About Kannur

Kannur otherwise called as Cannanore is a municipal corporation as well as city in the Kannur district of Kerala. The city is also the headquarters of Kannur district and is situated 518 Km to the north of Thiruvananthapuram. 

During the British reign, the city was known as Cannanore and today only in the Indian Railways, it is called as Cannanore. Kannur is also called as "land of looms and lore" due to the flourishing loom industries as well as for organising ritualistic folk arts at the various temples. 

Apart from the loom industries and folk arts, the city is also well known for its unspoiled beaches. The city is also of military importance as it constitutes one of the 62 cantonments in the country. The headquarters of Defence Security Corps and Territorial Army’s 122 Infantry Battalion and the Ezhimala Naval Academy is situated 35 Km to the north of Kannur city. 

This Naval Academy is the largest in Asia and the third largest in the world. An Indian Coast Guard Academy will also be built on the riverbanks of Valapattanam River. Thus, Kannur Cantonment is also one of the important cantonments of the country.

History of Kannur

Kannur or Cannanore is the name that is derived from an ancient village known as Kanathur. According to the local legend, the Kannur is the combination of two words in Malayalam i.e. Kannan (Lord Shri Krishna) as well as Ur (which means place) thus it is known as “the place of Lord Shri Krishna”. Kannur is the ancient coastal city of Kerala. It is also the 6th largest city in Kerala and the largest in the North Malabar Region.

The mountainous region of the area is full of rainforests, plantations of coffee, tea, timber plantation and different kinds of spices. The main occupations of the residents of Kannur are Agriculture and Fishery and 13% of the Kannur population is employed overseas.

Kannur is also quite popular for Ayurvedic treatment centres and attracts tourists from all over the world to this city. The therapies given are not only rejuvenating but also cure ailments. The tourists can book in advance so that they can get the accommodation along with treatment.

Geography of Kannur

Kannur district lies between the latitude of 11^o 40’ to 12 o 48’ to the north and a longitude of 74^o 52’ to 76^o 07’ in the east and comes with a total area of 2,996 km². Kannur could be divided into three regions namely highland, midland and low land. 

The mountainous region that forms part of Western Ghats are the highlands and it is covered by coffee and tea plantation, rainforests, spices like cardamom and timber plantations. The midland region consists of undulating valleys as well as hills and lies between highlands and lowlands. 

The lowland is a narrow stretch that consists of coastal region, rivers and deltas. Six rivers flow through Kannur with the longest being the Valapattanam, its length being 110 Km. Elapeedika is the highest place with 2,500 to 3,200 feet near Peravoor.

Climate of Kannur

The district comes with a humid climate from March to end of May being the summer season. This is followed by South West monsoon till the end of September. October and November are the north east monsoon or the retreating monsoon season. The maximum temperature during April and May would be 35^o C. During December and January minimum temperature is 20^o C. 

The night temperature might go down to 16^o C though it is quite rare. The average annual rainfall of the district is 3438 mm and 80% of it is achieved during the south west monsoon. However, the rainfall in July is quite heavy and 68% of the annual rainfall is achieved during July.

Population of Kannur

As per 2011 census, Kannur district comes with a population of 2,525,637 which equals the population of Kuwait or the Nevada state of USA. It gives a ranking of 170th population state in India out of total 640. The district comes with a population density of 852 inhabitants per square kilometer and the population has grown at a rate of 4.84%. The district has a sex ratio of 1133 females for every 1000 males which is the highest in India and has a literacy rate of 95.41%.

It is also to be noted that Kannur is the most urbanized district in Kerala and is in 4th position after Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kozhikode. Around 50.35% of population live in the urban agglomerations of Kannur which comes to 1,212,898. It ranks second in the urban population next only to Ernakulam. 

According to 2001 census, Hindus form a majority of the population with 61.47%, Christians constitute 10.84% and Muslims constitute 27.63%. Apart from Malayalam, people also speak languages like Kannada, Tamil and Tulu. English is spoken by the Anglo-Indian community.

Rivers Flowing through Kannur

There are six rivers that flows through the district of Kannur with the longest one being Valapattanam which comes with a length of 110 Km. Other than Valapattanam river, the rivers such as Mahe River, Kuppam, Anjarakandi, Ramapuram, Perumba and Thalassery also flow through this district.

Kannur Tourism

Kannur district is one of the northernmost districts in the south western state of Kerala. The district is surrounded by Western Ghats in the east and Lakshadweep Sea on the west and has a wealth of natural beauty such as unspoiled beaches, hill stations, rivers, historical monuments and religious centres. It also carries history over its head and is the cradle to many picturesque folk art and folk music of Kerala. Some of the major tourist attractions in Kannur are:

Tourist Attractions in and near Kannur

• St Angelo Fort
• Thalassery Fort
• The Central Prison
• Payyambalam beach
• Baby beach
• Meenkunnu beach
• Mopila Bay:
• Kizhunna Ezhara Beach
• Muzhapilangad Drive in Beach
• Valapattanam Beach
• Dharmadam Island
• The Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary
• Pythal Mala
• Ezhimala
• Parassinikadavu

Shopping in Kannur

No travel is complete without shopping something. For the shopping lover in you, Kannur market area is worth exploring. The ideal thing to be bought is the handicrafts and small knick-knacks which could be preserved as a memorabilia to this city. The busiest shopping centre of the city is the Fort Road. Other than that, the tourists can shop from biggest shopping malls of the city such as Super Bazaar, Kannur City Centre and Fortlight complex.

Religious Places and Festivals in Kannur

All the traditional Hindu festivals are celebrated in Kannur according to the Malayalam calendar. Some of the festivals celebrated are Vinayaka Chathurthi, navarathri, ashtami rohini, Mahashivarathri, Onam, Vishu and pooram.

Kannur popularly called as the Land of Looms and Lores is a major center of Theyyam which is a ceremonial promenade pattern of North Kerala. There are lots of little temples called Kavu in Kannur region. There are numerous pilgrim hubs in Kannur for Hindus, Christians and Muslims.

The major temples in this region are Raja Rajeshwara Temple, Parassinikadavu Sri Muthappan Temple, Kottiyoor Mahadeva Temple, Katalayi Sreekrishna Temple and Peralassery Sri Subramanya Temple. There are many other temples also and these are visited by thousands of pilgrims.

Some of the significant churches in Kannur are St Theresa’s church, Holy Trinity Cathedral, St John’s Anglican church and Thavam church. There are a large number of Muslims in Kannur region and so there are a many mosques can be found in this region. Some of them include Madayi Palli, Oliyankara Juma Masjid, Odathil Palli and Stadium Juma Masjid.

Food in Kannur

For the people of Kerala, the rice and sea food including fish becomes an important cuisine. Like any other city of Kerala, food and spices play an important role too in Kannur. The Malabar cuisine stands out among the various regional cuisines as the city had been invaded by many traders right from the ancient age. 

The raw mango-prawn chutney as well as the raw mango-lemon chutney is the favourite of many traders. It is to be noted that the cuisine of Kannur has been influenced by history, culture and geographic location of the land and food like Dosa, Appam, Puttu, idly and seafoods, etc. are liked by the people here.

How to Reach Kannur

Kannur is well connected by road with all major cities of India and also connected to other important cities of Kerala state. Kannur also has a railway junction and all major trains stop here. Calicut International Airport which is situated 98 Km from the town is the closest airport.

Quick facts about Kannur

Area: Kannur (Cannanore)
Metropolis – Kannur District
Elevation – 1.02 metres along the coast of the Laccadive Sea
Population as per the 2011 Census
Metropolis – 1,642,892
Time Zone: IST
Postal Index Number: 670001
STD Code: 0497
Official Languages: English, Malayalam & Kannada