This is the last post from my travel archives. After all the posts I’ve written about my travels within India and abroad, it’s only befitting I write about my hometown. Although I was raised in Bahrain (16 years) and worked in Bangalore (8 years), I am a native of Kannur (named Cannanore by the Colonial British) in Kerala.
And although it’s one of the largest districts in Kerala by area, Kannur does not offer too much in terms of sights or attractions compared to say, Cochin, with it’s more globally marketable Jew Town and easy access to Kerala’s other famous places. That said, I’m still going to showcase whatever I can from my past visits to Kannur. Or at least the places I’ve visited anyway.
Built in 1505 by Dom Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy of India (the Portuguese were the first Europeans in India)By the way, these photos were taken in January 2007
Looking back, I don’t know why I didn’t take too many photos from inside the structure
Maybe it was because I had seen so many such forts in my travels.
I barely took any photos of the Fort’s stony interiors or its chambers… or the chapel, or these cannonsMaybe I was more mesmerized by the Arabian Sea
The fishing pierThis was some old lamp lighthouse it seemsThe sun was settingI wanted to reach Payyambalam beach to see the sun setBut I got there a bit lateFortunately it hadn’t gotten too dark yetSome were still out catching fishPayyambalam is nearly 2kms in length and is Kannur’s most popular beach
I’ve been to Payyambalam beach many times after this and the sunsets here are pretty awesome
Update: 27th October 2012
Took some photos today on my phone camera:
This the road towards the Payyambalam bridge
It was around noon when I got hereThere have water activities like jet ski rides, boat rides and para-sailing (Rs. 500 per person) now. You may contact: Kannur Water Sports, kannurwatersports@gmail.com; Mobile: 0-9526000076Today was a SaturdayBackwaters near Payyambalam beach
Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach
These photos are when I first went to Muzhappilangad Beach with my cousin sister’s husband back in April 2005. He had told me about this beach which was pretty close to my parents’ village, so he took me there on his bike. The cool thing about Muzhappilangad Beach is that its a ‘driving beach’ or a ‘drive-in beach’ – meaning, you can take your vehicle on to the sands.
Because unlike Kannur’s other beaches, the sand here isn’t powdery and soft. It’s hard pressed to the ground.Of course, sand gets softer near the water, but it’s still safe for a bike to tread onJust a few metres out in the sea is Dharmadam island, which some say you can walk to on low tide. They also say it’s a private island.
Muzhappilangad beach isn’t very long, so be mindful of the speeds at which you drive here.
I had come here to learn how to ride a motorbikeMe and my tutorSome fishing boats were still going out to seaIt was nearing 6pmWe literally rode off into the sunset after this
Kizhunna Beach
This is another one of Kannur’s beaches, but one that’s slightly harder to get to. These photos were taken on a visit to one of my aunts, who lives in Kizhunna (11 kms from Kannur town).
This was from the road uphillIt’s not a huge beach but if you walk all the way down, it’s good enoughBecause accessibility isn’t great, it means the beach remains fairly uncrowdedSand erosion?That’s me… in 2009Backwaters nearbyThere were a few homestays by the beach too
Kizhunna beach is quite nice if you want some privacyThis was the view from another dayYes, lots of green. This is Kerala after all.
Meenkunnu Beach
This is another not-so-popular beach (because it’s not easily accessible), around 5kms from Kannur town.
Which also makes it sparsely populatedThis was my first time hereWe were brought here by our friend Ranjith. The runners: (L) Anand (R) Ranjith
Another nice beach in Kannur
In and around my village, Chala
These photos were from 2005, behind my father’s ancestral homeIt’s very pleasant – and beautiful
This was a sunny September morningUsually when it rains, it often looks like thisI never enjoyed heavy rains in Kerala, mostly because of how *much* it rains during the monsoonsThese are just random shots I took from the home my father grew up inWe had quite a few cats make themselves home here – unwelcome or not
This was taken outside my mother’s family propertyCoconut trees, Kerala’s natural ‘shade giver’Very few people in Kerala actually buy coconuts. Because pretty much everyone has a few trees in their own compound.I forget where I snapped this, but it was outside Kannur townLooked like a nice placeThis was one rainy day when I just passed the union territory of Mahe
Theyyam
Kannur district is also known for the performance art of Theyyam, a traditional Hindu ritual that’s been around for centuries in North Kerala (also known as the Malabar region).
Theyyams are performed usually in the new year, beginning JanuaryTheyyam is said to be corrupted form of the Malayalam words ‘daivam’ meaning God, and ‘aattam,’ meaning movement/danceSo basically “God’s dance”Which is what the performer does to the banging sounds of the chendas (drums)Theyyams take place at various temples and households across the MalabarFor reasons I can’t recall, they placed a lamp near these banyan treesEnding this with a random shot of Onam pookalam, an essential part of celebrating Onam
That’s all I have for now. The above photos may not look like much, but please note that these photos were all taken before my DSLR days. I used to carry my point-and-shoot Canon Powershot A95 whenever I used to visit Kannur, and these were the photos I took when I was still learning the basics of photography.
We have a house in the city now and I do visit Kannur more frequently these days, so hopefully whenever I get my vehicle down here, I hope to drive around and re-visit Kannur’s attractions to take better photographs of my hometown.
naveen
08/11/2012Good effort, I am also from Kannur, lives in Bangalore now.