Ananthapura Lake Temple

Heritage & Religious

In the northern tip of Kerala lies the Ananthapura Lake Temple, the only lake temple in Kerala. The rectangular lake, supplied with regular spring water, hosts this magnificent temple. It is considered the moolasthanam (original abode) of Lord Ananthapadmanabha, the deity of the famous Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. This 9th-century temple situated 30 km from Bekal in Kasaragod district. The view of the hillocks from the temple is extremely famous. Babia, the vegetarian crocodile and temple guardian, is popular among all the visitors. The drive to the temple in itself is extremely peaceful and calming.

Bekal Fort

Forts

Bekal Fort is considered as one of the largest and most preserved forts in Kerala. Nestled in the lap of nature, Bekal Fort is a historic fort surrounded by a beautiful beach offering an enchanting view of Arabian Sea from its high observation tower where once the cannons were placed. There are many ways to arrive at the Bekal Fort through various modes of transportation available. One can easily take a bus (which takes about an hour), taxi, auto-rickshaw or a private vehicle to reach here. Bekal Fort also has a railway station located at a distance of 1.7 km from the fort. The Bekal Fort is located about 15 kilometres from the Kasaragod Town.

The fort appears to emerge from the sea. Almost three quarters of its exterior is in contact with water. Bekal fort was not an administrative centre and doesn’t include any palace or mansion.

An important feature is the water-tank, magazine and the flight of steps leading to an observation tower built by Tipu Sultan. Standing at the centre of the fort, this offers views of the coastline and the towns of Kanhangad, Pallikkara, Bekal, Kottikkulam, and Uduma.

The fort’s zigzag entrance and surrounding trenches reveal its defensive strategy. Holes on the outer walls are designed to defend the fort effectivelty from naval attacks. The upper holes meant for aiming at the farthest targets; lower holes below for striking as enemy nearer and the lowest holes to attacking enemy closest to the fort.

Its solid construction resembles the Thalassery Fort and the St. Angelo Fort at Kannur built by the Dutch .

Theyyam

Culture and Festivals

The great stories of Kerala are often retold using art forms. It is here that our legends truly come to life. Theyyam is a famous ritual art form that originated in North Kerala which brings to life the great stories of our State. It encompasses dance, mime and music. It exalts the beliefs of the ancient tribals who gave a lot of importance to the worship of heroes and the spirits of their ancestors. The ceremonious dance is accompanied by the chorus of such musical instruments as Chenda, Elathalam, Kurumkuzal and Veekkuchenda. There are over 400 separate Theyyams, each with their own music, style and choreography. The most prominent among these are Raktha Chamundi, Kari Chamundi, Muchilottu Bhagavathi, Wayanadu Kulaven, Gulikan and Pottan.

Each artist represents a hero with great power. Performers wear heavy make-up and adorn flamboyant costumes. The headgear and ornaments are truly majestic and fill one with a sense of awe and wonder. From December to April, there are Theyyam performances in many temples of Kannur and Kasaragod. Karivalloor, Nileswaram, Kurumathoor, Cherukunnu, Ezhom and Kunnathoorpadi in North Malabar are places where Theyyams are performed annually (Kaliyattam) and draw huge crowds.