Kannur district


 * For the city with the same name, see.

Kannur District (: കണ്ണൂര്‍) or Cannanore District is one of the 14 in the state of,. The town of is the district headquarters, and gives the district its name. The old name 'Cannanore' is the anglicised form of the name Kannur. Kannur District is bounded by to the north and  to the south. To the east the district is bounded by the range, which forms the border with  state, in its districts of  and. The lies to the west.

Kannur is the most urbanised district in having more than 50% people living in urban areas. Kannur has an urban population of 1,212,898 which is second largest in after.

Kannur District is known as the land of and lores, because of the number of looms functioning in the district and festivals held in s. The district is a major centre of, a  of northern Kerala, and small shrines known as s associated with the  dot the district.

The district is set to have a new international airport, the fourth in Kerala.

Origin of name


There are several s and s associated with Kannur. The name Kannur is said to have been derived from two words 'Kannan'  and 'Ur' (place). It is quite common in India that the names of villages and districts are associated with Indian mythological characters, even if there is no mention of such a village in the respective mythology. The name 'Kannur' also is not an exception. According to another version, 'Kannur' is a derivation of 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.

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. It is said that the ships of Solomon had anchored along the coasts of Kannur to collect timber for building the. Kannur also finds mention as Naura in the, a work of great antiquity.

History
The earliest evidence of human habitation in the district are rock-cut caves and megalithic burial sites of the age. The Taliparamba-Kannur-Thalassery area abounds in rock-cut caves, s, burial stone circles and s, all of ic burial order. The district was part of the kingdom, which ruled most of  during the first several centuries CE. Later Kannur was the capital of the s, whose kingdom had trading relations with and  during   and. In his book of travels recounts his visit to the area in mid 's. Other visitors included, the Buddhist pilgrim and , writer and historian of. The  explorer  visited Kannur in, and shortly thereafter it became a Portuguese settlement. The Portuguese built north of Kannur in. In, the Kolathiris came openly into the field against the Portuguese by providing active support to Kunjali Marakkars of. The Kolathiris and the Zamorins of fought a common war against  and the besieged Fort St. Angelo in. In the mid- control of Kannur passed to the from whom the  captured it in. The English got its first foothold in the district towards the closing years of the, when it acquired a site at  for the erection of a fort and a factory. In the latter half of the 18th century, and, rulers of , conquered much of the district and came into conflict with the British. In, at the conclusion of the , the British took over Kannur and the surrounding region, which became the new of 's.



Indian Freedom movement
Kannur District played an important role in Indian freedom movement. The, which was founded in , established a committee in. A branch of the, founded by , functioned in Thalassery during this period and among its active workers was. By the end of, a branch of the was formally founded at Pinarayi, a village near. The decision of the Congress to give up  methods of agitation and resort to  non Co-operation as a means of achieving, led to the widespread boycott of foreign goods, Courts of law and educational institutions in Kannur. and toured the district to carry the message of the Non-Co-operation and s.

The Khilafat movement  of  was the uprising of Muslims against the British rule.

Payyannur Conference
Kannur District came into the limelight of Kerala politics in May, 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. 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 ) during that year.

Civil Disobedience Movement
Payyannur was the main venue of the, a major turning point in the Indian Freedom Movement, in Malabar. On, a batch of Congress volunteers under the leadership of  started on foot from  to the beaches of Payyannur and broke the salt laws there on. The camp at Payyannur was raided and the campers were beaten up. Uliyath Kadav[Payyanur] incident became a turning point in the history of freedom struggle in Kerala. Nandakumar Koroth in his 'History of Payyanur' wrote the impact of the salt satyagraha in the freedom movement of North 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 Movement witnessed the emergence of a  wing in the Kerala Provincial Congress. Some of the radical elements in the Kerala Provincial Congress organized a Kerala unit of the in  and functioned as a separate group within the Provincial Congress. The leadership of this group was in the hands of persons like, and. An group of  Muslims also emerged within the Congress during this period under the leadership of. The Congress s and the Nationalist Muslims made common cause against the an group known as the which was led by such leaders as,  and.

A notable development in the politics of Malabar during the thirties was the rise of the as a district political party. It was the Muslim leaders of Kannur and Thalassery who played the lead role in forming this organization. The elements in the Kerala Provincial Congress were also active in the politics of Malabar in the late thirties. They took active part in organizing the workers, peasants, students and teachers of Kannur district under their banner. In the election held to the Kerala Provincial Congress Committee in January, the Rightists suffered a severe set back. Muhammad Abdur Rahiman was elected as the president of the and  as its general secretary. Towards the end of the same year, a branch of the was formally founded in. The workers joined the  en bloc.

Morazha Incident
The K.P.C.C. gave a call to the people of Malabar to observe, as  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. In connection with the later incident,, 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 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 period, especially from  to, had its ravages on the district. and  took thousands of lives from the lower strata of society. On the initiative of the people under the leadership of the, 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. More than 50 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, the northern most village of the present Kannur district, made a historic stride in the struggle against poverty and famine. The transporting of from Karivellore to  was blocked and distributed to the people of the village. The movement was led by leaders like A.V. Kunhambu and K. Krishnan Master. One Kannan and Kunhambu became s in the struggle when police opened fire.

During the month of December, the people of Kavumbayi, an eastern village of the district, raised their demand for punam. A strong police contingent was sent to the spot. The peasants resisted the which led to the killing of five peasants in the firing. The rise of the organized in the  sector was another important phenomenon of the period that changed the course of the anti- 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 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, resolved to initiate struggles for new legislations. The movement for Aikya Kerala (united 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 movement in Kerala, and was home of the famous communist leaders  (a.k.a AKG) and, former Chief Minister (CM) of Kerala. The leader and another former CM of Kerala,  also hails from Kannur.

Communist Parties have a strong base in this district. It is estimated that that itself has more than 50% support. CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) governs five of six municipalities in Kannur district. Around 70% of the s are also governed by LDF. The I.U.M.L is one of the strongest political party in Kannur. Muslim League rules about 15 panchayats and one municipality in the district. (BJP) has very minimal presence in the district. Violent clashes between political rivals, especially between CPI(M) and (RSS) cadres, were quite common in the district until recently. In the peak of political violence in the late 90s,4 persons (two each from BJP and CPI(M) ) were killed in four separate incidents in a single day in Kannur district.

Geography
The district lies between s 11° 40' to 12° 48' North and 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 and are covered by,  of ,  and different types of  like. There are also 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 comprising of, and the coastal region. Six rivers drain Kannur, the longest being the river with a length of 110 km. Other rivers flowing through Kannur district are Kuppam, Mahe River, Anjarakandi, Thalassery, Ramapuram and Perumba.

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 which continues till the end of September. October and November from the post-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 beautiful es, some of which are :


 * : It is the beach of the Kannur town. It has an unbroken coastline of a few kilometres. From the beach, one can see s in transit along the coast, that is, beyond   and moving towards,  and  . The well laid out garden and the massive landscaped sculpture of mother and child erected by noted sculptor  makes it extremely captivating.


 * Baby Beach: It is called so as it is smaller than its bigger neighbourhood, Payyambalam Beach. The famous is adjacent to it.


 * Situated at Azhikode, it is hardly a few kilometres from the town. The virgin beach is a tourist’s paradise with golden sand and surf.


 * 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   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. Boating in the sea, if the weather permits, will be an unforgettable experience.


 * 11 km from kannur, this beautiful stretch of sand is one of the most secluded beaches in kerala.


 * A long clean beach, its enchanting ambiance invites you to swim, sunbathe or just lounge around. It is Kerala’s only drive-in beach and one could drive the entire length of 4 km.  beach is situated about 5 km north of Thalassery and 15 km from Kannur. There is an unpaved road winding through  s, leading to the beach. The beach is about 5 kilometers 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. Such a conjunction of beach and island is rare.


 * (100 metres away from the mainland at Dharmadam): The small 5 acre (20,000 m²) covered with  palms and dense bushes is a beautiful sight from the Muzhappilangad beach. During low, one can just walk to the  from the beach. It is surrounded by s and s. Permission is required to enter this privately owned island. Dharmadam, earlier known as Dharmapattanam was a  stronghold.

Kannur Town and Kannur City

 * - formerly known as Cannanore, is a town and the administrative headquarters of.
 * - although just a few kilometres away, is different from.

Economy
Majority of the population of the district are dependent directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihood. The main crops grown in the district are, , , , , and plantation crops like.

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 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 its 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 are 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  or  manufacturing.

Textiles, and  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. 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. Famous beedi co-operative ‘Dinesh Beedi’ is 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 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 and Kasaragod taluk of Madras state were reconstituted into three revenue districts, viz; Kannur,  and. At the time of its formation, the district consisted of seven taluks, viz,, , , , , North and South Wayanad. Subsequently, the South Wayanad taluk was included in Kozhikode district with effect from 15th March. Later, on first November, district was formed carving out South Wayanad and North Wayanad taluks. Two northern most taluks of Kannur district, viz; Kasaragod and Hosdurg were separated on 24th May for the formation of.

There are nine development blocks comprising of 82 panchayats. The development blocks are, , , , , , , and.

The Municipal towns in the district are, , , , and.

Kannur district has three taluks, viz.,, and.

The district has ten state legislative constituencies viz:, , , , , , , , and.

Transport


The West Coast road from to Talapady is the backbone of the road system in Kannur district. This is part of the National Highway(NH-17). Thalassery – road and the Thalassery – road are the other important roads. The airports at Mangalore in Karnataka and Kozhikode are about 125 killometers away from Kannur.



Thalassery, Kannur and Azhikkal are the minor ports in the district. Kannur is an ancient port. The nearest all-weather sea port is, presently in state name. The inland water transport system connecting and  was constructed in  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 nearest airport is.



Demography
The District has a population of 2,412,365 as of 2001. 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. 

The high urban population of the district is due to the 45 towns in the district which is the highest toll in Kerala. Kannur district has 7 statutory towns namely, , , , , and. In addition to this there are 38 census towns which are, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,. 

The Kannur city has, apart from Malayalees and Tamils, a small, ,  and  speaking population too.



Flora and fauna


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 features, plant formations assume different characters. Thus, plant communities, ranging from s and s to 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 adaptations. Another conspicuous feature of this area is the mangroove vegetation, found at the of rivers and 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. Soil is secondary and lateritic with underlying rock of or disintegrated. Typical flora of this area is deciduous forest consisting of a mixture of evergreen and trees. Undergrowth consists of a variety of annuals and perennials.

The mountains are a continuation of the region, gradually ascending to the main ridge of the. Soil in the western slopes is a ferrugenous red, sandy loam. Vegetation over the whole area is of the forest type. Irregular distribution of, localised areas of dominance, change of good quality forest into open grass lands, etc are characteristic.



Aralam wildlife
The Aralam Wildlife sanctuary is spread over 55 square kilometres of undulating forested highlands on the slopes of the. It was established in. The headquarters of the sanctuary is near, 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, , and  are common sights. , jungle cats and various types of are also seen here.



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 or village  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 es for acquiring training in and in the use of arms and then they were sent to study  in  under well trained teachers. This district had in the past, its share of such kalaries and Vedic schools. The art,, 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 1st March  at Thalassery. The Brennen School at Thalassery, the nucleus of the present Govt. Brennen College, was started in with the generous donation made by Mr. Brennen, Master Attendant at Thalassery.

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 9th November 1995. The University was inaugurated on 2nd 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. Kannur University is unique in the sense that it is a multi-campus university with campuses located at various locations under its jurisdiction. The present Vice-Chancellor of Kannur University is Dr. P. Chandramohan



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, , , 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 and several other tournaments to be picked by Tata Football team in. He was the fullback when Kerala won its first Santosh Trophy title in. Similarly Mani, the captain of the Santosh Trophy winning Kerala team was another well known player though he faded off the sports horizon.

In Hockey too, apart from the military team, there were good teams in Kannur and Thalassery. Cricket, ball-badminton,, , , , 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 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 ,thus making it the birthplace of the game in. 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.

Snake Park
Snake Park is a famous landmark in the district of Snake Park at, 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 s and 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 and Allopathy are effectively combined for curing snake bites. The snake park here houses about 150 varieties of snakes including the, , , and various. There is also a large collection of non-poisonous snakes including s. 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. is also noted for the famous. This is the only temple in Kerala where a Theyyam performance is a daily ritual offering.



St. Angelo's Fort


, built in 1505 by Sir, the first Portuguese Viceroy of India, is situated near the sea coast and about 2 km away 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. Even now, it is in a fairly good state of preservation, and is a protected monument under (ASI). A painting of this fort and the fishing ferry behind the fort can be seen in the in. 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 one Policemen named 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 Kasargod, is a treat to the eyes with lush greenary and well maintained surroundings. The Payyambalam beach and Government guest house are some of the other famous land marks near the fort.



Paithal Mala
This hill on the Kerala-Karnataka border is 65 km north of Kannur. Ideal for trekking; it is around 1,450 metres above sea level. A base reception centre and a watchtower atop the cliff function for the benefit of tourists and trekkers.

Thiruvangad Temple
The Thiruvangad temple, dedicated to Sree Rama, one of the important temple located in Kannur. The most striking feature of this temple is the copper sheeting of its roof, due to which it is known popularly as the Brass Pagoda. A part of the temple was damaged by Tipu's troops in the 18th century, but the temple itself is believed to have been saved from destruction by a miracle. It was one of the outposts of the Thalassery fort in the eighteenth century. In its precincts, many conferences were held between the officials of the East India Company and local leaders, after which important political treaties and agreements were signed. The temple contains some interesting sculptures and lithic records. The annual festival of temple commences on Vishu day in Medam (April-May) and lasts for seven days.

Sree Ramaswami Temple
Sree Ramaswami Temple, which is dedicated to Sri, is one of the most important temples in. It is situated 23 km from Kannur, near Thalasseri fort. The exquisite carvings in the temple are believed to have been done nearly 400 years ago.

Sundareswara Temple
This temple was founded in 1916 by Sree, Lord Siva is the deity consecrated in the temple which has since been opened to all irrespective of caste or creed. Eight day festival is conducted in March-April every year.

Sree Mookambika Temple (Pallikunnu)
Sree Mookambika Temple is situated just 2 km from Kannur town and is just half kilometer from Kannur Cenrail Jail. It is near to Krishna Menon Memorial Government Women College. This is one of the most prominant Mookambika temple after the one in Kolloor, Karnataka. Its serene environment is very unique. The temple has been renovated recently and the annual "Ulsavam" attracts pilgrims from all over Kerala and Malayalis staying outside Kerala also.

Trichambaram Temple
is situated 20 km from Kannur, near Taliparamba town which is famous for its spices trade. The deity of the temple is. The sculptures on the walls of the sanctum sanctorum are a class by themselves. The annual temple festival (Utsavam) is a colourful event. The fortnight-long festival begins on Kumbham 22 of (which generally falls on March 6) every year with the kodiyettam (hoisting of a religious flag) and comes to an end on Meenam 6 (which generallay falls on March 20) with Koodipiriyal (Ending of this festival). In between these dates, for 11 days, thitambu nriththam (a sort of dance with idols of Sri Krishna and Balarama) is held at (1 km  from Trichambaram temple).



Muthappan Temple
is the most popular local god in the north Kerala especially in Kannur district. Muthappan is also the performed in the famous  16 km north of Kannur town.



Rajarajeswara temple
The is a beautiful  temple  (Rajarajeswara is one of the names of ) and is located at,  distrist, ,.

The temple is regarded as one of the 108 ancient Shiva temples of Kerala. It has a prominent place amongst the numerous Shiva temples in south India. If any problem is encountered in temples of South India, the final solution is sought in this Temple through a prasna, a traditional method of astrological decision making. The prasna is conducted on a peedha (a raised platform) situated outside the temple.

The quadrangular sanctum has a two tiered pyramidal roof. In front of the is the namaskara mandapam. The temple has no kodi maram (flagstaff) which is a unique feature as other temples in Kerala do have one.

Oorpazhassi Kavu
This temple is one of the ancient temples in the region. Bhagavati and Vettakkorumakan are the main deities in this temple. 

Ezhimala
, the capital of the ancient, is considered to be an ancient historical site. It is a conspicuous, isolated cluster of hills, forming a promontory, 38 km north of  town. A flourishing sea port and centre of trade in ancient Kerala, it was one of the major battle fields of the - war of the 11th century. It is believed that had visited Ezhimala. An old, believed to contain the mortal remains of Shaikh Abdul Latif, a reformist, is also located here. The hill is noted for rare medicinal s. There is an old tower of great antiquity here, the Mount Deli Light House. It is maintained by the and is a restricted area. The beach sand is of a different texture and the sea is bluer than in other areas. At, 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.

Madayi Mosque
This beautiful ancient mosque was originally built in 1124 by, a Muslim preacher. A block of white marble in the mosque is believed to have been brought from by its founder, who came to India to spread the word of. Near by, lies a dilapidated fort believed to have been built by king Kolathiri

Madayipara
This is a beautiful place near to the, located at Pazhayangadi in Kannur District. Madayipara is a significant spot owing to its bio-diversity 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 the erstwhile 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 extension form yet another attraction at Madayipara. The lake near the temple will not go dry even in hot summer months and remains a source of nourishment to life forms at Madayipara. 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 of Madayipara, it has been found that 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, which are sought by people from near and far off places. 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 is a visitor to Madayipara.