Kannur Tourism

With the Western Ghats in the East (Coorg district of Karnataka), Kozhikode and Wayanad districts in the South, Lakshadweep sea in the West and Kasargod in the North, Kannur is bounded by a wealth of Natural beauty.

Kannur itself shares much of this natural splendor and has been a key contributor to the cultural, religious, political and industrial heritage of the Indian state of Kerala.

In addition, Kannur enjoys the credit of having been the cradle of colourful folk art and folk music of Kerala - notably Theyyam - a stylistic dance form guaranteed to make your visit to Kannur a memorable one!

Kannur is normally humid and hot most of the year around. But during November to February the weather in Kannur is agreeable and it is the recommended season for the tourists. For those interested in the monsoons, June to August would be ideal for feeling the fury of the rains in Kannur.

Cannanore or more appropriately Kannur as it is known today is a place with a rich history right from the time of the Aryan migration. The word Kannur may have evolved from a village named Kannathur around which the modern town of Kannur grew. Or according to some it is a combination of Kannan (Lord Krishna), a deity in the Hindu pantheon and Ur meaning a place or an abode. With the advent of the Europeans, the name underwent yet another change - Cannanore!

Cannanore is steeped in its historical legacy. By early 9th century, the Cheras of Tamil Nadu had established complete control of the entire area under Raja Kulashekhara Varman. The empire lasted till 1102 AD. At around the same time, another line of kings known as Mooshika Rajas held sway over the present day areas of Kannur. By the 14th century, these kings were known as the rulers of the Kingdom Koluthunad, and were known as the Kolathiris. Another kingdom to the South was the kingdom of the Samuthiris or Zamorins of Calicut, with whom the Kolathiris had running feuds for centuries. It was the Zamorin of Calicut who welcomed the first Eurpoean to set foot in India using the sea routs - the Portuguese under Vasco da Gama in 1498.

Vasco De Gama was quick to notice the enemity between the Kolathiris and the Zamorins. Exploiting these rivalries, Vasco De Gama managed to get virtual monopoly over the spices trade from India and concessions, which were totally one-sided. Francisco De Almedia arrived from Portugal soon after to build fortifications at strategic points. One such was built at Kannur and named Fort St Angelo, which is in a remarkable shape even today.

The Kolathiris and Zamorin allied in 1558 against the Portuguese. Some classic naval battles were fought in the Arabian Sea against the might of the European navies. The Kunjali Marakkars of Calicut were perhaps the only naval opposition to the European expansion in this region. But their victories were not enough to drive the European powers out of India. Soon however, the Dutch followed and drove the Portuguese out of Kannur Fort St Angelo By 1663 and the rule of the Portuguese had come to an end.

The English East India Company got its first foothold in the district in the closing years of the 17th century, when the Thalassery Fort was built. The British were more successful than the Portuguese since they refused to interfere in the religious and social life of the natives. By the 18th century they managed to capture the lucrative spices trade and were the unquestioned masters of the seas around Kannur.

The conquest of Malabar by Tippu Sultan in the closing tears of the 18th century caused much distress and unrest in the region. But his defeat by the British at Srirangapatanam in 1792 formally ended his reign here and the entire province ceded to the British. The British organized the province into two administrative divisions - one with Headquarters at Thalassery and the other at Cherpulassery, under the overall control of the Chief magistrate at Calicut .

The British rule brought some measure of political stability to the region. But the unpopular revenue policy followed by the British triggered the revolt by a local raja - Pazhasi Raja in 1796. Many are the legends and stories of his heroic exploits against the foreign rulers that exist to this day. He remains the symbol of a heroic age when injustice was not tolerated and patriotism had its first stirrings. The revolt itself was doomed to failure because of the vastly superior British military strength. On November 30, 1805, the British Commander Baber and his men shot Pazhasi Raja dead. The Raja was given a funeral fit for royalty considering his bravery in battle. With the death of Pazhasi raja, the resistance movement came to an end in Kerala.

Cannanore played a prominent part in the freedom struggle against the British a century later. The echo of the Salt Satyagraha of Mahatma Gandhi found its echo on the beaches of Payyannur. Kannur also was the region from which the Communist movement in Kerala really took roots under AK Gopalan. This movement would finally culminate in Kerala electing the first communist Government anywhere in the world. Even today, Kannur remains a stronghold of the Communists and many notable leaders of the present Government are residents of this district