Visit North Kerala Tour

1. ALAMIKKALI

Mangalam Kali is a time tested, traditional folk art form blended with music and dance performed in groups of women and men together. It is ritualistic among prominent scheduled tribes of Kasaragod district of Kerala namely Mavilan and Malavettuvan.

Before the social reforms took place in Kerala, These tribes used to perform this musical -dance event in the courtyards of their land lords who provided them work, food and shelter and usually Mangalam Kali was part of a ritualistic event in connection with a marriage in the tribal habitat. The toting tribal used to perform throughout night dancing to the tunes of Thudis, a specialized instrument made of specified wood and leather of wild animals. The performing groups were given food and gifts depending on the landlords. The vocals are usually emphatic on the need to preserve nature and at times philosophical. Mangalam Kali with it’s vibrant forms of music and movements will take us to an era of the golden past where tribal were guardians of our flora and fauna and it is very special to Kasaragod and North Malabar.

2. MANGALAM KALI

Alamikkali is a customary art form. The play was widely accepted as a secular way of entertainment where Hindus have an Exclusive night to perform in Muslim customary nitualsAlamis were soldiers of the Mysore King Tipu Sultan who Invaded these parts of Malabar coast during the British Raj. It has a link to the Muharram celebration as well which was related to the war of Karbala. Haxzrath Imam Hussain who faught against the misrule of the dictator yazeedi has faced several atrocities. Yazeedi’s soldiers coloured their body in fearful black to scare the children of Hussain . Hussain’s soldiers were even denied drinking water by putting fire on the pathways to wells. Imam Hussain was brutally killed and even his body could not be allowed to bury property. Alamikkali Players are all Hindus under the Muslim Priesthood.

Alamis with Barefoot visit households as beggars and during their visit they chant traditional songs to suit the situations. They worship a part of hand of Hazrath Imam Hussain which could not be buned when he was brutally killed by Yazeedi. The Body of Alamis are dark coloured with white spots to scare onlookers but their songs pacify also. The Alamikkali was originated from the now famous Alamipalli in Kanhangad where several families of Urdu speaking Hanafi sect of Muslims were concentrated and spread to other parts of the district and to Mangalore.

3. SURANGA

Suranga (Thurankam/ Surangam) is a unique water management system prevalent in the Kasaragod district of North Malabar and some part of Karnataka. Similar structures known as ‘Qanats’ can be seen in parts of Iran.

It is a narrow horizontal tunnel, barely two –and-a-half feet wide and just over five –and- a- half- feet high, dug manually in to laterite hills. The tunnel that made in search of water sources used to have a maximum height just for a man to carry the soil out on this head.

Water obtained from Surangams was used to store in manmade ponds or ‘Mathakkams’ for irrigation and drinking. The experienced surangam diggers identify water streams inside the slopes of hills by observing the growth of certain vegetation on the suface. The direction and pressure of water flow also be detected by pressing their ears to the soil at night. Water available in Surangas usually has lot of herbal ingredients in it because of the sourcing through roots of several Ayurvedic plants and herbals which are aplenty on the stopes of hills where Surangas were made. Thousands of Surangas can be found in Kasaragod North Malabar.

4. KALARIPPAYATTU

Kalaripayattu, an exclusive martial art form of Kerala has it’s origin from 11th century when the Cholas and the Cheras had major wars between them for the supremacy of South India. The northem style of Malabar Kalari is based on flexible movemonts, jumps and weapons training. The Southern (Kerala ) style has prionty on empty hand fighting and pressure point (marma) strikes.

The Legendary warriors like ThacholiOthenan&Unniyarcha we’re following the Malabar Kalari system Kings of North Malabar were competing each other to establish better Kalaris to impart training to the youth so that they could raise better Armies.

Kalari is run under a Gurikal with a strict regime and generally Nair and Thiyya Youth were admitted to such KalariesAyurveda massaging, swimming, horse riding etc were practiced along with kalarippayattu. This Martial arts are popular in some parts of Kannur and Kasaragod.

5. MANGROVES

Mangroves is a salt tolerant shrub that grows in coastal saline and brackish waters. They have a unique sait filtration system and a complex rooting system with a capacity to multiply very fastly. Mangroves preserve the eco system of coastal areas and to certain extent acts as a natural filter against toxic wastes mixed in sea/ River water. Mangroves is a house to hundreds of creatures small and big. Several breeds of sea fish and fresh water fish are being protected by the natural habitat of Mangroves.

The North Malabar have long stretches of Mangroves and journey through these will have unique experience Sacred grove of north Malabar is mostly associated with some myth or belief that people for generations vouch for the need to preserve it at any cost.

Malabar groves are unique where local community pay obeisance to the serene and elegant spirituality associated with the natural resources like water, forest, herbs, medicinal plants and vanod fauna. People attach even a divinity in such groves and arrange undergo certain nituals and prayers. Several stories are attached to each sacred grove and an unseen command from the force hidden in the darkness of such groves knowingly or unknowingly persuade surrounding people to get disciplined and guided to salvation. Groves are considered as the place where spirits rest at night to guard the land and the people around it. Even in severe drought Malabar groves seem to have abundant water resources to provide the needs of the humans and live stock. Such sacred groves are existing in almost every village in North Malabar.

6. VILLAGES FAMOUS FOR CUISINE

A mix of South Canara, Thulunad, Malabar and Central Kerala Cuisine in a blend, from the unique North Malabar eateries. Food habits of Portuguese through Konkini speaking Diasporas, Arabian Cuisines through Malik Bin Dinar and his team, dishes followed for ages by tribal, European delicacies, central Kerala foodies all got blended in North Malabar providing one of the best delicacies of the continent with it’s varied classifications. Several age old cuisine survived the onslaught of fast food culture of the modern times and North Malabar delicacies are highly nutritious, fat free and provocating Village restaurants who with firewood prepare cuisines have a unique system of maintaining quality and hygiene and each cell of the body gets vibrated with energy while consuming such mouth watering delicacies. Each village provides it’s own specialties to satisfy of urge human beings for taste and nutrients . ‘AnnurPachkaGramam’. Payyanur is one of the famous village for traditional taste of North Malabar.

7. NORTH MALABAR SPECIALITY CLOTHING

North Malabar is obsessed with some speciality clothing as people are attached with age old customary costumes. They cherish the way their ancestors loved their costumes to identity themselves. Having a population of diverse cultures and more than eleven languages the heritage costumes are still existing albeit timely modifications. To mention a few.

A) ThalangaraThoppl: Thalangara has a reputation of hospitality and that tiny village crushed between the Arabian Sea and Chandragiri river was once a hub for International trade in locally made ThalangaraThoppi. Thalangara which hosted malik Bin Dinar, the legendary disciple of the prophet and whose memory a famous mosque exists, had boasted of having experts in every house hold for hand women skull cap which was internationally famous. ThalangaraThoppi is outstanding and become a proud accessory for every Muslim of Kasaragod and South Canara, was used to export to Middle East and African countries. Of late because of the flooding of cheap, synthetic varieties of skull caps the demand for ThalangaraThoppi has been dwindling. But the uniqueness of this hand women cap with embroidery and pearls is something worth mentioning.

B) Kasaragod sarees: The weavers of Kasaragod, Kumbala, Udmaetc were very particular in articulating deep coloured, multitextured fabrics women in manual weaving machines and has been well sold in upcountry markets. The Thulu speaking fraternity, Konginis , Kannadigas, Marathas etc are very keen to include Kasaragod Sarees in their costume baskets and of course Malayalees who always go for varieties opt for Kasaragod Sarees. It’s longevity , varied designs and textures are contributing a lot which helped to go for a geographical genom for Kasaragod Sarees.

C) Handlooms: North Malabar was predominantly a haven for handlooms and most of the handloom industries were allgned around Kannur. Kannur established itself as the nerve centre for Handloom exports and several SSI units are doing well in that sector. Kasaragod and other northern parts of Malabar like kumbla, Palvalike, Kadakam, Uppala ,Muliyaretc had been in brisk weaving businessvtill very recently. The quality of North Malabar handlooms ere well accepted in upcountry markets and several cooperative weaving societies wre established to support the weavers. Handlooms of late have become a fad to the young generation as well.

8. YAKSHAGANA BOMBEYATTA (PUPPETRY)

YakshaganaBombeyatta (puppetry) is a popular art form of the State of Karnataka and Kasaragod. The northemmost district of Kerala. The puppet show is a parallel tradition of Yashagana the classical dance –drama prevalent in these regions. The puppets, usually made of wood resemble the Yakshagana performers in costumes and ornamentation.

Typically puppet shows feature stories from epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagawatham where different characters are represented by the colourful costumes of these puppets. Some of the puppets can measure up to 18* in height.

The Story is narrated through chorus songs to the accompaniment of percussion instruments. The wooden puppets are made to dance and act by a well trained team of men and women to convey a whole range of emotions and passions where the puppets represent a range of characters through their diversely colored costumes

9. KASARAGOD – A CRADLE FOR MULTILINGUISTIC CULTURE

Kasaragod was once part of South Canara District of Madras province under British Raj. Invasion afther invasion by neighbouring kings in eight abc nineteenth centuries brought with them people of different cuittures and languages.

ChathrapathiShivaji during his invasion brought several Maharashtrians and thus Marathi came to this land. When Portuguese invaded Goa the Konkinisoeaking Hindus and Christians fled for their lives and were rehabilitated by the British at Mangalore and Kasaragod. This Konkini diaspora spread uptoPayyannur and thus Konkini came to Kasaragod Konkini speaking Hindus were smart businessmen and bankers and they changed the economic scenario of the region as well. Thus a multi social Konkini –Christ – Maratha conglomerate started flourishing in the region with all its diversities. Then came Tipu, the King of Mysore who fought fiercely against the British. He invaded several local kingdoms of Naiks, Ballalsetc and attached several forts including bekalfort . With Tipu Sultan came the Urudu speaking .Hanafi sect of Muslims and they were concentrated around Kanhangad and Uppala. Tipu also brought community by name bhat with Kannada also came from Mysore and they were asked to perform temple priesthood in some places. Several Malayalam speaking Nair families are said to be descendants of some families who migrated from the erstwhile Tipu Kochi Kingdom. Their Malayalam is very different from the natal Malayali families. The most popular language in Kasaragod once was Thulu and that Thulu itself has more than twenty variants depending on the area they lived some of the tribels speak Malakkutiya language which appears a mix of Thulu , Malayalam, Kannada and Coorgie. Another language by name byary is widely used among the Sunni Muslims concentrated in the coastal areas like Kasaragod, Kumbala, Uppala, Manjeswar and in large parts of Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka, Byary speaking community is mostly engaged in fishing and trading.

For all these reasons Kasaragod is termed as ‘BahuBhashaBhoomi’ of about eleven different languages. No doubt all these different languages renders of their own different cultures which enriched North Malabar a cradle of multilanguages and Multicultures