Kasaragod
Kasaragod is a town in Kasaragod District at the northern end of Malabar, Kerala in India.
Understand
Kasargod is famous for the Theyyam temple dance. Kasaragod is often described as the land of seven language as Malayalam, Beary, Tulu, Kannada, Konkani, Marathi and English are understood here.
Get in
By air
The nearest airports are at Mangalore 65 km and Kozhikode (Calicut)200 km away.
By train
Kasargod has a major railway station connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Chennai, and Bangalore.
By bus
Direct buses are available from Mangalore, Kochi, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai and Mysore.
By road
The roads are fine but the traffic is heavy and tiresome. NH 17 goes through Kasaragod. Keralites are not disciplined drivers and Kasaragodians are the worst in the lot. You can expect a large number of teenagers without a driving license going around in bulging SUVs at neck breaking speed.
Get around
Map of Kasaragod
- Autorikshaws charge ₹15 per km
- Buses charge ₹7 for every three km. Local buses start from New Bus Stand and long distance buses start from KSRTC bus station, 04994 230677.
- Taxi - Comfortable air conditioned taxis and jeeps are available for ₹1,000 per day.
- House Boats are available at Bekal, Kottappuram and Valiyaparamba.
See
- 1 Chandragiri Fort. 17th century fort.
- CPCRI. Central Plantation Corps Research Instituite.
- 2 Nellikkunnu Beach, Near KSRTC (2 km). Light House, Shri Kurumba Temple with nice sculptures, Five km long beach road.
- 3 Maipady Palace. Palaces of Kumbala Rajas. Admission is strictly restricted.
- 4 Malik Dheenar, Near Railway Station (3 km). Famous Dargah, madrassa, women's college, seaside pond, cafeteria, garden and ancient mosque with exquisite wooden carvings and chandeliers.
- Mud Fort, Kottappuram. Build by the Nileshwar Rajas.
- 5 Nellikunnu Uppappa Mosque, Near KSRTC (1 km). Cute structure with attached Madhrassa and Dargah. Spacious lawn and majestic steps. Famous for Uroos festival.
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- Padanna Theme Village. The ultimate theme village where one can have a look of hunting fish, stay ,food etc.
- Sankaracharya tradition art and learning center, Edneer Mutt.
Temples
- Kumbla Fort, Kumbla. Koto temple
- 6 Lake Temple, Ananthapuram (From Kasaragod: via Seethamgoli; From Manglore via Kumbla), ☏ +91 4998214360. The only lake temple in Kerala. There is a non-harm crocodile named "Babia". The lake temple is in a photogenic rocky place.
- Madiyan Kulom Temple, Ajanoor.
- Mallikarjuna Temple, Near KSRTC. Beautiful compound of the temple is the venue of frequent festivals and dances.
- Siva Temple, Adoor. Famous for ancient where legendary Kiratha Yuddham a battle between Arjuna and Lord Siva took place.
- 7 Srimad Anantheswara Vinayaka Temple, Madhur.
Do
- Madhur Temple walk (7 km one way). Start from Karandakkatt junction near the new bus station. Turn east on Madhur road. After Choori and Kudla you reach Ramdas nagar and Vivek nagar. There is a small junction and town called Ulliyathadakka on the way. Don't turn right, it takes you back to town. At the next junction, ignore the descending road to the left. Choose the right turn. Within a few minutes you reach Madhur temple on the riverside.
- Paravanadukkam Walk, Kanhangad Road (10 km). Start from Press Club junction. Proceed to Kanhangad road, cross the Chandragiri river on the bridge and turn left after the Maruthi car showroom to Chemnad road. Go up and reach Aliya School and Chemnad High School. Walk past model school and Durga temple. You have reached Deli temple, Paravanadukkam and Kaliyadukkam. Walk past Saediya College and Apsara school and proceed to Bendichal junction and Chattanchal town on the Nationa Highway No.17. You can get buses back to Kasaragod from Chattanchal town.
- Rajayoga @ Brahmakumaris, Near Murali Mukund Auditorium (2 km). Free Sattvic food, lecture sessions, very tastefully furnished meditation halls.
- Riverside walk @ Pulikunnu, Town Hall road (3 km). If you are looking for a short riverside walk inside the city, start down the hill from Muncipal Town Hall near the Government Guest House. Take the road on the right side of the Town Hall. You will come down to Pulikkunnu Masjidh from where the road embraces the Chandragiri river like a necklace. This spot is useful for taking photographs of the Chandragiri bridge and of the fishermen's boats in the river. You can climb back to the city or proceed further another 4 k.m. in a flat road to reach Thalangara Malik Dheenar beach near the railway station.
- Thurthi Dhweep is a scenic island on the Chandragiri River. It is privately owned and accessible with the permission of the owners.
- Trekking @ Sullia Road, Cherkkala (5 km). Beautiful views of the valley in lush green surroundings. Another added attraction is that this road is undiscovered by tourists. So you will get it all for yourself.
- Village Tour. Take a bus from Kumbla to Badiadukka. Many scenic villages on the way. You can get down at Seethamgoly village in the middle of the route and have a look at the scenic place.
- Walk in a tunnel, Perumunda, Badiadukka (25 km). Ask for the farm of Keshava Bhat, where you can find a 38 metre long tunnel across a beautiful hillock.
- Watch the Sunset, Thalangara Wharf (5 km). Extremely photogenic place. This location cannot be skipped even if you are a little busy as Thalangara Wharf is the most beautiful spot in all Kasaragod. You can turn right from Thalangara Wharf and walk in front of the police station. This place is called Ibrahim Khaleel Road. The locals are beauty hardened and extremely rude. You can ignore them and move on; this level of rudeness is not present in other parts of Kerala. Read the Stay safe section below.
Eat
- Kasaragod is famous for its sweets such as Holiga. Here is a partial list of some popular dishes:
- Steamed food - Puttu, Iddali, Idiyappam, Ada
- Fried food - Fish fry, Fried bananas, bajji (fried chillies)
- Deserts - Payasam (rice, wheat, or coconut), Pickled mango
- Indian Coffee House, Old Bus Stand (04994-222065). The sounds and smells of Kasaragod Market can be enjoyed when you sit near the window. Very crowded place.
- Indian Coffee House, New Bus Stand, ☏ +91 4994-230165. Cheap and Best food
- K.F.C. Restaurant, Near State Bank (2 km).
- Salwa Dine, Opp. KSRTC.
- Shalimar Restaurant, Thayalangadi.
- Shree Krishna Vegetarian, Karandakkatt (2 km).
- Taste Bud Restaurant, Highway.
- Udupi Vegetarian, Near Kasaragod Nursing Home (1 km). Mangalore Buns, Mangalore Golly baji etc. available. Kerala lunch for ₹50.00
- Vasantha Vihar Vegetarian, Near Press Club. for Vegetarian food.
Drink
- Caffe' Coffee Day, Inside Hindustan Petroleum Near Kumbla (9 km). Coffee and snacks. Expensive place with good ambiance. ₹100 for a cup of coffee.
- Cita Pani, Opp New Bus Stand.
- Ice Berg, opp. New Busstand.
- Jabbar's Charumuru, Thayalangadi, Near Railway Station. For custom-made crispy snacks and drinks.
- Juice Mahal, near Vijaya Bank (1 km).
- Meghraj bar, Nellikkunnu Road (1 km).
Sleep
| This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room: | |
| Budget | Under ₹ 750 |
| Mid-range | ₹750-3,000 |
| Splurge | Over ₹ 3,000 |
Budget
- Airline Hotel, KPR Rao Road, ☏ +91 -4994-221428.
- Anand Hostel, Soorlu (1 km), ☏ +91 9447479425. For monthly rent.
- Apsara Regency, Opp. KSRTC, ☏ +91-4994-230124, +91 -9447403377.
- Bindu Rest House, ☏ +91 -4994-223742.
- Century Park Lodge, New Bus Stand, ☏ +91 4994 226111. ₹300.
- Deira Hotel, ☏ +91 4994230854.
- Land mark Hotel, ☏ +91 4994223041.
- Mali Hotel, ☏ +91 4994222054.
- Priya Darshini Hotel, Majirpalla, ☏ +91 -4994-4202701.
- PWD Rest House, Town Hall Road (2 km). Government property. Good rooms for a bargain.
- Railway Retirement Room (inside the railway station). ₹300 for 24 hours.
- Speedway Inn, ☏ +91 4994222666.
- States Hotel, ☏ +91-4994-220049, +91 -9895251222.
- Victoria Hotel, New bus stand.
- Well Wisher Lodge, Anangoor, ☏ +91 -4994-230472.
Mid range
- City Tower, ☏ +91 4994 230563, reservations@citytowerhotel.net. ₹850.00.
- Government Guest House, Near the Town Hall. Posh rooms at budget rates. Wear a suit and carry a visiting card with an important corporate address. Backpackers are allowed to take a photograph from outside.
- J. K. Residency, Near New Bus Stand, ☏ +91 -4994-220755, 220855, jkresidency@gmail.com.
- Nileshwar Hermitage, Kasaragod. ₹12,200.
Stay safe
For your own safety, remember that Kasaragod is a little different from other cities of Kerala. Smuggling and other illegal activities are quite rife here and there is a big and established underworld. Since illegal activities are the norm in certain parts of Kasaragod like Thalangara, you can even find people introducing themselves as smugglers. Take care of speeding vehicles and suspicious looking persons coming near your luggage. Totally avoiding the Thalangara area is not advisable because the Thalangara Wharf is the most beautiful spot in the entire Kasaragod region. You need not carry this fear complex with you everywhere in Kerala, as there is only one more place in Kerala where smuggling is widespread (Chavakkad beach in Thrissur district).
Connect
- Smart Office Internet Cafe, City Centre Building, Bank Road (Near ICICI Bank), ☏ +91 4994224133. 9.00 am to 8.00 pm. (on Sundays. 10.00 am to 2.00 pm). Some travel assistance is also available here.
- Area code international, +91 4994.
- Area code national, 04994.
Go next
- Bekal fort on Bakel beach, 16 km.
- Kanhangad beach village, 29 km
- Kannur beach city, 102 km.
- Madikeri little cute hill station, 109 km.
- Mangalore major beach city, 53 km
- Thiruvananthapuram — There is a jet service from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram operated by KSRTC. The bus leaves Kasaragod by 8.00 pm and reaches Thiruvananthapuram by morning. Online reservation is available at http://www.keralartc.com/
- Ullal beach village, 38 km