On to the North of Kerala, With the Western Ghats in the east (Coorg district of Karnataka State), Kozhikode and Wayanad districts in the south, Arabian sea in the west and Kasaragod in the north, lies Kannur district - anglicised as Cannanore - is bounded by a wealth of natural beauty. The district itself which shares much of this natural splendour has been a key contributor to the cultural, religious, political and industrial heritage of the State. In addition, Kannur enjoys the credit of having been the cradle of many a colorful folk art and folk music of Kerala. Relics, right from the Neolithic age through the Aryan invasion, Cheran Conquests, Arab and European inroads, stand testimony to this.
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.
Kannur has always been a favorite destination of the intrepid foreign traveler. Europeans, Chinese and Arabs have visited our coasts. In his book of travels Marco Polo recounts his visit to the area circa 1250 A.D. Other visitors included Fahian, the Buddhist pilgrim and Ibn Batuta, writer and historian of Tangiers.
