Its been over 4 decades that I keep travelling to my hometown in the heart of Malabar in North Kerala. It was notorious for producing Chief Ministers who abandon it once they reach the capital Trivandrum.
My mother Girija hails from the prominent Nair Tharavad of Kambiam Vallapil tucked away in Cherukunnu village close to the Someshwari temple and not too faraway from Annapoorneshwari temple. Since we are a martriarchal society our childhood memories of our clan revolve around this huge Tharavad in Cherukunnu. My father Narayanan Nambiar hails from another such family Kuttiat Othayath of lesser grandeur of Mundyad village near Chova enrouite the upcoming Kannur airport. Thankfully education, marxism, land ceiling laws in Kerala and India's rapid progress put an end to those feudal times and during the lifetimes of our grandparents itself we lost all our land and wealth and were plunged into relative poverty. Nairs, Nambiars, Menons who are common surnames in our clan are hardly the dominant players in politics, business and bureaucracy of Kerala or the Kannur region.Now the positive side of its hidden treasures…………………
My mother Girija hails from the prominent Nair Tharavad of Kambiam Vallapil tucked away in Cherukunnu village close to the Someshwari temple and not too faraway from Annapoorneshwari temple. Since we are a martriarchal society our childhood memories of our clan revolve around this huge Tharavad in Cherukunnu. My father Narayanan Nambiar hails from another such family Kuttiat Othayath of lesser grandeur of Mundyad village near Chova enrouite the upcoming Kannur airport. Thankfully education, marxism, land ceiling laws in Kerala and India's rapid progress put an end to those feudal times and during the lifetimes of our grandparents itself we lost all our land and wealth and were plunged into relative poverty. Nairs, Nambiars, Menons who are common surnames in our clan are hardly the dominant players in politics, business and bureaucracy of Kerala or the Kannur region.Now the positive side of its hidden treasures…………………
Tucked far away from the madding crowd, lies Kannur, the most enchanting district of North Kerala.The scene is breath taking. The Lakshadweep Sea washes the sands of sugary beaches laced with rows of geen coconut palms. Some of the beaches of this Moppilla bay are even drivable. Long rivers break into silvery spray and merge into the blue green waters of the Sea. Kannur is a land with a resonant past. Myths and legends abound..
Kannur district derived its name from the location of its headquarters at Kannur town.The old name 'Cannanore' is the anglicised form of the Malayalam word Kannur. According to one opinion, 'Kannur' is a derivation from Kanathur, an ancient village, the name of which survives even today in one of the wards of Kannur Municipality. Another version is that Kannur might have assumed its name from one of the , deities of the Hindu pantheon, a compound of two words, Kannan (Lord Krishna) and Ur (place)making it the place of Lord Krishna. In this context, it is worth mentioning that the deity of the Katalayi Sreekrishna temple was originally installed in a shrine at Katalayi Kotta in the south eastern part of the present Kannur town.
The ships of Solomon, they say: anchored along our coasts to collect timber for building the 'Temple of the Lord '. Kannur finds a mention as NAURA in the 'Periplus of the Erithrean Sea' a Greek work of great antiquity. For Long, local Rajas held sway over the land.The Kolathiris were based at Chirakkal.The Pazassi Raja ruled from Kottayam in Tellucherry taluk. The Beebi (Queen) of Arakkal, Kerala"s only Muslim royal family controlled parts of the coast and even the Laccadive Islands'The quest for spices lured several European powers to this land.The advent of the Portuguese ( 1498) marked the beginning. They were followed by the Dutch and the English. Fortifications at Tellicheriy and the Fort St. Angelo attest to their arrival while Mahe closeby was controlled by the French and the policemen today continue to wear the typical hat of the gendarme!!
The Malabar region in Kerala was once a British principality of India with more allegiance to Madras and Mysore than to Travancore and the region was divided to form the northern part of what is today called Kerala.
Though Malabar has no geographical boundaries, no presence on a map of India, it is a word known the world over as a state of mind: laid-back, slow, to live and let live.
Start you journey from the North of Kerala ideally from Neeleshwar Hermitage.
Set in twelve acres this fine beach hotel sits on the unspoilt beach offering 12 cottages beautifully decorated with hand made furniture and other artifacts. Apart from the beach which is safe for swimming the resort has a beautiful swimming pool overlooking the sea.
This is a part of Kerala where the everyday, the exotic and the esoteric merge quite seamlessly and gives one a feeling of timelessness.
During your visit in winter one must try and watch a Theyyam ceremony .Theyyam is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship in and around Kannur As a living cult with several thousand-year-old traditions, rituals and customs, it embraces almost all the castes and classes of the Hindu religion in this region. The Theyam ceremony of our family is very interesting and the central character is the wise old bard Thondachan. The performers of Theyyam belong to the indigenous tribal community and is unique, since only in Kerala, do both upper and lower castes share an important position in a major form of worship.
Ayesha Manzil is a beautiful, old colonial style mansion overlooking the Arabian sea . Its present owner the charismatic Mr Moosa and his charming wife Ayesha are the soul of Malabar.They produce the finest of cuisine in the local Malabar flavour like no other. The bungalow was built in 1862 by Murdoch Brown , an Englishman who set up a 300 acre Cinnamon plantation, 10 kms away from this house, which still exists and is the only one of it's kind in the country.
Driving eastward into hill country one comes to Wayanad where Tranquil Resort is a Plantation Hideaway set within a 400 acre Coffee Plantation Estate located 6 km from Sultan Battery, Wayanad which affords the adventurous soul with breathtaking views, scenic treks and un-spoilt surroundings. Guests are welcome to view the inner workings of the functional coffee estate, right from the planting and harvesting until the final drying of the cherries and also the cultivation and curing of the world famous vanilla bean.
Tree- houses in the foothills and verdant forests till the high ranges , quiet getaways and serene backwaters , martial arts , ancient rituals and even ayurvedic massages .. come and explore the Keralas best know secret Malabar……….
