Tourist Attractions

A STATE-OF-THE-ART NAVAL ACADEMY AT EZHIMALA

Thalassery Fort

Thalaserry fort, located at a distance of 22 kms from Kannur constructed in 1708 AD was the military centre of the British.

When the British East India Company established its settlement on the Malabar Coast, they built the Thalaserry Fort, as a testimonial to their colonial imperialism. In 1700, the British built the Thalassery Fort on a small hill called Tiruvellapadkunnu and in 1708, it was strengthened by increasing its height and with bastions.

The fort is a square structure built of laterite and is distinguished by its massive ventilated walls and strong flanking bastions. The fort has secret tunnels to the sea and intricately carved huge doors. It was here that Haider's captain was imprisoned.

The fort has a cemetery and the collector's mansion nearby. Many British officials have been laid to rest in this cemetery that is named after Sir Edward Brennen.

The famous St.John's Anglican church is behind this fort.The fort was once the nucleus of Thalaserry's development.

Bekal Fort

Bekal is the largest and most well preserved fort in Kerala. It is situated in Bekal in Kasargod district. The fort is spread over 40 acres. . The important features of this fort are the water-tank with its flight of steps, the tunnel opening towards the south, the magazine for keeping ammunition and the broad and wide steps leading to the Observation Tower which is a rarity. This observation center had strategic significance in discovering even the smallest movements of the enemy and ascertaining safety of the Fort.

The Fort appears to have been built up from the sea since almost three fourth of its exteriors is drenched and the waves continually stroke the citadel. The Mukhyaprana Temple of Hanuman and the ancient Muslim Mosque nearby bear testimony to the age-old religious harmony that prevailed in the area. The zigzag entrance and the trenches around the fort show the defense strategy inherent in the fort.

Unlike most other Indian Forts, Bekal fort was not a center of administration for no remains of any palace, mansion or such buildings are found within the fort. Arguably the fort was built exclusively for fulfilling defense requirements. The holes on the outer walls of the fort are specially designed to defend the fort effectively. The holes at top were meant for aiming at the farthest points; the holes below for striking when the enemy was nearer and the holes underneath facilitated attacking when the enemy was very near to the fort. This is a remarkable evidence of technology in defense strategy.

This fort is more than 300 years old and is believed to have been built in the 1650's by Sivappa Naik of the Ikkeri dynasty. There is also another belief that it was originally built by Kolathiri Rajas and later captured by Sivappa Naik. The fort was occupied by Hyder Ali of Mysore in 1763 A.D and then the Huzur of Canara during Tipu Sultan's reign and later by the British.

Due to its historic relevance, the fort is controlled by the Archaeological Survey of India. Coins and other historical artifacts were unearthed by archeologists making it an interesting excavation site. Bekal is also one among the five centres selected by the Government of India to be developed into a 'Special Tourism Area'. The Bakel aqua park offers boating facility in the backwaters near the Pallikere beach.

Arakkal Museum

The Arrakkal Museum is a museum dedicated to the Arakkal family, the only Muslim royal family in Kerala, south India. The museum is actually a section of the Arakkalkettu (Arakkal Palace). The durbar hall section of the palace has been converted into a museum by the Government of Kerala.

Arakkal family is the royal family which ruled Kannur for several centuaries. They had family relationship with Kolathiris, the rulers of the neighbouring Chirakkal kingdom. Arakkal family had trade relationship with Arabs and later with Europeans. The islands of Lakshadweep and Maldives were ruled by Arakkal family. The king of Arakkal kingdom was known as Arakkal Raja and the Queen was known as Arakkal Beevi.

Although renovated by the government, the Arakkalkettu is still owned by the Arakkal Family Trust and does not fall under the control of the country's archaeology department, the Archaeological Survey of India. The government had taken a keen interest in preserving the heritage of the Arakkal Family, which had played a prominent role in the history of Malabar. A nominal entry fee is charged by the Arakkal Family Trust from visitors to the museum.