Kasargod is a township in Kerala, India. Kasargod is home to seven lingoes and numerous ethnicities. It is a region where populace of all the religions lives harmoniously. It is very well known for their supreme tourist spots that include Bekal Beach and Fort. Kasargod is acknowledged as the land of deities, fortification, tributaries, stunning hill and prolonged sandy shorelines. People who visit this place leave with enchanting memories.

History of Kasargod

Kasargod was ruled by the Mahodayapuram Perumals for a long time. The decline of Mahodayapuram Perumals in 12^th century it paved the way to Kolathiries where it became the chief port township of Thulunadu.  During the 14^th century it was under the control of Ikkeri Naikans. After the decline of the Vijayanagar Empire in 16th century, in the later period Vengappa Naik confirmed liberty to Ikkeri. In the year 1645 Sivappa Naik acquires over the region and converted it into a defense structure. In the year In 1763 Hyder Ali gained control of this place which was later ruled by his son Tipu Sultan. During the Sreerangapattanam treaty of 1792 this was the only section that was not included in the treaty. After Tipu’s death in 1779 the British took over Kasargod which became a part of part of Bekal taluk in Bombay presidency.

Attractions in Kasargod

Cheruvathur

Cheruvathur is prevalently known for its researchers and versifiers belonging to the Kuttamath Kunniyar ancestors. It is most favorite picnic spot for tourists who come to visit this place. It houses The Veeramala Hills that is known to have the remnants of the 18th century Dutch citadel.

Kudlu

Kudlu is located 4 km towards the north of the Kasargod colony. It is admired for the eight day dissertation between the Dwaita theorist Madhavacharya and the celebrated Adwaita intellectual Trivinkrama Pandit. Madhavacharya was acknowledged as the champion of the dissertation that happened in frontage of King Jayasimha of Kumbla. This resulted in approval of the values of Dwaita by Trivikrama Pandit. The location also has the leading study center for cultivated crop, which is about 75 years old.

Chandragiri Fort

Chandragiri Fort is very close to the township of Kasargod. It has a plaza that is positioned towards the southern bank of the River Chandragiri. It is alleged that Sivappa Nayak raised the castle in the 17th century. He built quite a lot of garrisons throughout his sovereignty in this province.

Ranipuram

Ranipuram is favored by trekkers. It was previously known as Madathumala until the year 1970. It is positioned at a altitude of about 780 meters above sea level and close up to the woodland range of Bhagamandala.

Other Interesting Places in and around Kasargod

• Nileshwar
• Parappa Wildlife Sanctuary
• Malik Deenar Mosque
• Malom Wildlife Sanctuary
• Valiyaparamba
• Kareem’s Forest Park
• Edneer Mutt

Best season to visit Kasargod

The best season to visit Kasargod is from October to March. The summer is humid and moist. The monsoon season gets very heavy downpour. The winter season is the best to visit especially in the months of January and February the region is very cold and appropriate time for excursion.

Accessibility to Kasargod

By Road: National Highway 17 passes through Kasargod and connects to the major cities nearby. The highway passes through cities like Kanhangad (28 km), Kumbla (14 km), Halappadi (35 km) and Mangalore (55 km).

By Rail: Kasargod railhead is directly connected to Kumbla, Uppla and Manjeshwar, Trikaripur, Cheruvathur, Kanhangad and Nileshwar. All the trains provide a stop here.

By Air: The nearest airport is at Mangalore 65 km away from the city. The other airports are at Kochi and Kozhikode exactly 210 km away from Kasargod. It connects the city to various parts of the globe.

Accommodation in Kasargod

Kasargod is one of the celebrated tourist destinations in Kerala. Kasargod has some fine prominent hotels, resorts, guest houses and lodges. The hotels make accessible many facilities and the values differ from hotel to hotel. Many hotels undertake advanced booking and reservation for safe and relaxed stay of the visitors. List of hotels located in Kasargod are as follows:

• Sree Gokulam Nalanda Resorts
• Neeleshwar Hermitage
• The Lalit Resort & Spa, Bekal
• Vivanta by Taj
• Malabar Ocean Front Resort & Spa
• Eshwari Cottage
• shalimar Hotel
• Gitanjali Heritage
• Oyster Opera
• Hotel Sri Krishna Bhavan
• Hotel Kumar’s International
• Hotel Apsara Regency
• Hotel States
• Hotel Metro
• Hotel Bekal International

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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 22⁰ C to 35⁰ C and in winter season temperature ranges from 20⁰ C to 25⁰ C 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^th century 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

• Vivanta by Taj
• Neeleshwar Heritage
• Nirvana Resort Bekal
• The Lalit Resort & Spa Bekal
• Oyster Opera Kasargod
• Neelambari Resort and Spa Kasargod
• Hotel Bekal International
• Nalanda Resorts Kasargod
• Chandralayam Homestay Bekal
• Gitanjali Heritage
• Hotel Bekal Palace

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