Kasaragod District
Kasaragod District http://kasargod.nic.in/ is the northernmost part of Malabar region in Kerala, India.
Cities
- Kasaragod, the district capital
- Bekal Seaside fort.
- Kanhangad or Hosdurg
- Manjeshwar on Karnataka border.
- Nileshwaram or Nileshwar.
Other destinations
- 1 Ranipuram Shola Sanctuary (Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Malom National Park) — Hills, Streams, Waterfalls.
Understand
Kasaragod district has of 1.3 million multilingual people. Malayalam, Tulu and Kannada are widely spoken here. Beary, Konkani, Marathi, Hindi, English and Urdu are also understood. Most of the people are either Muslims or Hindus. Kasaragod is a rich district of Kerala because of the remittance of locals working in Middle Eastern countries.
Kasaragod district has a lot of coconut plantations and paddy fields. There are several rolling hills near the beaches. The eastern hills are very serene and peaceful whereas the western coast is overdeveloped and suffering from extreme traffic congestion. The climate is hot and humid except from November to February. Heavy rain can be expected between June and September.
Get in
Buses are available from Mangalore and Kannur. Kasaragod railway station has direct trains from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram. The nearest airport is at Mangalore.
Main Routes
- Mangalore-Majeshwar-Kumbla-Kasaragod. 52 km
- Kozhikode-Mahe-Kannur-Bakel-Kanhangad-Kasaragod. 182 km
- Kasaragod-Mulleria-Jalsoor-Sullia-Madikeri-Mysore 227 km
- Kasaragod-Badiadukka-Vittal-Puthur-Sakleshpur. 164 km
- Kanhangad-Ranipuram-Panathur-Tala cauvery-Bhagamandala-Madikeri-Mysore. 227 km
Get around
- Autorikshaws charge ₹15.00 per km
- Buses charge only ₹7.00 for three km.
- Walking is impossible as numerous noisy motorcycles pester you even in village roads.
See
- Ananthapura Lake Temple. Dedicated to Vishnu.
- Bekal Fort. Picture post card pretty undamaged fort located in Bekal.
- Chandragiri Fort. (8 km) Ancient structure in bad shape.
- Kottancheri Hills. 36 km from Kanhangad.
- Madhur Temple. Very beautiful structure. Ganapathy is worshipped here.
- Malik Dinar Mosque (Thalangana). Ancient Dargah near the railway station built in scenic surroundings. Malik Ibn Dinar, a slave’s son, was an ardent disciple of Prophet Mohamed. He was the initiator of Islam propagation in Kerala. This Mosque was also built by him. The body of Ibn Dinar was buried within the Mosque. There is annual Urs festival which is celebrated to commemorate the arrival of Malik Dinar in Kasargod. The Urs attracts pilgrims from all over India in thousands.
- Mallikarjuna Temple. Lord Shiva is worshipped here.
- Nithyanandashramam-Kanhangad. Underground caves.
- Ranipuram. Lawn like hills near Panathur.
- Valiyaparamba Backwaters. Anandashramam- Kanhangad
Do
Kasaragod is often named as land of Lords and Forts and one of the most beautiful districts in Kerala state endowed with 9 rivers (out of a total of the 44 rivers that flow in Kerala), hills, beaches, backwaters, as well as temples, churches, mosques and forts.
Eat
Udupi-style vegetarian food is very popular in the restaurants of Kasaragod. Kerala-style Muslim food is also available in non-vegetarian restaurants.
Drink
Beer and wine are available. Hard drinks are prohibited.
Stay safe
Kasaragod is a safe place but the towns have a tendency to get deserted after 8.00 p.m. because of communal clashes and political violence. They are not targeted towards the tourists. The coastal people are rude and the hill people are polite and nosy.
Go next
- Bekal Fort