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| Kannur |
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“Land of Cults and Myths” |
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Kannur district derived its name from the location of its headquarters at Kannur town. The old name 'Cannanore' is the anglicised form of the Malayalam word Kannur. According to one opinion, 'Kannur' is a derivation from Kanathur, an ancient village, the name of which survives even today in one of the wards of Kannur municipality. Another version is that Kannur might have assumed its name from one of the deities of the Hindu pantheon, a compound of two words, 'Kannan' (Lord Krishna) and 'ur' (place) making it the place of Lord Krishna. In this context, it is worth mentioning that the deity of the Katalayi Srikrishna temple was originally installed in a shrine at Katalayi Kotta in the southeastern part of the present Kannur town
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A Brief History |
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There is no evidence of the Palaeolithic man having lived in this region. Nevertheless, rock-cut caves and megalithic burial sites of the Neolithic age have come to light in certain parts of the district. The Thaliparamba-Kannur-Thalassery area abounds in rock-cut caves, dolments, burial stone circles and menhirs, all of megalithic burial order. It can be assumed that the first batch of Aryan immigrants into the State entered the district through the Tuluva region
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Places of Interest |
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Payyambalam beach |
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2 km from Kannur town is the quiet, secluded, beautiful stretch of sand. The Payyambalam beach is a popular picnic spot of the local people and holds much potential for development into a tourist resort |
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Parassinikkadavu |
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The Parassinikkadavu Snake Park is committed to the preservation and conservation of snakes as most species of the reptile are on the verge of extinction. There are about 150 varieties of snakes including the spectacled cobra, King cobra, Russel Viper, Krait and Pit Viper living in the park |
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The park also has a large collection of non-poisonous snakes including pythons. A research laboratory to extract venom from snakes is proposed here |
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Parassinikkadavu Muthappan temple |
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This centre of worship and faith has in store many unique practices and rituals, and the temple architecture itself stands testimony to this aspect. Located 20 km away from Kannur, a northern district of Kerala, the Parassinikadavu Muthappan (Siva) Temple on the banks of the Valapatnam River attracts people from all sections of the society; irrespective of religion, caste and promotes the essence of "Vasudaiva Kutumbakam - The whole world is one family. |
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The origin of the Muthappan temple is connected to the appearance of a child who roamed the region with a string of interesting incidents and later vanished without a trace. The incidents up to the point of his disappearance later made the denizens feel the divine presence of Muthappan (Siva) who immediately erected a place of worship, which today is popularly known as the Parassinikadavu Muthappan Temple |
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The temple is also a popular destination for travellers and pilgrims to savour the charm of Theyyam, a ritual that is performed here on a daily basis. Men adorning masks and costumes with a riot of colours perform this temple art form and it represents conflict between good and evil, with good ultimately emerging victorious |
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Thalassery Fort |
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22km from the land of the exotic art form of theyyam-the northern district of Kannur – is the small town of Thalassery. In this town stands an imposing historical monument – the Thalassery Fort |
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The East India Company which had established its settlement on the Malabar Coast in 1683 built the monument as a testimonial of their colonial imperialism in 1703. The fort was once the nucleus of Thalassery’s development |
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The imposing square fort has massive walls, huge, intricately carved doors and secret tunnels to the sea – all in all, the perfect setting to get an authentic taste of some local history and heritage |
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Other interesting spots include Pazhassi Dam and Gardens which is ideal for backwater tourism. Gundert Bungalow, 20 km from Kannur, is near Thalasseri. It was here that the German missionary , scholar and lexicographer, Dr. Herman Gundert, compiled the first Malayalam dictionary. Thalasseri Fort was built by the British in 1708 and served as an important military centre |
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St Angelo Fort |
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Fort St Angelo, built by the Portuguese Viceroy; Don Francisco De Almeida in 1505 A.D. and passed on successively to the Dutch and the English, offers a breathtaking view of the Mappila Bay. Under the Archeological Survey of India today, this historic monument is a must-see.An ideal gateway from the daily grind, Kannur has three beautiful beaches to frolic in-from the vast and exhilarating 4 km long drive-in beach atMuzhappilangad, to the green and golden Meenkunnu and the calm Payyambalam in the heart of the town |
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Muzhappilangad Beach - (15.K.M from Kannur and 8 K.M from Thalassery) |
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Black rocks protect this long ,clean beach from the currents of the deep, making it shallows waters a swimmer's paradise.Perhaps this is Keralas only drive- in beach. Where you can drive entire length of 4 K.m |
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Ezhimala |
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Ezhimala, the capital of the ancient Mooshika kings, is considered to be an ancient historical site. It is a onspicuous,isolated cluster of hills, forming a promontory, 38 kms. north of Kannur. |
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A flouriIshing sea port and centre of trade in ancient Kerala, it was one of the major battle fields of the Chola-Chera war of the II th century .I It is believed that Lord Budha had visited Ezhimala. An old mosque, believed to contain the mortal remains of Shaikh Abdul Latif, a Muslim retormlst, is also located here. The hill is noted for rare medicinal herbs. Bordered by sea on three sides, Ezhimala is set to occupy a prominent place in the naval history of the country, consequent to the proposal for ommissioning the N.aval Academy here. |
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