Kannur - Quiet a story
Tucked away in one of the northern most corners of Kerala, about 114 km away from Calicut airport (now known as Kozhikode) is Kannur. Your flight is welcomed by the sight of thousands of lush green palm trees interspersed by paddy fields in small clearings. Formerly known by its Anglicised name of Cannanore, the district was home to the only Muslim royal family in the state of Kerala. This underexposed paradise has a variety of fare to offer travelers with multifarious interests. From sprawling clean beaches, clear backwaters, historic forts at drive down distances, sacred ancient temples, rejuvenating Ayurverdic massages and a colourful bunch of people whose lifestyles are immersed in culture, religion and art, Kannur boasts of having a slice of it all.
What makes this region a haven for the peace-loving traveller is its low profile marketing by the Kerala Tourism Department. Being one of the most promoted states in India, as “God’s Own Country”, the north of Kerala has still managed to stay away from the commercialisation of the south, although the mosaic it presents is almost comparable. This allows you to have a custom-made experience, just to your liking.
The district has a slow pace and an old world charm. On a lazy day, a walk at the virgin Meenkunnu and Payyambalam beaches could be ideal, which you would find deserted except in the evenings. The 5 km stretch of the Muzhapilangad Beach Beach is the only drive-in beach in India. To drive on it against the setting sun, with some local music playing in the background, makes for a very romantic setting.
Kannur has some beautiful temples. Lit with a thousand oil lamps on festive days, the temples see families visiting together, to offer prayers, especially in the early morning and late evening hours. Devoting time to prayer and religion is an important part of the people‘s lives in this area. The dress code is quite strict in most of these temples. Sarees are the norm for women although some lenient temples allow entry in salwaar kameez. Trousers and jeans are unacceptable for both men and women, but some of the temples even allow men to borrow lungis for as long as you are in the temple. Several temples expect men to enter bare above the waist.
Of the many temples that Kerala has to offer, the Shri Muthappan Parassinikadavu temple is unique. This Temple is located around 18 km north of Kannur on the banks of Valapattanam River and is dedicated to a hunter form of Lord Vishnu, Shri Muthappan. There are many mysterious legends associated with Lord Muthappan. The stories describe him as an earthy god, who was a meat eater and could go to any length to get his share of toddy. He is also believed to be secular and unbiased as he drank his toddy from the homes of the poor and lower caste people as well. Fish and toddy are the offerings made to the lord even today in the temple. There are two huge bronze statues of dogs at the temple as dogs are considered sacred and worshipped in this temple. Even today, the legend has a strong impact on the people and a member of the same family acts as the sacred Theyyam to carry out the rituals.
The worship of Muthappan is truly unique, as it does not follow the Brahminical form of worship, like other Hindu temples. The main mode of worship is not via idol worship but by ritual enactment of the Theyyam dance, performed every evening at the temple. The ritual performers of the Muthappan Theyyam, belong to the tribal community of Kerala. People of all castes, religions and nationalities are permitted to enter the temple and participate in the worship. This sets the temple apart from most others, making it very progressive.
Watching the Theyyam, is an experience that stays with you. A masked dancer enters the temple foyer to the sound of beating drums and a gaudily dressed priest performs the arati with fervour. The dancer’s face is a painted mask and he is dressed in bright colours and an overbearing head-dress. The temple is packed and devotes watch the ritual in awed silence. After the performance, people queue up to make donations and seek blessings from the performer, who they believe is possessed by the spirit of Lord Muthappan. He looks at the devotees and whispers into their ears, giving them a solution to their problems and predicts their future. The entire experience can make you feel like you’ve travelled through time into another age.
Majority of the population in North Kerala belongs to the Muslim community. There are many Masjids here, most of them being very modern looking, steel and glass structures. Almost every home in this region has at least one member who is working in the Gulf countries and a lot of the recent mosques are believed to be funded by these NRI’s who in turn put up boards outside the mosque, dedicating the structure to the country where they currently reside.
Traditional martial art – Kalaripayattu, at a school in Kannur
It is also possible to visit training schools that teach young children the art of Kalaripayattu – one of the oldest martial art forms that originated in Kerala, dating back more than 2000 years. These schools aim to keep the tradition and the art form alive. It is quite an experience to watch young, fit and flexible, oiled bodies effortlessly and gracefully going through the defensive and offensive movements, twirling swords, knives and clubs rhythmically. This martial art form is now more performance, presentation and entertainment based than actually used for combat, and is also a local sport with regional and state championships.
Kannur also has a slice of history for the ones who are so inclined. The Arakkal Kettu or Arakkal palace museum was the residence of the only Muslim Royal family of Kerala, the Arakkal. It is not a very grand or imposing structure and reflects the simple living of the then rulers. Interestingly, many of the rulers were women, known as Beevis. The museum contains some of the furniture, clothes and accessories that belonged to the Royal family. Some recent construction works have been done on this palace and the descendants of the Raja still reside in an area close by.
The Tellicherry Fort located around 22 km from Kannur, perched on the Thalasseri beach itself and the Fort St Angelo located around 3 km west of Kannur town, take you back in time to when Kannur was under the influence of the Portuguese, the Dutch and then the British, each leaving behind their influences. Further north is the massive Bekal fort at Kasargod, which is very well maintained, has a spectacular panoramic view and is definitely worth a visit.
Kannur also offers the perfect backwaters experience. With houseboats totally equipped with a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen, you can choose to stay overnight in the houseboat, depending on availability or just cruise for a few hours down the backwaters. Some boats, especially those attached to hotels also arrange to cook typical Kerala fare at lunch on board. Kerala is a sea food lover’s paradise and coconut is a widely used ingredient in the staple cooking. The names can be tongue twisters though. The Malayalam word for fish is ‘Meen’. Do not forget to try the famous Karimeen (fish curry), hot appams with a gently flavoured stew, Fish Moili, Squid Ullaarthiyathu, Malabar fish curry, Malabar paratha and iddiappam. Fried bananas make for a delicious dessert. You can also try the local toddy, if you are in the mood to experiment.
For the wildlife fans there is the Aralam Wildlife sanctuary, at a distance of 22 km from Kannur, and is home to tropical and semi evergreen forests and animals like deer, elephants, boars, bison, leopards, jungle cats, various types of squirrels and several rare species of birds.
If you are looking to complete your holiday by de-stressing and refreshing yourself, just before you return to your usual hectic schedules, Kannur has that too. There are many ayurvedic centres for massage and treatment for all sorts of ailments. If you try some of the centres affiliated to ashrams, like the Shantigiri Ashram in Kannur, it can be quite an experience. The massage starts with a little prayer and hot coconut oil is used to relieve the body of all stress.
Most massages are followed by steam baths and all herbal and natural ingredients are used. Also something you must try is the Shirodhara, which is a form of Ayurvedic treatment that involves gently pouring liquids over the forehead. The liquids used in shirodhara depend on what is being treated, but can include oil, milk, buttermilk, coconut water, or even plain water.
It’s difficult to find one district that has so much variety to offer but has hardly been explored by the travel community. So the next time wanderlust hits you and you pack your bags, consider Kannur – it is totally recommended!