception centre and a watchtower atop the cliff function for the benefit of tourists and trekkers.It is near to Kudiyanmala.
Ezhimala
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 km north of KannurKannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
town. A flourishing sea port and centre of trade in ancient Kerala, it was one of the major battle fields of the Chola-Chera
Chera dynasty
Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...
war of the 11th century. It is believed that Lord Buddha had visited Ezhimala. An old mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, believed to contain the mortal remains of Shaikh Abdul Latif, a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
reformist, is also located here. The hill is noted for rare medicinal herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s. There is an old tower of great antiquity here, the Mount Deli Light House. It is maintained by the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
and is a restricted area. The beach sand is of a different texture and the sea is bluer than in other areas. At Ettikulam bay, one can enjoy watching dolphins. Bordered by sea on three sides, Ezhimala is set to occupy a prominent place in the Naval history of the country, subsequent to the proposal for commissioning the Naval Academy there.
Madayipara
Madayipara is significant owing to its biodiversityBiodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
as well as history. Madayipara was the administrative center of the Ezhimala kings. In and around Madayipara, one can find remnants from the past. At the southern side of the hill, stand the remains of a fort called Pazhi Kotta (kotta means fort in Malayalam). Here one can also find watchtowers at the four corners of the fort. Between AD 14 and AD 18, Madayipara used to be the site for the coronation ceremony of the rulers of the princely state of Kolathunadu.
The hillock of Madayipara, which carries several signs of historic relevance, is also a place important from a religious point of view. Here, a pond in the shape of a hand held mirror, connected to ancient Jewish settlers, is another historic attraction. Similarly, a temple at this site, called Vadukunda Siva Temple, and the adjoining lake, about an acre in extent, form another attraction. The lake near the temple will not go dry even in hot summer months and remains a source of nourishment to life forms. The pooram festival of Madayi Kavu (kavu – family temples and those in the midst of thick vegetation) held at Madayipara has been responsible for much of its fame.
With regard to the biodiversity of Madayipara, the region contains about 300 flowering plants, about 30 varieties of grass, and several insect-eating plant species. Madayipara is also home to several rare medicinal herbs. Coming to avian life, Madayipara sustains about 100 species of butterflies and about 150 species of birds. Among the biggest butterflies in the world, the Atlas butterfly is a visitor to Madayipara.
District Agricultural Farm, Taliparamba
Established in 1905, District Agricultural Farm, Kannur is one of the oldest farms in South India. Located at Taliparamba, 20 kilometers from Kannur city, this station was started by Sir Charles Alfred Barber at the behest of the erstwhile Madras Government, based on the recommendation of the Famine Commission of 1880 of Government of India.Hanging Bridge (Thookku Palam) - Peralassery
Hanging bridge of Peralassery is a notable tourist attraction This is one of the few hanging bridges in KannurKannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
district.
Places of worship
There are places of worship considered important in Kannur district. A list of some of these can be found at Places of worship in Kannur districtPlaces of worship in Kannur district
-Kottiyoor Shiva Temple:thumb|right|[[Kottiyoor]] Vaisakha Mahotsavam SceneKottiyoor Shiva Temple located at Kottiyoor, is one of the a famous Lord Shiva temple of North Malabar. This temple is located approximately 50 km From Kottayam Malabar. This Shiva Temple also known as the Kasi of...
.
Notable residents
The British faced the first resistance from India in 1803 from Pazhassi RajaPazhassi Raja
Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja , popularly known as Kerala Simham or Lion of Kerala, was the Hindu Nair King of Kottayam , which was based in modern Kannur District, North Malabar zone of Kerala State in...
who was the ruler of Pazhassi kingdom which is in the present Kannur district.
The Kannur district was host to many Kerala politicians, including A. K. Gopalan
A. K. Gopalan
Ayillyath Kuttiari Gopalan , 1 October 1904 to March 22, 1977, popularly known as A. K. Gopalan or AKG, was an Indian communist leader and first leader of opposition of India.- Early life and education :...
, founder of the Communist Party of Kerala, E. K. Nayanar
E. K. Nayanar
Erambala Krishnan Nayanar was a prominent Indian political leader of the Communist Party of India . He held the post of Chief Minister of Kerala three times; during 1980-81, 1987–91 and 1996-2001. He is the longest serving Chief Minister of Kerala, having been in office for a total of 4009 days,...
, three time Chief Minister
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
of Kerala, K. Karunakaran, former Chief Minister of Kerala and Congress leader, E. Ahamed, Minister of State for Railways, M. V. Raghavan
M. V. Raghavan
Melathu Veettil Raghavan is a veteran Communist leader and a former Minister in Kerala state of India. He is the General Secretary of Communist Marxist Party, an alliance partner in the United Democratic Front| UDF. Prior to the formation of CMP he was a prominent leader of the Communist Party of...
, former Minister, P. K. Sreemathy
P. K. Sreemathy
P. K. Sreemathy , popularly known as P. K. Sreemathy Teacher, is an Indian politician and a member of Communist Party of India...
, Health Minister, and Pinarayi Vijayan
Pinarayi Vijayan
Pinarayi Vijayan is a politician and a former minister of Kerala, South India. He is currently a politburo member and the state secretary of Kerala State Committee of Communist Party of India .- Early life :...
, former Minister.
Other notable people tracing their origin to this district include film actor Sreenivasan, Vineeth
Vineeth
Vineeth is an Indian film actor and classical dancer who has acted in several well received films in his native Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. He studied in Good Shepherd Public School, Ooty, and at St. Joseph's Boys' High School, Thalassery.Vineeth is nephew of the famous Travancore...
, Samvrutha Sunil
Samvrutha Sunil
Samvrutha Sunil is a South Indian actress from Kerala. She was introduced to the film industry through a Malayalam film Rasikan opposite Dileep. She had acted in several films in Tamil and Malayalam...
and Manju Warrier
Manju Warrier
Manju Warrier is an Indian film actress. She was among the popular lead actress in Malayalam cinema during the mid to late-1990s.She made her debut in Saakshyam...
, writers Sanjayan and T. Padmanabhan, sportsmen V P Sathyan (football) and Jimmy George
Jimmy George
Jimmy George is often considered one of the greatest Indian volleyball players of all time...
(volleyball) and Fighter pilot Moorkoth Ramunni
Moorkoth Ramunni
Moorkoth Ramunni is the elder son of Moorkoth Kumaran and was also a follower of Sree Narayana Guru like his father. He hailed from respected Thiyya family from Kannur. He was also a good cricketer and a hockey player. He was against the castism that existed in the Kerala society at that time...
. K.T. Arun is a notable artist and creative director hailing from the district.
See also
- Kannur townKannurKannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
- ThalasseryThalasseryThalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
- MalabarMalabarMalabar and puram derived or westernised into bar. This part of India was a part of the British East India Company-controlled Madras State, when it was designated as Malabar District. It included the northern half of the state of Kerala and some coastal regions of present day Karnataka...
- KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
- Kannur International AirportKannur International AirportKannur International Airport is an upcoming international airport located at Mattanur in Kannur District, Kerala, India. The airport is the fourth international airport in Kerala.As of 19 July 2011, has been acquired for the airport out of notified...