Mangalam area, located 48kms south of Palakkad is mainly occupied by settlers from other parts of the State. The popular picnic spot Mangalam dam is constructed across river Cherukunnapuzha which is a tributary of the river Mangalam. Constructed in the year 1956, the entire thick vegetation area of the dam is quite fascinating with beautiful parks, lawns and statues.
Situated 48 km away from Palakkad town is an exciting tourist destination, Siruvani. To meet the drinking water requirement of Coimbatore, Kerala Government has built a reservoir at Siruvani. Set in the midst of dense wilderness, the Siruvani dam offers a fabulous view of the heavily forested hills containing all sorts of wild animals.
Sree Ramaswami Temple dedicated to Sri Rama is one of the most important temples in Malabar and the oldest among the four temples dedicated to Lord Rama in Kerala. It is situated 23km from Kannur, near Thalasseri fort. The temple is well-known for the exquisite carvings on the walls which are believed to have been done nearly 400 years ago. As the temple roof is made with copper sheets, it is locally known as 'chempadicha melkoora' (brass pagoda). In the18th century, some portion of the temple was destroyed by Tipu's troops but the temple itself was saved from damage by gods miracle. The seven day long annual festival of the temple, 'Vishnu Mahotsavam' is held in the month of Medam (April -May). The festival that commences on the Vishu day, is a colourful event with elephant pageantries, processions, fire works and Panchavadyam. Ramnavami is also celebrated here with great enthusiasm.
The 16th century Thodikalam Siva Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is located 34km southeast of Kannur, on the Thalasseri-Mananthavady road. Famed for its mural paintings, this 2000 year old temple is believed to have been constructed by the Pazhassi Raja Family of Kottayam (Thalasseri taluk).
Parassinikadavu temple or Sri Muthappan temple is situated around 18 km north of Kannur town. This famous pilgrim centre on the banks of the Valapattanam river, attracts people from all sections of the society; irrespective of religion, caste and promotes the soul of 'Vasudaiva Kutumbakam'. The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in his hunter form, known as 'Muthappan', is the only place in Kerala, where the ritualistic dance 'Theyyam' is performed all around the year. 'Muthappan Theyyam' is performed here twice daily at 6.30 in the morning when the temple opens, and 5.45 in the evening when the temple closes. Non Hindus also can watch the Theyyam performance.
The temple is a concrete structure with tiered roofs that is supported by pillars and decorated with elephants. The wooden shrine inside the temple are guarded by bronze temple dogs. The temple is supposed to have been built by the people of the town who felt the divine presence of Lord Shiva amongst them in the form of a small child. There is an interesting story behind the Muthappan Temple. A couple of a Namboothiri family who had no children, got a baby boy and they brought him up as their own child. As he grew, he always used to go to the forest for hunting and ate flesh with the backward communities, which was against the Namboothiri way of living. When he was asked to stop this, he took his parents to the forest and showed his divine form with bow, arrow and fiery eyes. One day on his way to Puralimala, he was attracted by the toddy of palm trees. But the toddy tapper refused to give him toddy and he got angry and aimed an arrow at him. When the tapper's wife saw him lying unconscious she cried and called 'Muthappa' and prayed to God to save her husband and suddenly he recovered from his unconscious state. So after this and other various miraculous incidents, a temple was built that came to be known as Sri Muthappan temple.
The temple has many unique practices and rituals. The daily offerings of this temple include toddy, fish and meat as 'nivedyams' to the deity, unheard of in any other temple. Dogs are also considered sacred and the prasadam (the blessed food) are first offered to them. The annual festival of the Parassinikkadavu temple which falls on 1st of December draws hordes of pilgrims. DTPC (District Tourism Promotion Council ) provides boating service in the river near the temple, amidst lush greenery and the river opening up to the sea ahead. Accommodation is available nearby.
Parassinikadavu situated about 16 Kms from Kannur, is famous for the Snake Park and the Sri Muthappan temple, the only place where the ritualistic dance 'Theyyam' is performed all around the year. Parassinikadavu Snake Park set up by the Visha Chikista Kendra at Pappinisseri on the way to Parassinikkadavu Temple, has been a centre of attraction to both foreign and domestic tourists. The park houses about 150 varieties of snakes including the Spectacled Cobra, King Cobra, Russell's viper, Krait and various pit vipers. There is also a large collection of non-poisonous snakes including Pythons. The snake park has three snake pits, fifteen glass cases for snakes and two large glass houses for King Cobras. Snake demonstrations are held every hour that draws large crowds. The Chikista Kendra offers effective treatment for snake bites with almost hundred per cent cure. This is the only place, perhaps where Ayurveda and Allopathy are effectively combined for curing snake bites. The park is open on all days from 9.00 am to 5.30pm. There are frequent bus services from Kannur to Parassinikadavu.
The tranquil Aralam Wildlife sanctuary spread over 55 square kilometres on the slopes of the Western Ghats is situated 60kms from Kannur and 35kms from Thalassery. The sanctuary is located in Muzhakkunnu panchayath that comes under the Wayanad Division. Established in 1984, it is home to numerous species of birds and animals. Leopards, jungle cats, various type of squirrels and deer, elephants, boar and bison are some of the animals seen here. Around 160 species of birds, even some species considered extinct, have been found here. The main forest type in this area is Tropical Ever-Green and the Tropical Semi Ever-Green. The flora here includes Calophyllum Elatum, Cullenia rosayroona, Magnifera indica, Toona cillata, Myristica Species, Euphorbia Longana, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum, Hopea parviflora, Largestroemia lanceolata, Mallotus etc. The best time to visit the park is from October to June.
