Kasaragod
Encyclopedia
Kasaragod (Kannada - ಕಾಸರಗೋಡು ) is a town and a municipality
in Kasaragod district
in the India
n state
of Kerala
. It is the administrative headquarters of Kasaragod district as well as of Kasaragod Taluk. Landmarks of note include Malik Deenar Mosque
, Mallikkarjuna Temple, Theruvatthu Mosque, Madhur Temple
, Chandragiri Fort
and the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute.The Bekal Fort
is also a major tourist attraction near Kasargod.
was well known in India. In the past years a number of ships were built here and sold in various states of India and exported to foreign countries. The Kasaragod economy is mainly agrarian; cash crops such as coconut, rubber are grown and commercially exploited. Other industries include tile manufacture, timber industry etc. Foreign investment or N.R.I Income is high in this part of the state.
and Vishu
are widely celebrated festivals here. Eid, Bakrid, 'Milad-e-sherif' and Muharram are celebrated in a manner similar to that seen in Kozhikode
. These festivals along with Shivaratri and Pooja Vaypu (Dasara) are enthusiastically celebrated by the local people, as is Deepavali. 'Milad-e-sherif' celebration includes cultural activities, competitions such as speech, songs and processions by madrassa students.
There are also local festivals like Kumbala Veddikett. Another festival of importance is Moodappaseva, a local festival celebrated in the Madhur Temple periodically.
is the dominant folk art form.
, Marathi
and Konkani
are also widely spoken. Besides these Marathi
and Hindi
/Urdu
are spoken by minorities.
. CPI(M) member P.Karunakaran is the present MP from Kasargod.
N.A. Nellikunnu of Muslim League is the sitting MLA of Kasaragod Legilative constituency.
), Thiruvananthapuram
, Kochi , Mangalore
and Kozhikode
. Kasaragod is well connected by rail to parts of India such as Thiruvananthapuram
, Kochi, Kozhikode
, Payyanur
, Kannur
, Mangalore
, Thrissur
, Goa
, Surat
, Jaipur
, Chandigarh
, Chennai
, Coimbatore
, Jammu Tawi
, Kanyakumari, Palakkad
etc. The nearest airport is at Mangalore
(49 km).
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in Kasaragod district
Kasaragod district
Kasaragod District is one of the districts of the Indian state of Kerala. Kasaragod District was organised as a separate district on 24 May 1984...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. It is the administrative headquarters of Kasaragod district as well as of Kasaragod Taluk. Landmarks of note include Malik Deenar Mosque
Malik Deenar Mosque
Malik Deenar Mosque, formally Malik Deenar Grand Juma Masjid, is a mosque located about a kilometre from Kasaragod, Kerala, India, on the coast. The mosque is dedicated to Malik Ibn Deenar who arrived from Arabia with his family on a mission to spread Islam on the coast of Kerala. It was...
, Mallikkarjuna Temple, Theruvatthu Mosque, Madhur Temple
Madhur Temple
Madhur Temple is located 7 km from Kasaragod town.-History:Madhur temple was originally Madhanentheswara Temple and as the lore goes, an old so called "low caste" lady "Madura" discovered an "Udbhava Murthy" of shiva linga...
, Chandragiri Fort
Chandragiri fort
Chandragiri Fort built in the 17th [century] is in Kasargod District of Kerala, south India.This large squarish fort is above sea level and occupies an area of about seven acres by the side of the river Payaswini...
and the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute.The Bekal Fort
Bekal Fort
'Bekal Fort' is the largest fort in Kasargod, Kerala, India, spreading over . An important features of this fort are the water-tank with its flight of steps, the tunnel opening towards the south, the magazine for keeping ammunition and the broad and wide steps leading to the Observation Tower...
is also a major tourist attraction near Kasargod.
Ship building industry
The ship building industry of ThalangaraThalangara
Thalanagara is a predominantly Muslim area of Kasaragod, the district headquarters of the Kasaragod district in the South Indian state of Kerala. It is most famous for housing the Malik Deenar Jama Masjid and Dargah, where Malik Deenar, an Islamic missionary who brought Islam to the South-west...
was well known in India. In the past years a number of ships were built here and sold in various states of India and exported to foreign countries. The Kasaragod economy is mainly agrarian; cash crops such as coconut, rubber are grown and commercially exploited. Other industries include tile manufacture, timber industry etc. Foreign investment or N.R.I Income is high in this part of the state.
Fairs and festivals
OnamOnam
Onam is a Hindu festival celebrated by the people of Kerala, India. The festival commemorates the Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali. It falls during the month of Chingam and lasts for ten days...
and Vishu
Vishu
Vishu is a Hindu festival celebrated in the Indian state of Kerala, usually on April 14 of the Gregorian calendar. This occasion signifies the Sun's transit into the Mesha Raasi , according to Indian astrological calculations, and represents the vernal equinox...
are widely celebrated festivals here. Eid, Bakrid, 'Milad-e-sherif' and Muharram are celebrated in a manner similar to that seen in Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
. These festivals along with Shivaratri and Pooja Vaypu (Dasara) are enthusiastically celebrated by the local people, as is Deepavali. 'Milad-e-sherif' celebration includes cultural activities, competitions such as speech, songs and processions by madrassa students.
There are also local festivals like Kumbala Veddikett. Another festival of importance is Moodappaseva, a local festival celebrated in the Madhur Temple periodically.
Folk dances and traditions
The region is rich in traditional folk art forms. Muslims have their own common folk and celebration art forms such as Oppana, Kolkalli, Dauf muttal etc. Oppana is a celebration dance held on the eve of Muslim marriage, where the women to be married are decorated, with whom her friends and relatives do this ritual dance. TheyyamTheyyam
Theyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu area Theyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu...
is the dominant folk art form.
Language
The principal and recognized administrative language of Kasaragod is Malayalam, though Kannada language is of equal importance in Kasaragod. TuluTulu language
The Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
, Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
and Konkani
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
are also widely spoken. Besides these Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
/Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
are spoken by minorities.
Politics
Kasaragod assembly constituency is part of Kasaragod (Lok Sabha constituency)Kasaragod (Lok Sabha constituency)
-Assembly segments:Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segments:#Manjeswar#Kasaragod#Udma#Kanhangad #Trikkarpur#Payyannur#Kalliasseri-Members of Parliament:*1957: A.K. Gopalan, Communist Party of India...
. CPI(M) member P.Karunakaran is the present MP from Kasargod.
N.A. Nellikunnu of Muslim League is the sitting MLA of Kasaragod Legilative constituency.
Transport
Kasaragod town lies on the path of NH 17. It is well connected by road to Cannanore (KannurKannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
), Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
, Kochi , Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
and Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
. Kasaragod is well connected by rail to parts of India such as Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
, Kochi, Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
, Payyanur
Cheruvathur
Cheruvathur is a town in the Kasaragod district, located in the South Indian state of Kerala. It is located 58 km from the district headquarters, Kasaragod town.Cheruvathur has a railway station and a small bus stand...
, Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
, Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, Thrissur
Thrissur
This article is about the city in India. For the district, see Thrissur district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area...
, Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
, Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
, Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
, Jammu Tawi
Jammu Tawi
Jammu Tawi is a Railway station in Jammu, in India. It is very well connected with the major cities of India such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Ahemedabad, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Patna, Lucknow, Varanasi, Vadodara, Gorakhpur, Dehradun,...
, Kanyakumari, Palakkad
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
etc. The nearest airport is at Mangalore
Mangalore International Airport
Mangalore Airport, formerly known as Bajpe Airport, is a domestic and customs airport serving the coastal city of Mangalore, India...
(49 km).