Best Tourist Places in Bekal, Kasargod, Kerala, India

Best Tourist Places in Bekal, Kasargod, Kerala, India

Bekal is well known for fort located in the Kasargod district of the Indian state of Kerala happens to be the largest Fort in the state. The fort spans over an area of 40 acres. The geographical coordinates puts this place at 12⁰23’32” N and 75⁰1’57” E. In summer season temperature ranges from 22⁰C to 35⁰C and in winter season temperature ranges from 20⁰C to 25⁰C at Bekal.

History of Bekal

The Bekal Fort was built in 1649 A.D by Sivappa Nayaka of Bednore. Bekal Fort belonged to the Kingdom of Mahodayapuran. In the Perumal Age, the king of Mahodayapuram, Bhasakara Ravi II mentions about Bekal Fort being under his control. During the 12^thcentury A.D, after the collapse of Mahodayapuram, entire northern Kerala came under the possession of Chirakkal Royal Family. Under the reign of the Chirakkal, Bekal became an important harbor town of the Malabar and Tulunadu region.

From the year 1649 to 1670, the Malabar region witnessed the upcoming of many forts created by Shivappa Nayaka of Badnore and ruled by the Chirakkal Kings. After the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, in the year 1566, the Keladi Nayakas rose to power. The Nayakas were aware of the potential of Tulunadu and Malabar region and conquered the entire region. The Bekal fort formed the symbol of power of the Nayaks in the Malabar region. The Nayakas fortified the fort. Hiriya Venkatappa Nayaka began the creation of the fort which finished during Shivappa Nayaka reign. Another fort by the name Chandragiri fort was built in the same period in the district of Kasargod.

After conquering Manjeswar and Taliparamba, Somashekhara Nayaka had a fort constructed at Kanhangad. Battles were fought between the Chirakkal and Nayakas in order to establish supremacy in the region. Hyder Ali, ruler of Mysore, sided with the Chirakkal and defeated the Nayakas and the fort came under his possession.

During the reign of Tipu Sultan, Bekal fort served an important strategic location for conquering most of the places in the Malabar region. In 1799, the British captured Mysore and the fort came under the British reign.

Bekal fort formed the center of operation of South Canara District. With time, the strategic importance of Bekal fort along with its harbor faded.

After Indian Independence, Kasargod district came under the administration of the Kerala state.

Compared to most of the forts built by the Nayakas, Bekal Fort happens to be the only fort that stood against the test of time. The fort is regarded to have one of the best architectural designs implementing defense strategies.

People & Culture in Bekal

Thrissur offers a rich and diverse culture, with people from all caste, religion and sect residing throughout the city. Apart from the huge number of Hindu follower there are people who are followers of various other religions such as Christianity, Jews, and Muslim. Malayalam, Hindi and English are the languages spoken by the people in Thrissur district, with Malayalam being the local language.

The place around Bekal has many folk arts such as Theyyam, Kolkali, Oppana, Yakshaganam and many more. Yakshaganam is one of the most colorful folk art in this region. Buffalo race and Cockfights are also famous in the region.

Many festivals well known throughout the country like Diwali, Ugadi, Ganesh Chathurthi etc., are celebrated in and around Bekal. Apart from these festivals there are some other festivities celebrated for a period of 5 or 7 days. Some of them are mentioned below

Madhur Srimad Anantheswara Vinayaka Temple annual festival
Mujamkavu Parthasarathi Kshetram Annual festival
Kumbala Sree Gopalakrishna Temple

Bekal Fort owing to its scenic beauty has caught the eyes of Malayalam film industry. Many films for movies and other commercials have been shot in and around the fort.

Food and Shopping in Bekal

The place, Bekal offers a wide range of cuisine vegetarian and non- vegetarian. The food is rather spicy and finger licking. Most of the food is cooked using coconut oil.

There are plenty of shopping centers where one can buy products at reasonable rates. One can come across plenty of shops selling beautifully crafted sarees and gold jewellery in Bekal.

Tourist Places in Bekal

Bekal located on the coastal areas of Kerala state has plenty of beaches and forts of interest. Some of these are mentioned below:

Bekal Fort
Nileswaram
Chandragiri Fort
Houseboat Cruise
Bekal Fort Beach
Kappil Beach
Bekal Hole Aqua Park
Malik Dinar Mosque
Pallikere Beach
Mallikarjuna Temple
Valiyaparamba Backwaters
Malik Deena Mosque
Ananthapura Temple
Hosdurg Beach
Nityanandashram Caves
Tulur Vanam

Means of Commutation to Bekal

Bekal is well connected to other places in the Indian country via roadway, railway and airways.

The distance, via road, of various cities in the state of Kerala and from neighboring states are mentioned below

Kozhikode is located at a distance of 175 km
Mangalore is located at a distance of 69 km
Coimbatore is located at a distance of 360 km
Bangalore is located at a distance of 385 km
Chennai is located at a distance of 707 km
Pune is located at a distance of 815 km

The railway station near to Bekal along with their distance is given below

Railway station at Kanhangad is at a distance of 8 km
Railway station at Kasargod is at a distance of 18 km

The airport near to Bekal along with their distances are mentioned below

Mangalore International Airport at Mangalore is located at a distance of 60 km
Karipur International Airport at Kozhikode is located at a distance of 180 km

Inter city transportation is facilitated by bus and taxis.

Accommodation Options at Bekal

There are plenty of hotels and resorts with amazing interiors and decors. The rooms of some hotels do overlook the scenic beaches and other natural landscapes of Bekal. Some of the hotels in and around Bekal are listed below