lway station at 8:30 in the morning. From there we went to Nullipadi catching an auto rickshaw, to reach the house of a colleague. after a quick routine round up to make ourself fresh, we went to attend the marriage. After having a stomach full meal, we catch another auto rickshaw to reach the Bus stand to avail the KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation) bus via Chandragiri to reach Bakel Fort. It took around 30 minutes to reach the destination.The beautiful and numero uno Bekal Fort stands amidst the roaring but heart soothing music of the sea along with the eternal note of the connected and unending waves in its background. Bekal fort is the largest and one of the best-preserved forts in Kerala, and is 16 Kms to the south of Kasaragod on the National Highway at the northern end of the state of Kerala. The fort is a circular imposing structure rising 130 ft. above sea level stands on about 40 acres of land that runs into the Arabian Sea.
In the shape of a giant keyhole, the historic Bekal fort offers a superb view of the Arabian Sea from its tall observation towers, where huge cannons were placed centuries before. The fort is said to be more than 300 years old and is believed to have been built in the 1650's by Sivappa Naik of the Ikkeri dynasty. The entrance is in zigzag format and the trenches around the fort and the over all structure gives a clear cut view on the defense strategy which was there in those days.
The Bekal Fort has been a source of attraction for tourists, historians, or any one who cares about the nature, for centuries for there inside the massive walls lie the memories of a glorious past. It is also developed as an exotic beach location by the Bekal Resorts Development Corporation (BRDC)Outside the fort there is an old mosque built by the valiant Tippu Sultan of Mysore, and at the entrance is the Anjaneya(Hanuman) temple. In the middle of the fort there is an observation tower, and to reach there we have to climb a broad and wide flight of stairs. The structure, around 80 feet in circumference at the base and more than 30 feet in height, gives a magnificent view of the sea on three sides and the lush green landscape to the east. There are many underground passages, some known and some unknown, leading outside to various parts of the Fort. The sea view as well as the rock garden at the parking area has been developed where laterite boulders of various size has been utilized. Some trees are planted in the beach area under the under the social forestry scheme.
The Pallikere beach with its shallow waters is just a km. away from the fort. And Pallikkere is famous for the Pallikkere caps, which is a main cottage industry in that area. Pallikkere caps are been exported to various countries and the demand is huge during the seasons like Ramzan. Due to its historic relevance, the fort is now under the control of The Archaeological Survey of India. The entire Bakal site is now declared as a location of national heritage. Many historical artifacts like old coins ...etc., were unearthed by archeologists from the Bakel fort making it an interesting excavation site, for the people who are interested (Now under the control of the Archeological Survey). Bakal also came in as one of the five centers selected and supported by the Central Government of India to be developed into a stature of 'Special Tourism Area'. BRDC (Bekal Resorts Development Corporation) also aims to develop another 11 acres of land at the beach area for development of a water park, theme park …etc., in the near future
After enjoying some time in the beach, and walking through the fort, we came back to our colleague’s house catching a KSRTC Bus. Later that day we packed our bags and started our journey back from Kasaragod to Kochi.
What we missed and you shouldn’t
It wasn’t only the Bakal fort that is attractive in the Kasargode. There are other places of attractions in the district like the Anandashramam/ Nithyanadashramam, Madhur temple, Jain temple in Kanjhangad and Anandhapuram Temple. Anandhapuram temple is the only lake temple in Kerala and is considered as the moolasthana ( - the place of origin or the place where the idol was kept first)of the idol in Sree Padmanabha swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.
How to get there
| Time to Visit | : Throughout the Year, Even in Rainy Season |
| Railway Station | : Kasargode |
| Nearest Air Strip | : Mangalore, 50 Km (Approx) |
Compiled by Ms. Bindiya Sadasivan
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