Sunday, July 27, 2008
Geography
beach. It is surrounded by rivers and seas. Permission is required to enter this privately owned island. Dharmadam, earlier known as Dharmapattanam was a Buddhist stronghold.Geography
The district lies between latitudes 11° 40' to 12° 48' North and longitudes 74° 52' to 76° 07' East and covers an area of 2,996 km² . Kannur can be geographically divided into highland, midland and lowland regions. Highlands are the mountainous region forming part of the Western Ghats and are covered by rainforests, plantations of coffee, tea and different types of spices like cardamom. There are also timber plantations in this region. The midland region lies between the highlands and lowlands and is made up of undulating hills and valleys. The lowland is the narrow stretch comprising of rivers, deltas and the coastal region. Six rivers drain Kannur, the longest being the Valapattanam river with a length of 110 km. Other rivers flowing through Kannur district are Kuppam, Mahe River, Anjarakandi, Thalassery, Ramapuram and Perumba.
[edit] Climate
The district has a humid climate with an oppressive hot season from March to the end of May. This is followed by the South-West monsoon which continues till the end of September. October and November from the post-monsoon or retreating monsoon season.
During the months of April and May, the mean daily maximum temperature is about 35 °C. Temperature is low in December and January and the minimum temperature is about 20 °C. On certain days the night temperature may go down to 16 °C , although this is extremely rare. The annual average rainfall is 3438 mm and more than 80% of it occurs during the period of South-West monsoon. The rainfall during July is very heavy and the district receives 68% of the annual rainfall during this season.
[edit] Beaches
Kannur has several beautiful beaches, some of which are :
Payyambalam Beach
Payyambalam Beach
* Payyambalam Beach: It is the beach of the Kannur town. It has an unbroken coastline of a few kilometres. From the beach, one can see ships in transit along the Malabar coast, that is, beyond Calicut (Kozhikode) and moving towards Mangalore, Goa and Bombay (Mumbai). The well laid out garden and the massive landscaped sculpture of mother and child erected by noted sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman makes it extremely captivating.
* Baby Beach: It is called so as it is smaller than its bigger neighbourhood, Payyambalam Beach. The famous St. Angelo Fort is adjacent to it.
* Meenkunnu Beach: Situated at Azhikode, it is hardly a few kilometres from the town. The virgin beach is a tourist’s paradise with golden sand and surf.
* Mopila Bay: Situated near the St. Angelo’s Fort, the Mopila bay has a historical background. Centuries ago, it was the seat of Kolathiri Kings. The Kadalayi Fort and Sree Krishna Temple were quite famous. The remnants of the fort and the temple are still seen in Mopila Bay. A fishing harbour, built with Indo Norwegian project assistance, can be seen at this bay. Boating in the sea, if the weather permits, will be an unforgettable experience.
* Kizhunna Ezhara Beach: 11 km from kannur, this beautiful stretch of sand is one of the most secluded beaches in kerala.
* Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach: A long clean beach, its enchanting ambiance invites you to swim, sunbathe or just lounge around. It is Kerala’s only drive-in beach and one could drive the entire length of 4 km. Muzhappilangad beach is situated about 5 km north of Thalassery and 15 km from Kannur. There is an unpaved road winding through coconut groves, leading to the beach. The beach is about 5 kilometers long and curves in a wide area providing a good view of Kannur beach on the north. To the South and about 200 metres away from the beach there is a beautiful island called the "Green Island" which adds to the allure of the beach. Such a conjunction of beach and island is rare.
* Dharmadam Island: (100 metres away from the mainland at Dharmadam): The small 5 acre (20,000 m²) island covered with coconut palms and dense bushes is a beautiful sight from the Muzhappilangad beach. During low tide, one can just walk to the island from the
The district lies between latitudes 11° 40' to 12° 48' North and longitudes 74° 52' to 76° 07' East and covers an area of 2,996 km² . Kannur can be geographically divided into highland, midland and lowland regions. Highlands are the mountainous region forming part of the Western Ghats and are covered by rainforests, plantations of coffee, tea and different types of spices like cardamom. There are also timber plantations in this region. The midland region lies between the highlands and lowlands and is made up of undulating hills and valleys. The lowland is the narrow stretch comprising of rivers, deltas and the coastal region. Six rivers drain Kannur, the longest being the Valapattanam river with a length of 110 km. Other rivers flowing through Kannur district are Kuppam, Mahe River, Anjarakandi, Thalassery, Ramapuram and Perumba.
[edit] Climate
The district has a humid climate with an oppressive hot season from March to the end of May. This is followed by the South-West monsoon which continues till the end of September. October and November from the post-monsoon or retreating monsoon season.
During the months of April and May, the mean daily maximum temperature is about 35 °C. Temperature is low in December and January and the minimum temperature is about 20 °C. On certain days the night temperature may go down to 16 °C , although this is extremely rare. The annual average rainfall is 3438 mm and more than 80% of it occurs during the period of South-West monsoon. The rainfall during July is very heavy and the district receives 68% of the annual rainfall during this season.
[edit] Beaches
Kannur has several beautiful beaches, some of which are :
Payyambalam Beach
Payyambalam Beach
* Payyambalam Beach: It is the beach of the Kannur town. It has an unbroken coastline of a few kilometres. From the beach, one can see ships in transit along the Malabar coast, that is, beyond Calicut (Kozhikode) and moving towards Mangalore, Goa and Bombay (Mumbai). The well laid out garden and the massive landscaped sculpture of mother and child erected by noted sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman makes it extremely captivating.
* Baby Beach: It is called so as it is smaller than its bigger neighbourhood, Payyambalam Beach. The famous St. Angelo Fort is adjacent to it.
* Meenkunnu Beach: Situated at Azhikode, it is hardly a few kilometres from the town. The virgin beach is a tourist’s paradise with golden sand and surf.
* Mopila Bay: Situated near the St. Angelo’s Fort, the Mopila bay has a historical background. Centuries ago, it was the seat of Kolathiri Kings. The Kadalayi Fort and Sree Krishna Temple were quite famous. The remnants of the fort and the temple are still seen in Mopila Bay. A fishing harbour, built with Indo Norwegian project assistance, can be seen at this bay. Boating in the sea, if the weather permits, will be an unforgettable experience.
* Kizhunna Ezhara Beach: 11 km from kannur, this beautiful stretch of sand is one of the most secluded beaches in kerala.
* Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach: A long clean beach, its enchanting ambiance invites you to swim, sunbathe or just lounge around. It is Kerala’s only drive-in beach and one could drive the entire length of 4 km. Muzhappilangad beach is situated about 5 km north of Thalassery and 15 km from Kannur. There is an unpaved road winding through coconut groves, leading to the beach. The beach is about 5 kilometers long and curves in a wide area providing a good view of Kannur beach on the north. To the South and about 200 metres away from the beach there is a beautiful island called the "Green Island" which adds to the allure of the beach. Such a conjunction of beach and island is rare.
* Dharmadam Island: (100 metres away from the mainland at Dharmadam): The small 5 acre (20,000 m²) island covered with coconut palms and dense bushes is a beautiful sight from the Muzhappilangad beach. During low tide, one can just walk to the island from the
Origin of the name
There are several myths and legends associated with Kannur. The name Kannur is said to have been derived from two Malayalam words 'Kannan' (Krishna) and 'Ur' (place). It is quite common in India that the names of villages and districts are associated with Indian mythological characters, even if there is no mention of such a village in the respective mythology. The name 'Kannur' also is not an exception. According to another version, 'Kannur' is a derivation of Kanathur, an ancient village, the name of which survives even today in one of the wards of Kannur municipality. Another version is that Kannur might have assumed its name from one of the deities of the Hindu pantheon, a compound of two words, 'Kannan' (Lord Krishna) and 'ur' (place) making it the place of Lord Krishna.
In this context, it is worth mentioning that the deity of the Katalayi Srikrishna temple was originally installed in a shrine at Katalayi Kotta in the southeastern part of the present Kannur town. It is said that the ships of Solomon had anchored along the coasts of Kannur to collect timber for building the Temple of the Lord. Kannur also finds mention as Naura in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a Greek work of great antiquity
In this context, it is worth mentioning that the deity of the Katalayi Srikrishna temple was originally installed in a shrine at Katalayi Kotta in the southeastern part of the present Kannur town. It is said that the ships of Solomon had anchored along the coasts of Kannur to collect timber for building the Temple of the Lord. Kannur also finds mention as Naura in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a Greek work of great antiquity
Media
Private FM Radio stations
Radio Mango (the Malayala Manorama Co Ltd) -91.9
Club FM (the Mathrubhumi Printing And Publishing Co Ltd) -94.3
S FM (kal Radio,sun Network) 93.5
Best FM (asianet Communications Ltd) - 95.0
AIR FM Radio Station
Kannur - 101.5
Radio Mango (the Malayala Manorama Co Ltd) -91.9
Club FM (the Mathrubhumi Printing And Publishing Co Ltd) -94.3
S FM (kal Radio,sun Network) 93.5
Best FM (asianet Communications Ltd) - 95.0
AIR FM Radio Station
Kannur - 101.5
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