Kasaragod

Kasaragod

Of the fourteen districts of Kerala, Kasaragod is the northern-most. In other words when counted from the capital of Kerala that is Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) Kasaragode comes the last. Kasargode has an area of 1992 sq. kilometers and a population of about half a million. This district is divided in to two taluks- Kasaragod and Hosdurg. Kasaragod is further sub-divided in to 75 revenue villages, it has two municipalities-Kasaragod and Kanhangad. There are twelve rivers flowing through this district. Although small they are, the fertility and beauty they add to this region are immense. The land of Yakshagana, Theyyam and Bombeyattom definitely deserves one more blessing from god and it is that vacuum which is duly filled by a dozen rivers. .

Being placed nearer to the state of karnataka Kasaragod has a mixture of Malayali (people talking Malayalam) and kannadiga (people of Karntaka) population, This condition is quite fertile for the local politicians to play sectarian games by dividing people in to malayali and Kannadiga groups, especially at the time of elections. Un fortunately it so happens that a good number of people fall prey in to their games with ulterior motives. The distance from capital Trivandrum is also one of the reasons of being alienated from the state of Kerala. However in this time of technological revolutions, and distance losing its relevance, harpings on the note of distance also has to lose its relevance along with.

Kasaragod has a very old history of trade and relationships with distant places such as Arabia. There are evidences that between 9th and 14th century A. D. Arab sailors visited Kasargod and trade between these places flourished. Modern history starts with the rule of the Kolathiri dynasty with Nileshwar as its headquarters. Later the Vijayanagara Empire took over the place and headquarters was duly shifted to Bednoor. The dynasty thus came to be known as Bednoor naickans. It was in 1763 destiny in the shape of Hyderali arrived to this place. Hyderali came with an aim of conquering the whole of Kerala but on the way a defeat he faced while trying to capture the Thalassery fort made him realize the futility of his idea and he duly returned to Mysore. Like father like son. Tippu Sultan the son of Hyderali then came with ambitions fully loaded. But Tippu was more successful than his father. He ruled this land untill 1792 when in a treaty at Sriranga pattanam, Tippu had to surrender his dream baby that is Kerala to the British.

For a tourist there are much to see and enjoy in this land of rich culture. The Theyyam a ritual performed mainly in the temples, is centuries old. Theyyam a word transformed from the Malayalam word “daivam” for god is a dance in which artists clad in colorful dresses stand on frames of planks tied together and invoke holy-spirits in themselves and dance in a trance. Devotees see their favorite diety in the dancers and pray for blessings. This ritual is often performed during nights and done during festivals of certain temples. Bombeyattom (bombe meaning puppet and attom means dance) is a ritual rarely seen outside this area in this particular style. The puppets are made of wood and dressed in colorful attires which match the role assigned to them. Usually the characters are of local folk-lore and those from old Hindu mythologies. The puppets are controlled by artists who stand behind the curtain. intermittent briefing of the story and songs also accompany the play- local instruments are also lavishly played to add flavor to the performance. The artists and the spectators are the same and repetitions only add delight to the mutual relationships. The pulikali (tiger-play) performed in this locality is not as commercialized as the same in southern parts of Kerala. But the rustic beauty it offers is far more attractive and natural. A visit to kasaragod is never complete without seeing the Bekal fort which is undoubtedly the best preserved archaeological structure in Kerala and a must see location in the whole area.

The people of Kasaragod are a blend of both kerala and Kannada in ethnicity, language and culture. But it is a blessing that they have got the best of both worlds. Thrice blessed the people of this area are! And let them be so for ever....

Author: Sasi Kumar

Source: Naturemagics.com - website on Kerala Tourism

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