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Kannur Essential Information

Payamballam Beach Kunnur- Kerala

Kannur History

Kannur is located in the northern part of Kerala and is supposed to draw its name from two Malayalam words, Kannan meaning Krishna and Ur meaning place. Thus the place associates itself with Lord Krishna. The name Cannonore is the angilicised version of Kannur.

The history of the district is traced back to the Neolithic age (there are rock cut caves and megalithic burial sites of that time). During the second stint of the Chera rulers in Kerala, the Kannur district formed part of their empire. The capital was at Mahodayapuram. During this time, another kingdom, Mooshaka, was flourishing in the Chirakkal and Kasaragod areas and by 14th century they established themselves well. The kingdom of Mooshaka now came to be known as Kolathunad and the rulers were called Kolathiris. The power of the Kolathiris in the north Kerala had risen to the extent that they became a rival of the Zamorins of Kozhikode.

After the arrival of the Portuguese in the scene, a contact was made with the Kolathiris (though Vasco da Gama never visited the place himself). The rivalries of the two powers, Zamorins and Kolathiris, helped Vasco da Gama take an advantage in securing a monopoly over the pepper trade. Later, Portugal sent Francisco De Almedia to construct a fort in a specific area. This gave rise to the Kannur Fort in the year 1505.

At this point of time the Zamorins successfully convinced the Kolathiris of the evil intentions of the Portuguese and the two power joined hands to rise against the foreign power. They captured the fort yet could not completely eliminate the Portuguese power in the region. The British East India Company came into picture in the end of the 17th century when they established a fort and a factory at Thalessery. Despite resistance, the Company managed to gain a control over the trade. The Kolathiris and Portuguese had lost their power and could not influence their rise. The Mysore rule tried to assert their control but ultimately end up ceding territories to them.

However, a serious revolt was making its way to the British. Unhappy by the revenue policy of the British, revolutionaries rose up led by Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja of the Padinjare Kovilakom of the Kottayam family. The British tried to settle the matter with the Raja and even tried to threatened the people assisting him. This did not quiet affect the revolt and for a while the British supremacy was in grave danger of being eroded. Finally, the raja was shot dead and with this the revolt also died in 1805.

Kannur made its presence felt during the Indian freedom movement was on. The Malabar District committee (1908) and Communist Party of India (1939) were formed and the region actively participated in the Khilafat movement and Satygrah movement. Post independence, Kannur became a part of the Kerala state in 1956.

Shopping

Kannur is renowned for its high quality handloom products like house linen, bedcovers, table linen and fine cotton saris. The prices of these products are within a reasonable limit so you do not really need to bargain hard (as you would in many other parts of country). One of the best place to buy Kannur handloom products is the Handveer, which is operated by the government.

Apart from handloom, other product worth a buy in Kannur include brass and bell metal lamps. These are available in all shapes and sizes.

Kannur City Centre Mall is the largest and the busiest shopping place in the city.

Getting There

By Air

The closest Airport to Kannur is Karipur International Airport at Kozhikode which is at a distance of around 114 km. Flights from here connect daily to Coimbatore, Delhi, Kochi, Mumbai and Chennai. There are also flights to Goa (thrice a week), Trichy (twice a week) and Trivandrum (once a week). Taxis for Kannur are available, though a bit costly.

By Rail

Kannur Station operates trains that run to Ernakulam and Trivandrum (Cannanore, Netravati and Parsurama Express), Mumbai (Netravati and Mangla Lakshadweep Express), Delhi (Mangla Lakshadweep, Trivandrum Rajdhani) and Chennai (Mangalore Mail).

By Road

By road, Kannur is connected to various destinations within and outside Kerala. The KSRTC Bus Stand opposite the Collector's office in Kannur is the starting point of many buses like Kasodgarh (89 km), Kozhikode (86 km) and Mangalore (138 km). Buses also run to Kalpetta, Ponnani, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Bangalore.