Palakkayam Thattu

Palakkayam Thattu

The name of this place is derived from fruits "Palakkay",

Palakkayam Thattu is a Plateau like Grassland area on 

Palakkayam Hill near Vellad Village in Naduvil Grama 

Panchayath in Taliparamba Thaluk in Kannur Dt in Kerala.

It is near Paithalmala.It is one among those unexplored 

beauties of Kannur ....

How to reach :

Nearest Bus stand :Thaliaparamb

courtesy:internet,word of mouth 

Kottiyoor Vaisakha Maholsavam 2016

Kottiyoor Vaisakha Maholsavam 2016

The Vaisakha Maholsavam festival is held every year during the months of May - June. The twenty eight day festival commences with the Neyyattam ritual on the Swati Day in Edavam and concludes with the Thrikkalashaattu.

The Vaisakha Maholsavam celebrations begin with the ritual of bringing a sword from Muthirerikavu from Wayanad. On the following day, on Visakham star Bhandaram Ezhunnallath ritual is held. Gold, Silver vessels, heavenly ornaments etc are brought from nearby Manathana village to Kottiyoor.

An important ritual during the festival is the 'Elaneer Vayppu' or submitting tender coconuts before the swayambhu Shiva linga. On this special day, thousands of tender coconuts carried from different parts of Malabar by the devotees are submitted. The following day, the main priest of the temple, pours the collected coconut water on to the idol which is known as 'Elaneeraattam'.

Rohini Aaradhana is a very important ritual which is not seen in any other temple. The priest embraces the swayambhu Shiva linga as part of the ritual. The belief behind this ritual is that Brahma himself worships Lord Shiva to pacify for the loss of Sati.

As a part of the festival, a procession (Ezhunnallippu) is held with two elephants carrying the idols of Lord Shiva and Parvathi. After the procession, the elephants are fed well (Aanayootu) and given a formal farewell.

Courtesy : Internet 

Urumbachan Kottam , Thottada

Urumbachan Kottam , Thottada 

Isn't it interesting ....? A temple for Ants that too in our Kannur ......

A raised platform on the side of the road at Thottada in Kannur with a board which says Urumbachan Kotam this structure, trust us, does not look like a temple. But, it is – and a rather very unique temple....

A temple that is dedicated to the humble ant....People from far and wide come here now, to offer prayers at the platform to the Urumbachan – or the Father Ant. They bring with them coconuts; break them open and pour the water at the platform. The belief being, the Father Ant will accept the offerings and not cause any trouble at the devotees house. And, in this village, people take care not to hurt the ants.

Now, for a bit of history. Long long ago a carpenter fixed a stick to mark the place for a temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha. The next day, when they returned, the stick was not there and there was a small ant hill in the place. The carpenters stick was found a little way away, the place where the Ganesha temple is now. The people of the area took it as a sign from god and since that day, began worshiping the ants at the place. Later on a small platform was raised here and called the Urumbachan Kottam....

The locals light the lamp at the Gurusthanam almost everyday. But the main festivals fall during the the 'Karthika' day in the month of Vrishchikam (November – December). Coconut water is the main offering at the Gurusthanam....

How to Reach :

Nearest Buststop : Thottada (Thalassery - Kannur Highway)

Near Udayamangalam Ganapathy temple, Thottada...



Courtesy:Internet

Mirror of Kannur Celebrates 4'th Anniversary !

We published our first post on 14-12-2011,it was a dream come true situation for us , when we saw our first post in our blog.Sincere thanks to all our viewers , followers and well wishers for supporting us in this splendid journey .Many advised that why you are entering into an niche market ,what's there so much about a district .But we never thought that we were entering into an niche market and the response was outlandish .We just tried to share things which are peculiar to KANNUR , which people know or may not .

K4KANNUR is having viewers from all over the world , and day by day the number of visitors is increasing , we have crossed "40000" Pageviews .Now we have become more responsible , we are on the way to our next move to make a platform for helping the needy and giving something back to our nature .

Let us join together for a good cause, we expect the same help and support in future ...........!

Thanks & Regards

Creative Team
K4KANNUR.BLOGSPOT.COM
k4kannur.blogspot.com

Padoli Bell Metal,Payyanur

Kerala arts and crafts are famous all over the world.When we visit to any of the temples in Kerala, what might strike us the most is the elegancy of artistic design work of the Temple idols, beautifully crafted lamps, huge bells, multi storied lamps etc on the temple compound. These crafts is an ancient art and tradition of Kerala, Popular craftsmen from Padoli who are well known for their traditional craft making skills make idols of deities in Bell Metal, Gold and Silver. 

Some of their popular works are Dashavatharam Lamp, Ramayanam Lamp, Lakshmi Lamp, Saraswati Lamp, Krishna Lamp, Multi-layered Lamp (Deepasthampam), Hanging Lamp (Thookkuvelakku) and other decorative designs in Bell Metal.

Padoli Govindan , a veteran craftsman

People at work

They used to refer Vedas and Upanishads and use our artistic creativity while making handcrafted Idols. The creative ideas emerged in the minds of craftsmen are then depicted on wax using hands. Using natural tools they make designs of the final product on the wax.

The wax model is then covered in four layers of clay and allowed to dry. This four layered mould is heated in a furnace to remove the wax, leaving cavity of the wax model. Melted Panchaloha metal is poured into the mould and it takes the shapes of the wax model. After cooling minimum of 6 hours, the outer mould is broken and then Panchaloha Idol is ready for final finishing work and polishing.

How to Reach:

Nearest Bus Stand : Payyanur

Nearest Railway Station:Payyanur

Nearest Airport:Mangalore,Kozhikode

Courtesy:Internet , Word of mouth 

Ramayanam Online

Ramayanam Online 

http://www.mathrubhumi.com/books/special/ramayanam/ebook/

Courtesy : MATHRUBHUMI

Thalassery Pier

 Thalassery Pier

It is an old pier extending out into the Arabian Sea. It is frequented by people taking evening walks. This "Kadalpalam" was used as a commercial access through the sea, to and from the Thalassery Bazaar, during the European rule. It is an old story now. At present it is in a deteriorating state. Now it can be preserved as a Tourist Centre.

It was in 1910 that the East India Company constructed the pier which extends to the Arabian Sea for transporting commodities to and from ships. The large rocks on the shore and shallow waters often led to shipwrecks and hence the pier was constructed, with huge cranes placed at its end and rail tracks on either side for easy transport of goods from the go downs situated at the shore.

A busy commercial centre then, Thalassery witnessed brisk development with its export of spices, coffee, fish, wood, and pepper, attracting people from all over.

The town became an administrative centre of operations and the judicial headquarters while the port stood a mute observer to the glory of the town and its development. It was the advent of the Mangalore port which reduced its significance principally, while many more aspects contributed to its slow degeneration. The ships disappeared, and gradually the cranes and the trolley tracks. Now it’s an evening spot for tourists.

courtesy:internet , word of mouth 

Malayala Kala Gramam - New Mahe

Malayala Kala Gramam - New Mahe 

Malayala Kalagramam (MAKAM) is a centre for art and ideas which aims at providing children and youngsters a Kalari (stage) to practise and perform all forms of fine arts. The centre offers part time as well as full time courses in painting, sculpture, music and dance and art pottery.

Yoga and Sanskrit are also taught here. The fraternity centre of the Kalagramam conducts seminars, symposia, extension lectures, in-service programmes and special projects in different fields of art and humanities.

The studies help to familiarise the trainees with classical and contemporary trends and techniques in the respective fields of art, to teach them art application and history of art and to enable them to utilise art better in their daily life.Spending a day here with the tutors, students and the exotic library is an enlightening experience for any art lover. 

How to Reach

Nearest Railway Station: Mahe , Thalassery

Nearest Bus stand : Thalassery 

Nearest Airport : Kozhikode , Mangalore 

Courtesy : Internet 

Mangrove Trail of Payyannur, Kannur

Mangrove Trail of Payyannur, Kannur

The Mangrove Trail of Malabar is situated near Ezhimala in Kannur district offering close-up view of aquatic, plant, animal and bird life in the sanctuary. The main attraction of the Mangrove trail is the Mangroves ecosystem with the breathtaking landscape dominated by tidal creeks & waterways. This inter tidal ecosystem in Kannur, loosely described as the Mangrove Trail is an aquatic, Bird & Mangroves Sanctuary inhabited by a variety of fish, shrimps, crabs and some of the most sought after birds in the world. This is the first Mangrove Trail in India and the first aquatic, bird & Mangroves sanctuary located in the Kannur district of Kerala.

The popular sites in this trail (sanctuary) are Myna, Sparrows, Weaver Birds,, Horn bills, Quails, Kingfisher, water birds and Wildfowl’s. Rains bring in more adventure and Migratory birds like the Siberian cranes are sighted in this sanctuary during the rainy season in Kerala at this aquatic, bird & Mangroves sanctuary of Kannur . If luck favours one may also come across Sea Turtles & Otters. The Mangrove Trail of Malabar is also home to Mountain Squirrels, Porcupines, Mongoose, Jackals and a variety of reptiles. With a unique ecosystem of two high tides and two low tides each day, this terrain is tough to negotiate. The muddy swamps of the Mangrove trail add adventure to the journey and boating in the creeks is an unforgettable experience for the discerning traveller visiting Kannur, Kerala.

The tour inside this trail (including aquatic, bird & Mangroves sanctuary) takes about an hour and a half. This venture promotes Eco tourism in Kannur, Kerala. The local people have been employed in the Mangrove Trail (aquatic, bird & Mangroves sanctuary) and have been roped in as guides and oarsmen who also oversee the conservation of the sanctuary. This sanctuary in Payyanur, Kannur is a visiting place for the day trippers. There is a resting zone with visitors lounge in the sanctuary. There is no accommodation facility in the Mangrove Trail (aquatic, bird & Mangroves sanctuary) and visits to the Trail can be arranged by advance reservation through telephone or email. Accommodation can be arranged on request in nearby hotels, resorts, lodges & home stays in Bakel, Payyanur and Kannur as per the requirement of the visitors to this sanctuary. Special interest tours are arranged for birding in these Mangroves, aquatic & bird sanctuary.

Nearest Railway Station

Ezhimala / Payyanur (Distance 5 Km)

Nearest Bus Stop

Payyanur (Distance 5 Km)

Nearest Airport

Mangalore / Kozhikode

Courtesy : internet