Kannur (Malayalam:[kɐɳːuːr]ⓘ), formerly known in English asCannanore, is a city andmunicipal corporation in the state ofKerala,India. It is the administrative headquarters of theKannur district and situated 274 kilometres (170 mi) north of the major port city and commercial hubKochi and 137 kilometres (85 mi) south of the major port city and a commercial hub,Mangalore. It is the fifth largest city in Kerala. During the period ofBritish colonial rule in India, when Kannur was a part of theMalabar District (Madras Presidency), the city was known as Cannanore. Kannur is the fifth largest urban agglomeration in Kerala.[8] As of 2011 census,Kannur Municipal Corporation, the local body which administers mainland area of city, had a population of 232,486.[4][9]
Kannur was the headquarters ofKolathunadu, one of the four most important dynasties on theMalabar Coast, along with theZamorin of Calicut,Kingdom of Cochin andKingdom of Quilon. TheArakkal kingdom had right over the city of Kannur andLaccadive Islands in the late medieval period.[10] Kannurmunicipality was formed on 1 November 1866 by the Madras Act 10 of 1865 (Amendment of the Improvements in Towns Act 1850)[11] of theBritish Indian Empire, along with the municipalities ofThalassery,Kozhikode,Palakkad andFort Kochi, making them the first modern municipalities in the state. It was upgraded into amunicipal corporation in 2015.
Kannur Cantonment is the onlycantonment board in Kerala.[12] TheIndian Naval Academy atEzhimala is Asia's largest, and the world's third-largest, naval academy.[13][non-primary source needed]Muzhappilangad beach is the longest drive-in beach in Asia and appeared among the top six best beaches for driving in the world in aBBCTop Gear article.[14] DuringBritish rule, Kannur's chief importance laid in producingThalassery pepper.
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The earliest evidence of human habitation in the region are rock-cut caves and megalithic burial sites of theNeolithic age. TheTaliparamba-Kannur-Thalassery area abounds in rock-cut caves,dolmens, burial stone circles andmenhirs, all ofmegalith. Kannur District was the seat of powerful kingdom based atEzhimala in theSangam period (1st–5th century CE). The ancient port ofNaura, which is mentioned in thePeriplus of the Erythraean Sea as a port somewhere north ofMuziris is identified with Kannur.[15]Pliny the Elder (1st century CE) states that the port ofTyndis was located at the northwestern border ofKeprobotos (Chera dynasty).[16] The region, which lies north of the port atTyndis, was ruled by the kingdom ofEzhimala during theSangam period.[17]
According to thePeriplus of the Erythraean Sea, a region known asLimyrike began atNaura andTyndis. However thePtolemy mentions onlyTyndis as theLimyrike's starting point. The region probably ended atKanyakumari; it thus roughly corresponds to the present-dayMalabar Coast. The value ofRome's annual trade with the region was estimated at 50,000,000sesterces.[18]Pliny the Elder mentioned thatLimyrike was prone by pirates.[19] TheCosmas Indicopleustes mentioned that theLimyrike was a source of peppers.[20][21]
The kingdom ofEzhimala had jurisdiction over twoNadus – The coastalPoozhinadu and the hilly easternKarkanadu. According to the works ofSangam literature,Poozhinadu consisted much of the coastal belt betweenMangalore andKozhikode.[22]Karkanadu consisted ofWayanad-Gudalur hilly region with parts ofKodagu (Coorg).[23] It is said that Nannan, the most renowned ruler ofEzhimala dynasty, took refuge atWayanad hills in the 5th century CE when he was lost toCheras, just before his execution in a battle, according to theSangam works.[23]
According toKerala Muslim tradition, Kannur along with surroundingMadayi andDharmadom were home to three of theoldest mosques in theIndian subcontinent. According to theLegend of Cheraman Perumals, the first Indian mosque was built in 624 AD at Kodungallur with the mandate of the last ruler (the Cheraman Perumal) ofChera dynasty, who left fromDharmadom toMecca and converted toIslam during the lifetime ofMuhammad (c. 570–632).[24][25][26][27] According toQissat Shakarwati Farmad, theMasjids atKodungallur,Kollam,Madayi,Barkur,Mangalore,Kasaragod, Kannur,Dharmadam,Panthalayani, andChaliyam, were built during the era ofMalik Dinar, and they are among the oldestMasjids in theIndian subcontinent.[28] It is believed thatMalik Dinar died atThalangara inKasaragod town.[29]
Ezhimala kingdom was succeeded byMushika dynasty in the early medieval period, most possibly due to the migration ofTuluva Brahmins fromTulu Nadu. TheMushika-vamsha Mahakavya, written byAthula in the 11th century, throws light on the recorded past of theMushika Royal Family up until that point.[30] The Indian anthropologistAyinapalli Aiyappan states that a powerful and warlike clan of theBunt community ofTulu Nadu was calledKola Bari and the Kolathiri Raja of Kolathunadu was a descendant of this clan.[31] The kingdom ofKolathunadu, who were the descendants ofMushika dynasty, at the peak of its power reportedly extended fromNetravati River (Mangalore) in the north[30] toKorapuzha (Kozhikode) in the south withArabian Sea on the west andKodagu hills on the eastern boundary, also including the isolated islands ofLakshadweep in theArabian Sea.[22]
AnOld Malayalam inscription (Ramanthali inscriptions), dated to 1075 CE, mentioning king Kunda Alupa, the ruler ofAlupa dynasty ofMangalore, can be found atEzhimala near Kannur.[32] TheArabic inscription on a copper slab within theMadayi Mosque in Kannur records its foundation year as 1124 CE.[33] In his book on travels (Il Milione),Marco Polo recounts his visit to the area in the mid 1290s. Other visitors includedFaxian, the Buddhist pilgrim andIbn Batuta, writer and historian ofTangiers. TheKolathunadu in the late medieval period emerged into independent 10 principalities i.e.,Kadathanadu (Vadakara),Randathara or Poyanad (Dharmadom),Kottayam (Thalassery),Nileshwaram, Iruvazhinadu (Panoor,Kurumbranad etc., under separate royal chieftains due to the outcome of internal dissensions.[34] TheNileshwaram dynasty on the northernmost part ofKolathiri dominion, were relatives to both Kolathunadu as well as theZamorin ofCalicut, in the early medieval period.[35]
Kannur was an important trading center in the 12th century, with active business connections withPersia andArabia. The port atKozhikode held the superior economic and political position in medieval Kerala coast, while Kannur,Kollam, andKochi, were commercially important secondary ports, where the traders from various parts of the world would gather.[36]
Kannur served as theEast India Company military headquarters on India's west coast until 1887.[8] The modern town is referred to as Kannur Town. Kannur, as a district and surrounding areas, were mostly ruled by the famousKolathiri Rajas. When the state of Kerala was formed the district took the name Kannur since the administrative offices were established here. Before that, Kannur was the headquarters ofChirakkaltaluk ofMalabar District in theMadras Presidency. During the period ofCompany rule in India, theEast India Company preferred Madras and Cochin as their major stations and Kannur started to lose its old glory. The people of Kannur are still waiting for their old glory to get back and they feel they are being sidelined because the state administration is located the exact opposite side of the state. Part of the original city of Kannur was under Kerala's only Muslim Royalty called the Arakkal and this area is still known as city.
The Portuguese explorerVasco da Gama arrived atKappadKozhikode in 1498 during theAge of Discovery, thus opening a direct sea route from Europe to South Asia.[37] In 1501 a Portuguese factory was planted here byPedro Álvares Cabral, and in 1502 da Gama made a treaty with the Raja.[8] TheSt. Angelo Fort at Kannur was built in 1505 by DomFrancisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy of India. The Dutch captured the fort from the Portuguese in 1663. They modernised the fort and built the bastions Hollandia, Zeelandia, and Frieslandia that are the major features of the present structure. The original Portuguese fort was pulled down later. A painting of this fort and the fishing ferry behind it can be seen in theRijksmuseum Amsterdam. The Dutch sold the fort to king Ali Raja of Arakkal in 1772.
During the 17th century, Kannur was the capital city of the onlyMuslim Sultanate in Kerala, known asArakkal, who also ruled theLaccadive Islands in addition to the city of Kannur.[38]Arakkal Kingdom andChirakkal kingdom were two vassal kingdoms based in the city of Kannur. The island ofDharmadom near Kannur, along withThalassery, was ceded to theEast India Company as early as 1734, which were claimed by all of theKolattu Rajas,Kottayam Rajas,Mannanar[39] andArakkal Bibi in the late medieval period, where the British initiated a factory and English settlement following thecession.[40][34] Then the East India Companycaptured the fort Kannur in 1790 and used it as one of their major military stations on theMalabar Coast. During the period ofBritish colonial rule, Kannur was part of theMadras province in theMalabar District.
In 1761, the British capturedMahé, and the settlement was handed over to the ruler ofKadathanadu.[41] The British restored Mahé to the French as a part of the 1763 Treaty of Paris.[41] In 1779, the Anglo-French war broke out, resulting in the French loss ofMahé.[41] In 1783, the British agreed to restore to the French their settlements in India, andMahé was handed over to the French in 1785.[41]
Initially the British had to suffer local resistance against their rule under the leadership ofKerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, who had popular support inThalassery-Wayanad region.[15] The guerrilla war launched byPazhassi Raja, the ruler of Kottayam province, against the East India Company had a huge impact on the history of Kannur. Pazhassi's Cave[3] in Cherambadi, Nilgiris, played a crucial role as a guerrilla warfare site during the Second Pazhassi War against the British. Changes in the socio-economic and political sectors in Kerala during the initial decades of the 20th century created conditions congenial for the growth of the Communist Party. Extension of English education initiated by Christian missionaries in 1906 and later carried forward by government, rebellion for wearing a cloth to cover upper parts of body, installing an idol at Aruvippuram in 1888, Malayali Memorial in 1891, establishment of SNDP Yogam in 1903, activities, struggles etc. became factors helpful to accelerate changes in Kerala society during a short time. These movements eventually coalesced into theIndian independence movement.
Very soon, ideas about socialism andSoviet Revolution reached Kerala. Such ideas got propagated in Kerala through the works ofSwadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai,Sahodaran Ayyappan,P. Kesavadev and others. By the beginning of the 1930s, some other useful developments were taking place. Important among them was Nivarthana Agitation in Travancore. That was the demand of people suppressed so far as untouchables and weaker sections for participation in government. This brought to the forefront struggles like proportional representation in government and reservation of jobs. This imparted a new enthusiasm among oppressed masses.[42]
Kannur has an elevation of 1.02 metres or 3.3 feet along the coast of theLaccadive Sea, with a sandy coastal area. The city has an 8 kilometres (5.0 miles)-long seashore and a 3 kilometres (1.9 miles)-long beach atPayyambalam. Kannur is located north ofKozhikode, south ofKasargod andMangalore, west of theWestern Ghat regions ofKodagu andWayanad, and east of theLaccadive Sea.Mappila Bay harbour atAyikkara. On one side, there isSt. Angelo Fort (built in 1505) and on the other side isArakkal palace.Muzhappilangad Beach, the longest Drive-in Beach in Asia, is located in Kannur. Vayalapra Lake is nearMadayi.
Kannur experiences a very wettropical monsoon climate (Am under theKöppen climate classification.) In the months of April and May, the average daily maximum temperature is about 35 °C (95 °F). Temperatures are moderate in December and January: about 24 °C or 75.2 °F. Like other areas on theMalabar Coast, this city receives heavy rainfall during theSouthwest monsoon. The annual average rainfall is 3,438 millimetres or 135 inches, around 68 per cent of which is received in summer.[43]
| Climate data for Kannur (1991–2020, extremes 1978–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 36.8 (98.2) | 39.0 (102.2) | 39.1 (102.4) | 39.2 (102.6) | 39.1 (102.4) | 36.8 (98.2) | 33.9 (93.0) | 33.6 (92.5) | 34.2 (93.6) | 35.7 (96.3) | 37.0 (98.6) | 36.8 (98.2) | 39.2 (102.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.6 (92.5) | 34.3 (93.7) | 34.9 (94.8) | 35.0 (95.0) | 34.0 (93.2) | 30.6 (87.1) | 29.5 (85.1) | 29.8 (85.6) | 30.8 (87.4) | 31.6 (88.9) | 32.8 (91.0) | 33.3 (91.9) | 32.5 (90.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.9 (71.4) | 22.9 (73.2) | 24.7 (76.5) | 25.9 (78.6) | 25.6 (78.1) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.6 (74.5) | 22.4 (72.3) | 23.7 (74.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 16.4 (61.5) | 17.8 (64.0) | 19.0 (66.2) | 21.7 (71.1) | 20.0 (68.0) | 20.6 (69.1) | 20.4 (68.7) | 20.7 (69.3) | 20.9 (69.6) | 19.4 (66.9) | 17.8 (64.0) | 16.1 (61.0) | 16.1 (61.0) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.5 (0.02) | 0.7 (0.03) | 15.8 (0.62) | 54.2 (2.13) | 221.5 (8.72) | 946.3 (37.26) | 877.2 (34.54) | 541.4 (21.31) | 270.9 (10.67) | 300.4 (11.83) | 109.0 (4.29) | 27.0 (1.06) | 3,364.9 (132.48) |
| Average rainy days | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 7.8 | 23.5 | 26.2 | 21.7 | 12.3 | 11.9 | 4.9 | 1.1 | 113.1 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 17:30IST) | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 71 | 84 | 87 | 85 | 81 | 79 | 74 | 66 | 74 |
| Source:India Meteorological Department[44][45][46] | |||||||||||||
Kannur municipality was formed on 1 November 1866 according to the Madras Act 10 of 1865 (Amendment of the Improvements in Towns act 1850)[11] of theBritish Indian Empire, along with the municipalities ofThalassery,Kozhikode,Palakkad, andFort Kochi, making them the first modern municipalities in the state. It was upgraded into aMunicipal Corporation in the year 2015.[47]
The city is administered by theKannur Municipal Corporation, headed by a mayor. The corporation is headed by a Mayor and council, and manages 78.35 km2 of Kannur city, with a population of about 232,486 within that area.[48][49] For administrative purposes, the city is divided into 55 divisions, from which the members of the corporation council are elected for five years.Kannur Municipal Corporation is divided into six zones: Kannur town,Pallikunnu,Puzhathi,Edakkad,Elayavoor, andChelora.[47]
| Kannur Municipal Corporation | |
|---|---|
| Mayor | Muslih Madathil |
| Deputy Mayor | Adv. P Indira |
| Member of Parliament | K. Sudhakaran[50] |
| District Collector | Arun K Vijayan, IAS[1] |
| City Police Commissioner | Ajith Kumar, IPS |
Kannur Corporation is the fifth City Corporation in Kerala after the creation of the state. Established in 2015, Kannur Corporation's first mayor was E. P. Latha.[51] Kannur corporation has two assembly constituencies –Kannur andAzhikode – both of which are part ofKannur parliamentary constituency.
| S.No. | Party Name | Party symbol | Number of Councillors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | UDF |  | 34 |
| 02 | LDF | _Logo.svg){kind=logo} | 19 |
| 03 | BJP |  | 01 |
| 04 | Independents |  | 01 |
| S.No. | Party Name | Party symbol | Number of Councillors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | UDF | | 27 |
| 02 | LDF | | 27 |
| 03 | Independents | | 01 |
The Kannur City Police is headed by a commissioner, anIndian Police Service (IPS) officer. The city is divided into some zones each under a circle officer. Apart from regular law and order, the city police comprise the traffic police, bomb squad, dog squad, fingerprint bureau, women's cell, juvenile wing, narcotics cell, riot force, armed reserve camps, district crime records bureau and a women's station.[54] It operates several police stations functioning under the Home Ministry ofGovernment of Kerala.
According to the 2011 census of India,[55] Kannur city has a population of 232,486.[4][47][5][6] Males constitute 46.2% of the population and females 53.8%. Kannur has an average literacy rate of 96.23%, higher than the national average of 74.04%. Male literacy is 98% and female literacy is 94%. In Kannur, 12% of the population is under six years of age.
TheAnglo-Indian community in Kannur live mainly in theKannur Cantonment of Burnacherry and its surrounding areas of Thillery, No.3 Bazaar and Camp Bazaar.Malayalam is the administrative and local language.
Indian Naval Academy is situated inEzhimala, Kannur. Naval cadets are trained here in 2500 acres vast campus. Kannur District has fiveKendriya Vidyalaya at Kannur, Keltron Nagar, Payyanur, Ezhimala, and Thalassery, Peringome.
Kannur University was established by Act 22 of 1996 of theKerala Legislative Assembly. The university by the name "Malabar University" had come into existence earlier by the promulgation of an ordinance by the governor of Kerala, on 9 November 1995. The university was inaugurated on 2 March 1996 byA. K. Antony, theChief Minister of Kerala. The objective of theKannur University Act 1996 was to establish in the state of Kerala a teaching, residential and affiliating university so as to provide for the development of higher education inKasargod andKannur revenue districts and theMananthavady Taluk ofWayanad district.Kannur University is a multi-campus university.
Government Brennen College, the first college in Kannur, established in the year 1862, provide education to more than 2500 students.Government College of Engineering, Kannur was established in 1986 nearDharmasala, Kannur as a center for imparting engineering education in northern Kerala.[56] The college is among the top ten engineering colleges of the state, providing higher studies in the field of technical education.
TheGovernment Medical College, Kannur was established in 1993 atPariyaram to serve Kannur city and surroundings. The thirteenthNational Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Campus is located atDharmashala, Kannur 16 km (9.9 mi) north of Kannur City.
Many local cable television channels are available in Kannur. The most popular cable channels are City Channel, City Gold, City Juke, Network Channels, Zeal Network, Kannur Vision, World Vision, Worldvision Music, Chakkarakkal, Gramika channel Koothuparamba and Kannurone.
All India Radio is broadcast in Kannur at 101.5 MHz. Private FM radio stations in Kannur include:Radio Mango 91.9 (Malayala Manorama Co Ltd),Club FM 94.3 (Mathrubhumi Printing And Publishing Co Ltd),Red FM 93.5 (Sun Network) andBest FM 95.0 (Asianet Communications Ltd).
A number of newspapers are published from Kannur, including theMalayala Manorama,Mathrubhumi,Madhyamam,Deshabhimani,Deepika,Rashtra Deepika,Chandrika,Kerala Kaumudi,Mangalam,Janmabhumi, Veekshanam,Thejas,Siraj,Suprabhaatham,Janayugom andThe New Indian Express.
The Kannur cuisine depicts it culture and heritage. It is famous forMalabar biriyani. The city is also famous forHaluva called asSweet Meat by Europeans due to the texture of the sweet. Another specialty isbanana chips, which are made crisp and wafer-thin. Other popular dishes include seafood preparations (prawns,mussels,mackerel) . Vegetarian fare includes thesadya.
Kannur cuisine is a blend of traditionalKerala,Persian,Yemenese andArab food culture.[57] This confluence of culinary cultures is best seen in the preparation of most dishes.[57]Kallummakkaya (mussels)curry,irachi puttu (irachi meaning meat),parottas (soft flatbread),[57]Pathiri (a type of rice pancake)[57] andghee rice are some of the other specialties. The characteristic use of spices is the hallmark of Kannur cuisine—black pepper,cardamom andclove are used profusely.
The Kerala version ofbiryani, popularly known askuzhi mandi inMalayalam is another popular item, which has an influence fromYemen. Various varieties ofbiriyanis likeThalasserybiriyani, and Kannurbiriyani,[58] are prepared here.[57]
The snacks includeunnakkaya (deep-fried, boiled ripe banana paste covering a mixture of cashew,raisins and sugar),[59]pazham nirachathu (ripe banana filled withcoconut grating,molasses or sugar),[59]muttamala made ofeggs,[57]chatti pathiri, a dessert made of flour, like a baked, layeredchapati with rich filling,arikkadukka,[60] and more.[57]
Kannur has a good road network connecting toMangalore,Bangalore,Mysore,Kodagu andCochin. Therailway station is also well connected to all parts of India. The Kannur International Airport which is about 26 km from the city began operations on 9 December 2018 and is the fourth international airport in the state. Other nearby airports are atCalicut,Mysore andMangalore.
Kannur is onNational Highway 66 orNH 66 (formerly National Highway 17) betweenKozhikode andMangalore. This highway is scheduled to be expanded to four lanes. A bypass for Kannur city is proposed under the NH widening project.Kannur is connected toKodagu,Mysore andBangalore in Karnataka by the Kannur-Coorg-Mysore Highway. This highway was upgraded to National Highway in 2017.
Kannur railway station is one of the major stations of theSouthern Railway zone, under the jurisdiction of thePalakkad. All trains including theThiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express andKochuveliGarib Rath stop at Kannur. Six daily trains and around 15 weekly or bi-weekly trains connect Kannur to the capitalThiruvananthapuram. Kannur is well connected through rail withMangalore andKozhikode.[61][62]
Kannur South railway station andEdakkad railway stations are located under Kannur Corporation limits. Chirakkal railway station is located north of the city. Only passenger trains halt at these three stations.
Kannur International Airport inMattanur was inaugurated on 9 December 2018. It is the fourth international airport in Kerala. The airport has a 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) runway[63] (the longest in the State) and state of the art passenger terminal as well other amenities. It is well connected by a comprehensive network of roads and a proposal for railway line has also been mooted. In the 2016–17 Union Railway budget,₹4 billion (US$47 million) were dedicated for this under Extra Budgetary Resource (EBR) in which a part of the bill will be borne by the State Government towards the railway line.
Literature:Sukumar Azhikode,Oyyarathu Chandu Menon,Cherusseri Namboothiri,N. Prabhakaran,T. Padmanabhan,T. K. D. Muzhappilangad
Sports:Manuel Frederick,Jimmy George,V. P. Sathyan,Denson Devadas,C. K. Vineeth,Sahal Abdul Samad,Tintu Luka,Chundangapoyil Rizwan,Sudha Shah
Political leaders:M. V. Raghavan,Pinarayi Vijayan,K. Karunakaran,E. K. Nayanar,K. K. Shailaja,E. Ahamed,Kodiyeri Balakrishnan,John Brittas,E. P. Jayarajan,Kadannappalli Ramachandran,K. Sudhakaran
Actors:Sreenivasan,M. N. Nambiar,Malavika Mohanan,Samvrutha Sunil,Mamta Mohandas,Vineeth,Vineeth Kumar,Deepak Parambol,Sanusha,Sanoop Santhosh,Nikhila Vimal,Nivetha Thomas,Sreekala Sasidharan,Sneha Paliyeri,Anju Aravind,Athmiya Rajan,Sruthi Lakshmi,Parvathy Nambiar,Ganapathi S Poduval,Madonna Sebastian,Sana Khan,Santhosh Keezhattoor,Shamna Kasim
Filmmakers:Bejoy Nambiar,Salim Ahamed,Vineeth Sreenivasan,Dhyan Sreenivasan
Music (Composers):Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri,Kannur Rajan,Deepak Dev,Ifthi,Shaan Rahman,Sushin Shyam,Sayanora Philip
Music (Playback singers):Vineeth Sreenivasan,Shaan Rahman,Sushin Shyam,Sayanora Philip,Arun Alat
Cinematographer:K. U. Mohanan
A very powerful and warlike section of the Bants of Tulunad was known as Kola bari. It is reasonable to suggest that the Kola dynasty was part of the Kola lineages of Tulunad.
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| National | |
| Other | |
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