Destination Kerala - Kasargod
Kasargod, the northern most district of Kerala, is situated on the sea coast 420 Km. away from Cochin and 50 Km. away from Mangalore. There is a railway station here and the nearest airport is at Mangalore. Kasargod is connected by good motorable roads with various centres in Kerala and neighbouring Karnataka.
Places of Interest
Chandragiri : Chandragiri lies south east of Kasargod town. It has a large square fort by the side of a river. The fort was built in the 17th century by Sivappa Nayaka of Bedanore who established his authority over the area and built a chain of forts.
A mosque is situated nearby and there is an ancient temple here which is known as Kizhur SasthaTemple. The important festival which is celebrated in this temple is Pattu Ulsavam. The temple is also connected with the Thrikkannad Temple at Bekal. For the annual Jatra, the deity of Kizhur is taken to Thrikkannad and after the Ulsavam it is returned to its abode.
Ranipuram : This beautiful hillstation is located 45 kms away from Bekal, on the way to Mercara and Thalacauvery. The DTPC Kasargod offers moderate type lodging facilites.For reservation Ph: 0499 - 426938 .There are two direct buses from Kanjanghad to Ranipuram at 5.30 am and 12 noon.There are frequent buses to Panathur and from there jeeps are available to Ranipuram.
Govinda Pai Memorial : The Memorial of Late Sri. Govinda Pai, the Grant Patriarch of Kannada literature is situated at Manjeswaram. At Manjeswaram there are 15 mosques, one of which is attributed to Malik Ibn Dinar.
Madiyankoolam temple : This temple dedicated to Godess Bhadrakali is situated near Kanjangad in Hosdurg. The festivals in this temple fall during the month of May/June and December/January. The most ceremoniously performed Bhutha Dance is held here in connection with the festival.
The temple at Aadhoor - Sree Mahalingeswara temple - is situated in a picturesque surroundings on the southern banks of the River Payaswini. It contains a sanskrit inscription in Kannada script which has been ascribed to the Western Chalukya King Kirthivarma II (745 - 55 A.D) by scholars.
Other Places of Interest are Ananthasramam and Nithyanandasramam at Kanjanghad and Yoga Kendra and Naturopathy Center at Palayi, near Neeleeswaram.
Bekal
Beach : This is one of the most beautiful beaches in Kerala with a long stretch of sand and sun. It is ideal for sun bath.
Fort : This fort is situated 16 Km. south of Kasargod on the national high way. The Bekal Fort is of great historical and Archeological interest. This is the largest and best preserved fort of Kerala. It was in ancient days under the Kadampa dynasty and later under the Kolathiri Rajas. Subsequently it became a part of the Vijayanagar empire.
Tippu Sultan captured this fort in the late 18th century. After the overthrow of Tippu Sultan, Bekal was incorporated into the domain of the English East India Company. The fort is now managed by the Archeological department of Government of India. An old mosque is situated very near to the fort and it is believed to have been built by Tippu Sultan.
There are frequent buses from Kanhangad to Bekal which takes 30 minutes.
Information Office
Bekal Resorts Development Corporation, Project Office, Bekal. Ph : 0499-426938
Thanal Information Center ( Ph: 0499- 772900 ) at Bekal provides boating at Bekal. Fare for motor boat Rs.60 per hour and Rs.40 for pedal boats. There is also a facilitation center and a childrens park here.
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