Kannur, Kerala

Theyyam
Originally uploaded by Michael L.

Vasco da Gama came to Kannur in 1498 and shortly thereafter it became a Portuguese settlement. They built the Saint Angelo's Fort north of Kannur in 1505. Dutch took over the area in the mid 17th century and then the British captured it in 1783.

The old name 'Cannanore' was the typical anglicised version of the Malayalam name Kannur. The district is a major center of Theyyam, a ritual dance of Northern Kerala.