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Guruvayur
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Kannur (Cannanore), 92km north of Kozhikode, was for many centuries the capital of the Kolathiri rajas, which prospered from the thriving maritime spice trade through its port. In the early 1500s, after Vasco da Gama passed through, the Portuguese took it and erected an imposing bastion, St Angelo's fort , overlooking the harbor, but today this is occupied by the Indian army and closed to visitors. If you come to Kannur at all, it will probably be on the trail of Teyyattam , spectacular spirit-possession rituals that are an important feature of village life in the area from late October until May. Locating them is not always easy, but if you ask at the local tourist office or telephone the tourist desk in Cochin (tel 0484/371761), they should be able to point you in the right direction, and it's well worth heading out to the daily ritual at Parassinikadavu . The popular town beach can get quite crowded and so for a bit more quiet head down to the small Baby beach (4km) which, lying in the army's cantonment area of large bungalows set in leafy gardens, is protected by restricted access (9am-5pm). A popular weekend day-trip destination from Kannur is the fort at Bekal (daily 9am-5.30pm; Rs2, Fri free), which stands 45km to the north on a promontory between two long, classically beautiful palm-fringed beaches . Although this is one of the largest forts in Kerala and has been under the control of various powers including Vijayanagar, Tipu Sultan and the British, it's nothing to get excited about. The bastion's commanding position, with views across the bays to north and south, is impressive enough, but only four watchtowers and the outer walls survive. An adjacent Hindu temple, next to the gates, with garish stucco images of the gods, draws a steady stream of visitors while others clamber along the battlements or climb down to the beach through hidden passages. A short walk south of the main gates you'll find the Bekal Resorts' visitor centre where the café and shops only open at the weekends.
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