Sports and games

Many well-known personalities in the field of sports and games have adorned Kannur in their respective fields. The Englishmen of the Military Centre brought field hockey , cricket , football , etc. to Kannur during the pre- independence period. The famous Fort Maidan (ground) and Police Maidan provide ample facilities for youths to excel in this field. The CDRE Football team and Hockey team excelled in those days. At the same time, the traditional martial arts like Kalaripayatu has also been flourishing here all along. After independence, the football clubs helped spread the spirit of the game in Kannur. Spirited Youths, Lucky Star, Brothers Club and Gymkhana Club were popular and produced well known players like D'cruz, Soman, Dasan, etc. Sree Narayana College in Thottada was considered a nursery of sporstmen the most prominent of them being B Devananad who captained the college and later Calicut University (the college is now under Kannur University) to national universities title. Devananad later played for the Indian Youth team in Bangkok and several other tournaments to be picked by Tata Football team in Mumbai . He was the fullback when Kerala won its first Santosh Trophy title in 1973. Similarly Mani, the captain of the Santosh Trophy winning Kerala team was another well known player though he faded off the sports horizon. Gimmy George, the veteran Volley Ball player who was selected as best top 10 strikers in the world when he was playing for an Italian Club was born and brough up in Kannur. In Hockey too, apart from the military team, there were good teams in Kannur and Thalassery. Cricket, ball-badminton, weightlifting , gymnastics , wrestling , volleyball , etc. have been widely played in both urban and rural areas. Volleyball has been concentrated upon by youths in rural areas. Former Indian hockey goalkeeper Manuel Fredricks is from Kannur. When Sports Divisions were started in schools in 1976 to tap talents, one of its divisions was started in the district. The Sports Division attached to Govt. Higher Secondary School, Kannur, produced international stars like P.T Usha and M.D. Valsamma in athletics. Leelamma Thomas and Moly Benedict in basketball and Anitha Retnam and Anandavalli in volleyball. The Police Maidan was the venue for M.D Valsamma and Mercy Mathew to practise athletics; P.K. Balachandran, V. P. Sathyan, D'cruz, Rajan, Ramanan, Sugunan, C.M. Chidanandan, B Devananad and George in football and Ford and Olympian Federicks in hockey. Westline & Leslie in cricket had their training at Fort Maidan. Kannur became famous in South India for ball badminton, when T.K. Ramakrishnan and Kumaran were playing. A.M. Bharathan created history in weight lifting in the early fifties. Nelliary Krishnan Nair, the first Malayalee to represent India ( weightlifting) at the first Asian Games held at New Delhi in 1951 is from Kannur. It is also believed that the game of cricket first found its way to Kannur, with the British ,thus making it the birthplace of the game in India . A few years back, the district cricket association celebrated the 200 th anniversary of the game in the district, in a function attended by eminent cricketers like Dilip Vengsarkar .

Snake Park

Snake Park is a famous landmark in the district of Snake Park at Parassinikkadavu , en route from Kannur to Taliparamba, 2  km from National Highway (NH) 17. Here one gets to see a large genre of snakes and other small animals and there is even a live show, where trained personnel play and 'interact' with a variety of snakes, including cobras and vipers , and seek to quell mythical fears and superstitions about snakes. The Snake Park set up by the Visha Chikista Kendra at Pappinisseri, has been a centre of attraction to both foreign and domestic tourists. This Kendra (center) offers effective treatment for snake bites with almost 100 % cure. This is the only place, perhaps where Ayurveda and Allopathy are effectively combined for curing snake bites. The snake park here houses about 150 varieties of snakes including the Spectacled Cobra , King Cobra , Russell's viper , Krait and various pit vipers . There is also a large collection of non-poisonous snakes including Pythons . A research laboratory to extract venom from snakes is proposed to be set up here. The park is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of snakes, many species of which are getting extinct gradually. It is located 16  km from Kannur. Parassinikkadavu is also noted for the famous Muthappan temple . This is the only temple in Kerala where a Theyyam performance is a daily ritual offering.

St.Angelo Fort

St. Angelo Fort , built in 1505 by Sir Francisco de Almeida , the first Portuguese Viceroy of India, is situated near the sea coast and about 2  km from Kannur town. This fort has a legendary past. Having witnessed several wars for seizing the control of the fort, the British flag flew over it finally in 1790. Even now, it is in a fairly good state of preservation, and is a protected monument under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). AArchaeological Survey of India painting of this fort and the fishing ferry behind the fort can be seen in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam . St Angelo Fort is an important historical monument and tourist centre. Kerala Police has posted six Tourism Police Officers for protection and guidance to the tourists. Among them, Sathyan Eddakkad has detailed knowledge about this fort and the surrounding places. He wrote and published a book in Malayalam named Vasco Da Gaamyum charithrathile kaanaappurangalum (Vasco Da Gama and the unknown pages of history) in which he describes the past and present of the Fort. The fort, though not as large as the famous Bekal Fort in Kasaragod , is a treat to the eyes with lush greenery and well maintained surroundings. The Payyambalam and Government guest house are some of the other famous land marks near the fort.

Pythalmala

Pythalmala is a hill station on the Kerala-Karnataka border is 65  km north of Kannur. Ideal for trekking; it is around 1 ,371.6 metres above sea level. A base reception centre and a watchtower atop the cliff function for the benefit of tourists and trekkers. It is a very good place where one good see beautiful scenaries. It is near to Kudiyanmala.

Ezhimala

Ezhimala , the capital of the ancient Mooshika kings , is considered to be an ancient historical site. It is a conspicuous, isolated cluster of hills, forming a promontory, 38  km north of Kannur town. A flourishing sea port and centre of trade in ancient Kerala, it was one of the major battle fields of the Chola - Chera war of the 11 th century. It is believed that Lord Buddha had visited Ezhimala. An old mosque , believed to contain the mortal remains of Shaikh Abdul Latif , a Muslim reformist, is also located here. The hill is noted for rare medicinal herbs . There is an old tower of great antiquity here, the Mount Deli Light House. It is maintained by the Indian Navy and is a restricted area. The beach sand is of a different texture and the sea is bluer than in other areas. At Ettikulam bay , one can enjoy watching dolphins. Bordered by sea on three sides, Ezhimala is set to occupy a prominent place in the Naval history of the country, subsequent to the proposal for commissioning the Naval Academy there.

Madayipara

Madayipara is significant owing to its biodiversity as well as history. Madayipara was the administrative center of the Ezhimala kings. In and around Madayipara, one can find remnants from the past. At the southern side of the hill, stand the remains of a fort called Pazhi Kotta (kotta means fort in Malayalam). Here one can also find watchtowers at the four corners of the fort. Between AD 14 and AD 18 , Madayipara used to be the site for the coronation ceremony of the rulers of the princely state of Kolathunadu. The hillock of Madayipara, which carries several signs of historic relevance, is also a place important from a religious point of view. Here, a pond in the shape of a hand held mirror, connected to ancient Jewish settlers, is another historic attraction. Similarly, a temple at this site, called Vadukunda Siva Temple, and the adjoining lake, about an acre in extent, form another attraction. The lake near the temple will not go dry even in hot summer months and remains a source of nourishment to life forms. The pooram festival of Madayi Kavu (kavu – family temples and those in the midst of thick vegetation) held at Madayipara has been responsible for much of its fame. With regard to the biodiversity of Madayipara, the region contains about 300 flowering plants, about 30 varieties of grass, and several insect-eating plant species. Madayipara is also home to several rare medicinal herbs. Coming to avian life, Madayipara sustains about 100 species of butterflies and about 150 species of birds. Among the biggest butterflies in the world, the Atlas butterfly is a visitor to Madayipara.

District Agricultural Farm, Taliparamba,karimbam

Taliparamba,'karimbam farm' Established in 1905 , District Agricultural Farm, Kannur is one of the oldest farms in South India. Located at Taliparamba, 20 kilometers from Kannur city, this station was started by Sir Charles Alfred Barber at the behest of the erstwhile Madras Government, based on the recommendation of the Famine Commission of 1880 of Government of India.