Kasaragod district | |
|---|---|
      Clockwise from top: Ranipuram,Bekal Fort, Bekal beach,Chandragiri fort,Kavvayi Backwaters atNileshwaram,Chandragiri River at Kanathur near Kasaragod | |
| Nickname: The Land of Seven Languages[1] | |
 Location in Kerala | |
 Kasaragod district | |
| Coordinates:12°30′N75°00′E / 12.5°N 75°E /12.5; 75 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Kerala |
| Established | 24 May 1984; 41 years ago (1984-05-24) |
| Founded by | Government of Kerala |
| Headquarters | Kasaragod |
| Subdistricts | |
| Government | |
| • District Collector | K Inbasekar IAS |
| • Superintendent of Police | Bijoy P IPS |
| • MP | Rajmohan Unnithan (INC) |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,992 km2 (769 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 13th |
| Population (2018)[2] | |
• Total | 1,390,894 |
| • Density | 698/km2 (1,810/sq mi) |
| Demographics | |
| • Language (2011) | |
| • Religion (2011) |
|
| Human Development | |
| • Sex ratio (2011) | 1080♀/1000♂[5] |
| • Literacy (2011) | 90.09%[6] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 671121 |
| Telephone code | 0499 |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-KL |
| Vehicle registration | KL-14, KL-60, KL-79 |
| HDI(2005) |  0.760[7] (High) |
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| Website | kasargod |
Kasaragod district (Malayalam:[kaːsɐrɡoːɖɨ̆]ⓘ (Tulu:Kāsrōḍ,Kannada:Kāsaragūḍu,Konkani:Kāsāragōḍa;English:Kassergode) is one of the 14districts in the southernIndian state ofKerala. Its northern borderThalappady is located just 9 km south toUllal, which is the southernmost portion of the major port cityMangalore, on the southwesternMalabar coast of India.
Kasaragod is the northernmost district of Kerala and is also known asSaptha Bhasha Sangama Bhoomi (The place where Seven languages meets)
The district is situated on the rich biodiversity of theWestern Ghats. It was a part of theKannur district of Kerala until 24 May 1984. It also remains the last formed district of kerala to date. The district is bounded byDakshina Kannada district to the north,Western Ghats to the northeast,Kodagu district to the southeast,Kannur district to the south, and theArabian Sea to the west. Kasaragod district has the maximum number of rivers in Kerala - 12.[9]
Kasaragod town is located on the estuary where theChandragiri River, which is also the longest river in the district, empties intoArabian Sea. Kasaragod is home to several forts which includeArikady fort,Bekal Fort,Chandragiri Fort, andHosdurg Fort.Bekal Fort is also the largest fort in Kerala. The historic hill ofEzhimala is located on the southern portion ofKavvayi Backwaters ofNileshwaram.Talakaveri, which is home toTalakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary where the 805 km longKaveri River originates, is located closer toRanipuram in Kerala-Karnataka border.Robert Caldwell describes the extent of Malayalam in the late 19th century as extending fromChandragiri fort andChandragiri river in the north toNeyyar river beyondThiruvananthapuram in the south.[10]
Tulunadu, whereTulu language is traditionally spoken, is said to be bound on the south by the Chandragiri river and fort, thus including Kasaragod city within theTulunadu region.[11] Historian N. Shyam Bhat states that at present, the Tulu nadu can linguistically be said to extend to the south up to theriver Chandragiri or Payaswini, and culturally up to theKavvayi river in the south, as the region between the Chandragiri and Kavai (Kavvayi) rivers presents the characteristics of a twilight zone between theMalayalam andTulu speaking areas.[12]
Kasargod is also the first district in India to have official symbols-official tree, flower, bird, species.[8]
Until the 16th century CE, Kasaragod town was known by the nameKāññirakkōṭŭ (meaning, 'The land ofkāññira Trees').[13]
The Ancient Tamil Works of Sangam Age records that the area covering the district was part of Puzhinadu, which consists of the coastal belt fromKozhikode toMangalore. Politically the area was part of theEzhimala Kingdom with its Capital atEzhimala in present day Kannur district. The most famous King of Ezhimala was Nannan whose kingdom extended up toGudalur and northern parts of Coimbatore. Poozhinad, along with Karkanad which included the eastern regions of Ezhimala dynasty (Wayanad-Gudalur region with some portions ofKodagu), had its capital atEzhimala. TheMooshaka Kings were considered descendants of Nannan. By the 14th century,Mooshaka Kingdom was known as Kolathirinad and the Rulers as Kolathiris. The Kolathunad Kingdom at the peak of its power reportedly extended fromNetravati River (Mangalore) in the north[14] toKorapuzha (Kozhikode) in the south withArabian Sea on the west andKodagu hills on the eastern boundary, also including the isolated islands ofLakshadweep in Arabian Sea.[15]
Ramacharitam, probably the oldest literary work written inOld Malayalam, which dates back to the 12th century CE, is thought to have been written in Kasargod district as its manuscripts were discovered fromNileshwaram and the poem mentions aboutAnanthapura Lake Temple inKumbla in detail.[16] Kasaragod was known to theArabs by the nameHarkwillia.[17]Malik Dinar Mosque atKasaragod town is one of the oldest mosques in theIndian subcontinent. According toQissat Shakarwati Farmad, theMasjids atKodungallur,Kollam,Madayi,Barkur,Mangalore, Kasaragod,Kannur,Dharmadam,Panthalayini, andChaliyam, were built during the era ofMalik Dinar, and they are among the oldestMasjids in theIndian subcontinent.[18] It is believed thatMalik Dinar died atThalangara in Kasaragod town.[19]
Many Arab travelers visiting Kerala between the 9th and the 14th centuries visited Kasaragod, being an important trade centre then. Duarte Barbosa, a Portuguese traveler who visitedKumbla, nearKasargod in 1514 recorded that rice being exported for coir toMaldives.[17] According to Barbosa, the people in the southwestern Malabar coast of India fromChandragiri in the north toKanyakumari in the south spoke a unique language, which they called as "Maliama" (Malayalam).[20]
Until the 16th century CE, Kasargod town was known by the nameKanhirakode (may be by the meaning, 'The land ofKanhira Trees') inMalayalam.[13] TheKumbla dynasty, who swayed over the land of southernTulu Nadu wedged betweenChandragiri River andNetravati River (including present-day Taluks ofManjeshwar andKasaragod) fromMaipady Palace atKumbla, had also been vassals to theKolathunadu kingdom ofNorth Malabar, before theCarnatic conquests ofVijayanagara Empire.[21] The Kumbla dynasty had a mixed lineage ofMalayaliNairs andTuluva Brahmins.[22] They also claimed their origin fromCheraman Perumals of Kerala.[22]Francis Buchanan-Hamilton states that the customs of Kumbla dynasty were similar to those of the contemporaryMalayali kings.[22]
TheKolathiri Dominion 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.[23] Many portions of the present-dayHosdurg taluk (Kanhangad) andVellarikundu were parts of theNileshwaram dynasty, who were relatives to bothKolathunadu as well asZamorin ofCalicut, in the early medieval period.[24] The areas north to theChandragiri river (present-day Taluks of Manjeshwaram and Kasaragod) were ruled by the Kumbala dynasty. According to local legends, the region between Talapadi and Kavvayi rivers which constituted the erstwhile Kasaragod taluk, consisted of 32Tulu and 32Malayalam villages.[22]
Kannada kingdoms focused onKasaragod in the 16th century CE. TheVijayanagara empire attacked and annexed Kasaragod from theKolathiriRaja withNileshwaram as one of the capital in the 16th century. During the decline of the Vijayanagara empire, the administration of this area was vested withIkkeri Nayakas.[17] At the onset of collapse of the Vijayanagara empire,Venkappa Nayaka declared independence to Ikkery. Kumbla, Chandragiri, and Bekal are considered to be the chain of forts constructed or renovated byShivappa Nayaka.[17]
TheChandragiri Fort is built on the southern bank of the estuary ofChandragiri River, just opposite to Kasaragod town. TheBekal Fort atBekal,Pallikkara, which is situated in the midway betweenKasaragod andKanhangad, and is also largest fort in Kerala, was built in 1650 byShivappa Nayaka ofKeladi.[25]
Kasargod is famous for its ancient forts.
Francis Buchanan, the family doctor ofArthur Wellesley, visited Kasaragod in 1800.[17] In his travelogue, he recorded information on places like Athiraparambu, Kavvai,Nileshwaram,Bekal,Chandragiri andManjeshwar.[17]Hosdurg and Vellarikundu is part of Kolathunadu (south of Chandragiri river) and Kasargod and Manjeshwaram is in theTulu Nadu region (north of Chandragiri river). On 19 January 1801, Francis speaks of visiting a Siva temple at Pulla (Pallikere), beyond which, the country rises into open rising lands, all the way to Chandragiri river and Chandragiri fort, which he describes as the northern border of theMalayala. He says that the country on the north of the Chandragiri fort and river is called by Hindus asTulunadu, the Tulu country.[26] According to Stuart (1895) “The Kasargod taluk originally formed the southern portion of the ancientTulunadu kingdom and was separated from the kingdom of Kerala by theChandragiri river which was formerly called “Perumpula”; the river on which the fort stands is shallow but very wide and formed the southern boundary of the ancient Tuluva kingdom. The nayars and the other females of the Kasargod taluk of south Canara, are prohibited from crossing the river.”[27] In 1763,Hyder Ali raided Bedanoor (Bidnur), the capital of the Ikkery Naiks. His sonTippu Sultan raided much ofMalabar region in Kerala. As per theTreaty of Seringapatam of 1792, Tippu surrenderedMalabar, exceptKanara to theBritish. The British occupied Kanara only after the death of Tippu Sultan.[17] it is said thatKinavoor Molom (Sree Dharma Shashtha Temple) is belonging toKarinthalam (one of 64 Brahmin villages in old Kerala).
Before the formation of Kerala, Kasargod was a part ofSouth Canara district of erstwhileMadras Presidency. InitiallySouth Canara was included in theBombay presidency.[28] Later on 16 April 1862, South Canara was transferred toMadras Presidency andKasaragod taluk was formed by replacing the erstwhileBekal taluk.[28] However, in the 19th century CE, Kasargod Taluk witnessed many struggles to separate the region from South Canara and to merge it with theMalabar District as it was the only Malayalam-majority region in South Canara. Kasaragod was the second-most populated Taluk inSouth Canara only after toMangalore taluk, and also the second-largest Taluk.[29] Kasargod became a part ofKannur district ofKerala following the reorganization of states and the formation of Kerala on 1 November 1956.[30] Later Kasargod was divided into twoTaluks for the ease of administration - Kasargod and Hosdurg. Kasargod was declared a district in 1984. The inclusion of Kasaragod with Kerala has been a contentious issue as there is a sizeable population that speaksTulu language and Kannada. At the time of 1951 Census of India, only 72.0% of the district's population chose their mother tongue asMalayalam.[31] 14.2% choseTulu and 6.3% chose Kannada.[31] But it is noted that as per the 2011 census report only 8.8% and 4.2% of the total population in the district speak Tulu and Kannada respectively as their mother tongue. In 2012, theSecond Oommen Chandy ministry appointed a commission under the leadership the former Chief Secretary P. Prabhakaran to study about the backwardness and issues faced by this northernmost district of Kerala and to draw up special package for the district.[32] In 2013, two more Taluks, namely Manjeshwaram and Vellarikundu were formed in the district.[33]
The district is the northernmost district of the State of Kerala. Kasargod is located at12°30′N75°00′E / 12.5°N 75.0°E /12.5; 75.0.[34] It has an average elevation of 19 metres (62 feet).Ranipuram or Madathumala (1016m) peak is the highest peak in the Kasargod district of Kerala, located in the Ranipuram Wildlife Sanctuary.
Kasaragod has atropical climate.
| Climate data for Kasargod | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.1 (91.6) | 33.3 (91.9) | 33.9 (93.0) | 34.3 (93.7) | 33.4 (92.1) | 29.8 (85.6) | 28.7 (83.7) | 28.8 (83.8) | 30.1 (86.2) | 31.2 (88.2) | 32.7 (90.9) | 33.1 (91.6) | 31.9 (89.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.1 (70.0) | 21.9 (71.4) | 23.7 (74.7) | 24.9 (76.8) | 24.9 (76.8) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23.2 (73.8) | 23.2 (73.8) | 22.7 (72.9) | 21.3 (70.3) | 23.0 (73.4) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 0.8 (0.03) | 0 (0) | 17.3 (0.68) | 32.7 (1.29) | 182.9 (7.20) | 1,010.5 (39.78) | 1,002.8 (39.48) | 663.6 (26.13) | 246.5 (9.70) | 222.6 (8.76) | 69 (2.7) | 12.4 (0.49) | 3,461.1 (136.24) |
| Source:Meo Weather | |||||||||||||
Kasaragod district has the largest number of rivers in Kerala - 12.[9] All of them are west-flowing rivers.[35] The longest of them isChandragiri River (105 km long).Kasaragod town is located on the estuary of Chandragiri river. It empties into theArabian Sea atThalangara.[35] TheChandragiri Fort is built on its bank. The river originates at Pattimala inKodagu (Coorg).[35] The smallest river of Kerala is also in the district.
| Name | Origin | Navigable (km) | Total length (km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manjeshwaram | Kadandur hills | 16 | 3 |
| Uppala River | Kudipadi hills,Veerakamba | 50 | |
| Shiriya River | Kanakad hills, Anegundi Reserve Forest | 61 | 5 |
| Kumbla | Yedanad | 11 | 3 |
| Mogral River | Kanlur,Karadka Reserve Forest | 34 | |
| Chandragiri River | Patti forest,Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary | 105 | 13 |
| Kalnad | Chettianchal | 8 | |
| Bekal | Kaniyadka | 11 | |
| Chittari River | Kundiya | 25 | |
| Neeleshwaram River | Kinanoor,Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary | 47 | 11 |
| Kariangode River | Padinalkad,Coorg hills | 64 | 24 |
| Kavvayi Backwaters | Cheemeni | 23 | 10 |
Municipalities
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Kasargod district consists of two revenue subdivisions- Kasargod and Kanhangad. For sake of rural administration, 38 Gram Panchayats are combined in 6 Blocks, which together form the Kasargod District Panchayat. For the sake of urban administration, 3 municipal towns are there.[37]
For the representation of Kasargod inKerala Legislative Assembly, there are 5 assembly constituencies. These are included in theKasaragod (Lok Sabha constituency).[37][38]The district is further divided into 128 villages which together form 4 subdistricts.[39]
The major towns of the district include:
Manjeshwaram andKasargod subdistricts (Taluks) are included in the Kasaragod revenue subdivision whereas the remaining two Taluks are included in the Kanhangad subdivision.
| Subdistrict | Area (in km2) | Population (2011) | Villages | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manjeshwaram | 382 | 268,642 | 48 | |
| Kasargod | 594 | 413,094 | 34 | |
| Vellarikundu | 547 | 177,157 | 15 | |
| Hosdurg (Puthiya Kotta) | 442 | 448,484 | 31 | |
| Sources:2011 Census of India,[40] Official website of Kasargod district[41] | ||||
| Assembly Constituency | Political party | Political coalition | Elected Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manjeshwaram | IUML | UDF | A. K. M. Ashraf |
| Kasaragod | IUML | UDF | N. A. Nellikkunnu |
| Udma | CPI(M) | LDF | C. H. Kunhambu |
| Kanhangad | CPI | LDF | E. Chandrasekharan |
| Thrikaripur | CPI(M) | LDF | M. Rajagopalan |
| Parliamentary Constituency | Political party | Political coalition | Elected Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kasaragod | INC | UDF | Rajmohan Unnithan |
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TheNational Highway 66 which connects the western coast of India fromMumbai toKanyakumari passes through coastal area of the district connecting the major coastal towns ofManjeshwar,Uppala,Kumbla,Kasaragod,Udma,Bekal,Kanhangad,Nileshwaram, andThrikaripur.[42][43][44] It enters the district atThalappady and goes out throughPayyanur. There areState highways starting/ending atKasaragod andKanhangad.[45] Total length ofMajor District Road (MDR) is around 1460 km and it accounts for around 11.2 km of MDR for every 10,000 people in the district.[46] TheKerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has stations to operate its service in the district.[47] The railway goes through coastal area.Kasaragod railway station lies inPalakkad railway division of southern zone onMangalore-Shoranur line.[48] Kasaragod district is home to3 out of 13 minor ports in Kerala-Manjeshwar, Kasaragod, andNileshwaram.[49] The nearest international airports are situated atMangalore (65 km away) andKannur (110 km away).
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 231,280 | — |
| 1911 | 247,467 | +0.68% |
| 1921 | 256,931 | +0.38% |
| 1931 | 302,043 | +1.63% |
| 1941 | 342,301 | +1.26% |
| 1951 | 411,031 | +1.85% |
| 1961 | 512,146 | +2.22% |
| 1971 | 683,020 | +2.92% |
| 1981 | 872,741 | +2.48% |
| 1991 | 1,071,508 | +2.07% |
| 2001 | 1,204,078 | +1.17% |
| 2011 | 1,307,375 | +0.83% |
| 2018 | 1,390,894 | +0.89% |
| source:[50] | ||
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | 55.84% | |||
| Islam | 37.24% | |||
| Christianity | 6.69% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.23% | |||
According to the 2018 Vital Statistics published by theGovernment of Kerala, Kasargod district has apopulation of 1,390,894,[2] roughly equal to the nation ofTrinidad and Tobago[51] or the US state ofNew Hampshire.[52] The2011 Census of India, gives the district a ranking of 375th in India (out of a total of640).[53] The district has a population density of 654 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,690/sq mi).[53] Itspopulation growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 8.18%.[53] Kasaragod has asex ratio of 1080females for every 1000 males,[53] and aliteracy rate of 90.09%.[54] Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 4.08% and 3.74% of the population respectively.[53] TheKerala Tulu Academy, which promotesTulu language and literature, is functioned at Hosangadi in district.
Kasaragod district majorly consists ofMalayalam speakers who form 82.69% of the population.Tulu andKannada speakers concentrated in the Northern parts of the district likeManjeshwar,Uppala,Enmakaje,Badiyadka,Kumbla andSeethangoli form a significant linguistic minority with 8.77% and 4.23% each.[3]
Kasargod district comes under the jurisdiction ofKannur University.
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Kasaragod district is the northernmost district of Kerala, which is far away fromThiruvananthapuram, the state headquarters, which is located in the southernmost tip of state.Manjeshwaram town is located about 600 km north of the state headquartersThiruvananthapuram, about 30 km south ofMangalore, about 350 km west ofBangalore, the headquarters of the neighbouring stateKarnataka, and about 950 km south ofMumbai city. In 2012, theSecond Oommen Chandy ministry appointed a commission under the leadership of the former Chief Secretary P. Prabhakaran to study about the backwardness and issues faced by this northernmost district of Kerala and to draw up a special package for the district.[32] In 2013, two more taluks, namely Manjeshwaram and Vellarikundu were formed in the district.[33] Before it the district had only two Taluks. The decision to implement a gas-based powerplant atCheemeni was taken by thesecond Chandy government.[59] A government medical college was allowed for Kasaragod district, as a part of the government's new policy to establish at ensure availability of at least one Government Medical College in all the14 districts of the state in 2013.[60][61]
Per Barbosa, Malabar begins at the point where the kingdom of Narasyngua or Vijayanagar ends, that is at Cumbola (Cambola) on the Chandragiri river. But, as he (Barbosa) says, the Malayalam language extends as far north as the Chandragiri, and Malabar may be reckoned as extending south from this point to Cape Comorin.
Mauritius 1,303,717 July 2011 est.
New Hampshire 1,316,470
The area has rich biodiversity. The sacred grove viz. Edayilakkad island preserves many rare and endemic species.[permanent dead link]
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