Kannur is singularly famous for the “Theyyam” performance-the magico-religious dance.
A village with the name exists even today in one of the wards of Kannur Municipality.
Kannur could be the combination of two words- “Kannan” and “Ur”. These two words combined would mean the land or place of Kannan lending Kannur with some association with divinity.
Close Association between Kannur with Gods has given rise to its characteristic lores.
Contemporary Kannur is the most urbanized district in Kerala, with more than 50% of its residents living in urban areas.
During the British Rule, Kannur was part of the then Madras province in the District of North Malabar.
Despite its close and intense associations with the Hindu religion, Kannur also has the distinction of being the capital city of only Muslim Sultanate of Kerala known as Arakkal dynasty.
Kannur continues to be of strategic military importance for India.
Geography: Kannur district lies between latitudes 11o 40′ to 12o 48′ North and longitudes 74o 52′ to 76o 07′ East.
Six rivers drain Kannur, the longest being the Valapattanam river with a length of 110 km.
The area today known as Kannur was previously part of the Chera kingdom, which ruled most of Kerala during the first several centuries CE. The Chera king was Kulashekhara Varman.
Cheras ruled Kerala between 9th and 12th century with their capital at Mahodayapuram and Kannur was part of this empire.
According to local legends, the ships of Solomon had anchored along the coasts of Kannur to collect timber for building the Temple of the Lord.
The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama when he passed by Kannur in 1498 also used the opportunities and got into an alliance with the Kolathiri kings.
Though Vasco Da Gama, the famous Portuguese navigator, did not visit Kannur on his way to Kozhikode in May 1498, he established contacts with the Kolathiri ruler.
On March 16, 1506, the Portuguese effectively intercepted an armada of Turks and Arabs, whom the Zamorin had launched against Kannur.
The Portuguese continued to maintain a precarious foothold at Kannur till 1663 when the fort was captured by another European colonial power-the Dutch in February that year.
In the latter half of the 18th century, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, rulers of Mysore, conquered much of Kannur which was then British territory.
Northern Malabar region traditionally called the Kolattunadu comprises the Kannur and the Kasaragode district and is the epicenter of Theyyam.
Prominent places in Kannur: Muzhappilangad Beach: it is located 15.Kms from Kannur and 8 Kms from Thalassery.
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