This northern most district of the southern state of Kerala, Kasargod, is located at the distance of 575 kms from the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram. While the Kannur district lies in the south, Kasargod is surrounded by the state of Karnataka in the north and the east while on the west is the vast Arabian ocean.
The proximity to the Arabian sea, always made the district town of Kasargod one of the most important trade destination since time immemorial. Actually known as Kusirakood, meaning forests, Kasargod is only the recent version of this old town. Kasargod was known for its exports of rice and coir, as noted by the Portuguese in the olden days. It was under the rule of the Kumbala kingdom and there were two dialects which are still spoken today, one being the state language of Malayalam and the other Tulu.
The reigns of the town were passed on to many a rulers later, from the Kolathiri kings to the Vijayanagar empire. The great Tipu Sultan also once ruled over this place which came in to the hands of the British after his death.
Kasargod is abundant in natural beauty with dense forests and calm lagoons.Today known as the land of forts, one can see various forts with various architectural forms. Even the temples in Kasargod display a variety of styles in temple architecture.
The unique style of Madhur Mahaganapathy temple, the typical Kerala style of the historic Malik Deenar Great Juma Masjid and many other structures speak in silence of the rich cultural heritage of the region.
