<< Kerala Traditions and Rituals

Tucked far away from the maddening crowd, lies Kannur, the most enchanting district of Northern Kerala. The scene is breathtaking. The Lakshadweep Sea washes the sands of sugary beaches laced with rows of green coconut palms. Long rivers break into silvery spray and merge into the blue green waters of the sea. Obviously Kerala is the most beautiful of all Indian states and Kannur definitely shows Kerala at its best.

Kannur is a land with a resonant past. Myths and legends abound. The ships of Solomon, they say: anchored along our coasts to collect timber for building the Temple of the Lord. Kannur finds mention as "Naura" in the Periplus of the Erithrean Sea a Greek work of great antiquity.

Folk dances of great originality and colour have evolved among the large population of the oppressed classes and the tribals of this district. These were possibly manifestations of the tribal need to communicate to the ruling classes their frustrations and social anger. Some folk dances evolved as a result of their ceremonies to propitiate their gods, singing and dancing with gay abandon in the process.

Each tribe had its own collection of folk plays and dances which are performed during festivals. Among the Adiyans there is a folk play in which an old man plays on a thundi (drum) and the men sing and dance to the beating of the drum. Though the women do not participate in the dance, they join in the community singing.The Malayans have the Thiyyattom ceremony which consists of dancing with huge and colourful masks and the Ucchavali ceremony which is symbolic of human sacrifice.

Thalassery is the seat of the martial art Kalari Payattu, the forerunner of Karate & Kung-Fu. Around 40 Kalary arenas of the martial art are spread around the district. Kalari Chikitsa, a special type of physiotherapy treatment for diseases as well as toning up the body is also a specialty here.

For more on the art & culture of Kannur, click kannur culture

For more on the land of folklore, click kannur tourism

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