Varkala Beach

Varkala is also famous for 2,000 years Janardana Swami temple is an important sanctuary Vaishnavaite in India and is often referred to as Dakshin Kashi (Benares of the South). The temple is located close to the Papanasam beach, which is considered to have holy waters which wash their sins, and is also an important center for Ayurveda treatment. The temple has an ancient bell removed from a shipwreck, donated by the captain of the Dutch ship which sank near Varkala without causing any casualties.

 Varkala is a tourist destination. The town has excellent telecommunication facilities, an average nominal power system, fire station, several post offices and police station. The city can boast of modern medicine run by the government, ayurveda, hospitals and nature cure, and more than 10 private hospitals, clinics and some dental clinics.

Location: Situated at a distance of 50 Km from Trivandrum. Only 32 Km from Kollam. 

Kollam Beach

 Kollam district, earlier known as Quilon district, is one of the fourteen districts in Kerala, India. The district is representative of all the natural properties in Kerala and has a long coastal region, a major port on the Arabian Sea Astamudi inland lake and was called Tarsish. Kollam is the capital of trade and cashew processing industry in Kerala. Kollam is also known as God's own funds.

           Kollam district has five administrative divisions (taluk): Punalur, Kunnathur, Kottarakkara, Karunagappally and Kollam. District Collector, a key leader of the government, heads of district administration and exercises great power and responsibility. He or she plays a dual role. A security agent for the government and others as chief administrator of the district, under the state government. 

Among other tasks, policing a priority for the District Collector. District Collector is also the head of the Department of land revenue for the district. The District Collector of Kollam now is Devendra Kumar Dhodawat. IAS. The district has a single revenue division with headquarters at Quilon. For administrative reasons, Kollam district is divided into 5 thaluks, 13 blocks, 69 Panchayats, 1 Company 2 communes and 104 villages.

Location: Only 2.5 Km from Kollam. 

Malik Dinar Mosque

Malik Dinar Mosque is a historical mosque in Kasargod district of Kerala state, south India. Over the years, Kasargod acquired the considerable importance as a centre of Islam on the west coast. It is the site of one of the mosques believed to have been founded by Malik Ibn Dinar. The mosque, Juma Masjid, which is one of the best kept and most attractive in the district, is located at Thalangara. It contains the grave of Malik Ibn Mohammed, one of the descendants of Malik Ibn Dinar and the place is sacred to Muslims. Another notable mosque, in Kasaragod is the Theruvath Mosque which is in the centre of the town.

 

Malik Dinar Mosque is a historical mosque in Kasargode district. The mosque, Juma Masjid, which is one of the best kept and most attractive in the district, is located at Thalangara. It contains the grave of Malik Ibn Mohammed, one of the descendants of Malik Ibn Dinar and the place is sacred to Muslims.

An historical Mosque standing tall in the Kasargode district of Kerala, was founded by Malik Ibn Dinar. The mosque has the grave of Malik Ibn Mohammed, one of the descendants of Malik Ibn Dinar, the place hold a sacred importance to the Muslims.

The Juma Masjid is one of the best kept and attractive mosque in the district and is located in Thalangara. In order to commemorate the arrival of Malik Ibn Dinar a local festival is celebrated every year. Several pilgrims all over India reach here to take part in this festival.ntroduction to the Malik Dinar Mosque Uroos:

Malik Dinar Mosque Uroos is located at Kasargode. In the state of Kerala there is a district named Kasargode. It has earned the reputation of being the only Islamic Centre head in the western part of the Indian subcontinent. The founder of this Mosque was Ibn Dinar. Another Mosque known as Juma Masjid is located in this region.

Malik Dinar Mosque is one of the most brilliantly designed mosques of India. Inside the mosque there is a grave of Malik Ibn Dinar. Every year a religious festival called Urs is held inside the mosque accompanied with speeches that are cited from the scriptures. People from all over the world visit Kasargode to attend this festival.

Description of the Malik Ibn Dinar Mosque in Uroos:

The splendidly designed and well-maintained, the Malik Dinar Mosque in Uroos draws the curiosity of tourists from far and wide. The festival at Malik Dinar Mosque Uroos attracts tourists from all over the country. Malik Bin Dinar is famous because he brought Islam to India for the first time.

The renowned Malik Dinar Mosque Uroos is located at Thalangara. The descendents of Malik Dinar are also buried inside the Malik Dinar Mosque Uroos. A local celebration takes place at the time of Birth of the great hero, Malik Dinar. Once in every three years a festival is held here. The festival is very famous and is accompanied by religious speeches.

The speech is always related with the theme of the festival and the celebration that is going to be held inside the Mosque. The other feature of the Uroos Festival is feeding of the poor and the needy and also offering help to them for their sustenance.

This includes clothes and food being distributed amongst them. People find solace and peace inside the mosque. So, even if there is no festival people still throng inside the Mosque premise to pay homage to their revered lord.

Time for the celebration of the Malik Dinar Mosque Uroos:

The festival at Malik Dinar Mosque Uroos is held every three years amidst great pomp and gaiety. People gather at the premises of the Malik Dinar Mosque and offer their prayers to Malik Ibn Dinar, whose soul is said to return during that time.

IndianHoliday offers you online booking and information about the Malik Dinar Mosque Uroos. For tour packages to Kerala or customMosque Uroos.

Kasaragod has many places which has immense potential as tourist destinations. The Bekal fort, which is of great historical and archaeological interest, is the largest and best preserved of its kind in the district and in the Kerala state.The district has many other famous tourist centres apart from the internationaly famous Bekal fort & beach.There are also places which can be converted to attract the tourists.The main tourist places in Kasargod are given below.2.Kottencheri Hills

Kottencheri hills is near Konnakkady in Hosdurg taluk. These mountains are full of dense forests, meadows and medicinal plants.This rain forest is near Konnakkad 30 KM north- east of Kanhangad. Beautiful picnic centre and ideal for trekking. Thalakkaveri in the Brahmagiri mountain of Coorg is near this hills.Kottancheri Hills is a part of the Western Ghats in Kasaragod District.

Bekal Fort

'Bekal Fort' is the largest fort in Kasargod, Kerala, India, spreading over 40 acres (160,000 m2). Important features of this fort are the water-tank with its flight of steps, the tunnel opening towards the south, the magazine for keeping ammunition and the broad and wide steps leading to the Observation Tower which is a rarity. From there one has ample view of towns in the vicinity like Kanhangad, Pallikare, Bekal, Kottikkulam, Uduma etc. The nearest railway stations are Pallikare, Kotikulam, Kanhangad,and Kasargod.This observation center had strategic significance in discovering even the smallest movements of the enemy and ascertaining safety of the Fort.

The Fort appears to have been built up from the sea since almost three fourth of its exteriors is drenched and the waves continually stroke the citadel. The Mukhyaprana Temple of Hanuman and the ancient Muslim Mosque nearby bear testimony to the age-old religious harmony that prevailed in the area. The zigzag entrance and the trenches around the fort show the defense strategy inherent in the fort.

Unlike most other Indian Forts, Bekal fort was not a center of administration for no remains of any palace, mansion or such buildings are found within the fort. Arguably the fort was built exclusively for fulfilling defense requirements. The holes on the outer walls of the fort are specially designed to defend the fort effectively. The holes at top were meant for aiming at the farthest points; the holes below for striking when the enemy was nearer and the holes underneath facilitated attacking when the enemy was very near to the fort. This is a remarkable evidence of technology in defense strategy.

Tourism promotion activities have been taking place of late in the areas surrounding the fort, under the Bekal Resorts Development Corporation (BRDC), which is an initiative by the Government of Kerala. The song 'Uyire' (Tamil) 'Bombay' directed by Mani Ratnam has been shot at Bekal Fort. Many such films, music albums, commercial advertisements etc., are being shot at Bekal Fort.

Location: Only 8 km from Kanhangad town. And 18 km from Kasargod. Only 60 km from Mangalore International Airport.

Arakkal Palace

The Arrakkal Museum is a museum dedicated to the Arakkal family, the only Muslim royal family in Kerala, south India. The museum is actually a section of the Arakkalkettu (Arakkal Palace). The durbar hall section of the palace has been converted into a museum by the Government of Kerala.

Arakkal family is the royal family which ruled Kannur for several centuaries. They had family relationship with Kolathiris, the rulers of the neighbouring Chirakkal kingdom. Arakkal family had trade relationship with Arabs and later with Europeans. The islands of Lakshadweep and Maldives were ruled by Arakkal family. The king of Arakkal kingdom was known as Arakkal Raja and the Queen was known as Arakkal Beevi.

Although renovated by the government, the Arakkalkettu is still owned by the Arakkal Family Trust and does not fall under the control of the country's archaeology department, the Archaeological Survey of India. The government had taken a keen interest in preserving the heritage of the Arakkal Family, which had played a prominent role in the history of Malabar. A nominal entry fee is charged by the Arakkal Family Trust from visitors to the museum.

Location: only 3 km from kannur. And 120 km from Kozhikode.

Valapattanam

Valapattanam is a small town in the Kannur district, located in the Indian state of Kerala. It is also the smallest panchayath in kerala.Its area is 2.04 sqr Km. Valapattanam is an important Muslim settlement area in Kannur.  Valapattanam is known for its communal harmony. On one hand one can see the "Kalarivathukkal temple" and on the other hand you have the "Kakkulangara Mosque" lying in close proximity. The long vision of the social leaders and people on the whole has made Valapattanam a land of communal harmony.

This town is also known as Balyapattanam. This town is in the on the banks of Valapattanam river. This town is well known for its wood-based industries and timber trade. Centuries back Valapattanam River (puzha) was the main ship route for trading and Valapattanam was the main town, because of this the town got this name. "Valya pattanam" means "big town" in Malayalam language though it is the smallest panchayath in Kerala. The port of Azhikkal is located nearby. In the bank of Valapattanam River you see Western India Plywoods Ltd., the largest wood-based industry in the country and which was the biggest plywood factory in Asia till few years back.
The famous Muthappan temple is in the bank of Valapattanam River.

This town is named after its historical founder Vallabha II of the Mooshika dynasty (Kolathiri family) and was originally known as Vallabha-Pattanam and served as the capital of the Mooshika dynasty during the medieval ages. The fourteenth-century narrative of Ibn Battuta refers to the ruler of Ezhimala as residing at Baliapatanam and offers a clue that by this time, the centre of the political authority had shifted from Ezhimala to Baliapatanam. In the sixteenth century AD, a Portuguese official Duarte Barbosa also mentions Baliapatanam (Baliapatam in European records) as the residence of the ‘king of Cannanore’.

Valapattanam is a strong bastion of the UDF and its ally IUML. It is part the Azhkkodu Legislative assembly constituency where KM Shaji of UDF is likely to win th 2011 assembly elections with a thumping majority.

Location: It is about 7 km north of Kannur.

Parassinikkadavu Snake Park

Parassinkkadavu Snake Park is a famous landmark in Parassinikkadavu, which is 2 km away from National Highway (NH) 17, en route from Kannur to Taliparamba,

The Park houses a large variety of snakes and other small animals, including the Spectacled Cobra, King Cobra, Russell's viper, Krait and various pit vipers. There is also a large collection of non-poisonous snakes including pythons. The park is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of snakes, many species of which are gradually becoming extinct.In a live show, trained personnel play and 'interact' with a variety of snakes, including cobras and vipers, and try to quell mythical fears and superstitions about snakes. It has also been proposed that a laboratory to extract venom from snakes for purposes of research be set up here.

The Snake Park, set up by the Visha Chikista Kendra, is regularly visited by both foreign and domestic tourists. The Kendra also offers effective treatment for snake bites.

Location: Around 16 km away from Kannur town.