ZOOM Kannur
Kannur is the second district from the northern end of Kerala. Kannur shares it boundary with Karnataka on east, Arabian sea on its west, kasargod on the north and Kozhikode, Wayanad on the south. Kannur district derived its name from the location of its headquarters at Kannur town.It is believed that Kannur is derrived from the name 'Kanathur'. Chirackal, Kottayam, Neeleshwaram, were the main royal families present in Kannur. The only Muslim royal family in kerala the 'Arackal' family reside in Kannur.
Some of the important places in Kannur are :
Saint Angelo Fort or Kannur Fort
The fort was built by the Portuguese on behalf of there victory over th e Kolathiri in the year 1505. It was then conquered by the Dutch followed by the British. The fort is 3 km away from Kannur.
Bungalow of Gundert
It is the bungalow where the German native Dr. Hermann Gundert lived. The bungalow is located at Illikunnu near Talaserry. The place is 20km away from Kannur. Dr.Gundert compiled the Malayalam grammar book, Malayalabhaasha Vyakaranam (1859), the first Malayalam-English dictionary (1872).
Aaralam wildlife santuary
it is about 55sq km in area located at the slope of Sahasra mountains. It is 40 km from Kannur. A variety of flora and fauna endemic to the Western Ghats is found here. Herds of deer, elephants, boar and bison are quite common.
Leopards, Jungle Cats and various types of Squirrels have also been sighted.
Arackal Palace
Arackal is the only Muslim royal family in Kerala. The Muslim king is known as 'Aliraja' and queen as 'Beevi'. Arackal palace is 3km away from Kannur.
Thalassery Fort
The fort was made by the British in 1700 on a small hill
named Tiruvellapakunnu. It fort was strengthend later in the year 1708 by increasing its height and with bastions. The fort is square shaped. It is distinguished by its large walls and massive flanking bastions. The famous St. John's Anglican church is behind this fort. Raider' captain was improsened here.
Muzhappilangad Beach
Muzhappilangad Beach is perhaps Keralas only drive-in beach,here we can drive an entire 4 Km beach.
Black rocks protect this long ,clean beach from the currents of the deep. The beach is very good for swimming due to the shallow water.
Payyambalam Beach Resort
The Payyambalam beach is one of the beautiful beaches in this State. In dependent of the seasons the beach is a very good place to spend the evenings. The beach is not far from Kannur.The mortal remains of Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pilla, A.K. Gopalan, K.P. Gopalan, Pamban Madhavan and K.G. Marar are laid to rest near this resort.Thewell laid out garden and the massive landscaped sculpture of mother & child erected by noted sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman makes it extremely captivating.
Pazhassi Dam
Pazhassi Dam is located 37km away from Kannur. The dam is known for its scenic beauty, and makes it an ideal retreat for the tourists. Boating service is provided by the D.T.P.C.
Snake Park at Parassinikkadavu
The Snake Park at Parassinikkadavu is situated
18 km away from Kannur town. It is one of the known snake parks in the country . The park is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of snakes, most of which are becoming extinct gradually. There is a large collection of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes.
