Payyanur facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Payyanur
Municipality
Payyanur Railway Station
Payyanur Location in Kerala Show map of Kerala Payyanur Location in India Show map of India
State	Kerala
District	Kannur
Taluk	Payyanur
Municipality Established	1990
Government
• Type	Municipal council
Area
• Total	54.63 km² (21.09 sq mi)
Elevation	14 m (46 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	72,111
• Density	1,319.99/km² (3,418.8/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Malayalam, English
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	670307
Telephone code	+91 4985
ISO 3166 code	IN-KL
Vehicle registration	KL-86
Nearest cities	Taliparamba, Kannur
Sex ratio	1159 ♂/♀
Literacy	94.08%
Assembly constituency	Payyanur
Lok Sabha constituency	Kasaragod

Backwaters in Payyannur

Payyanur is a town located in the Kannur district of Kerala, India. It is also a "taluk," which is like a small administrative area. Payyanur is special because it was the first town in Kerala to have libraries in all its local areas (called 'wards'). In 2018, it officially became the fifth taluk in the district. The Payyanur taluk includes 22 villages. The town is located by the Perumba River.

Exploring Payyanur: Location and Surroundings

Payyanur is about 36 kilometers north of Kannur city, which is the district headquarters. It is also 501 kilometers away from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. The town is surrounded by three rivers: the Perumba River, Punnakka River, and Kavvayi River.

People and Culture of Payyanur

Population and Languages

According to the 2011 census, Payyanur had a population of 72,111 people. More than half of the population (54%) are females. The town has a very high literacy rate of 94.08%, meaning most people can read and write. The main languages spoken here are Malayalam and English.

Religious Diversity

Payyanur is home to people of different religions. Most residents are Hindu (about 80%), followed by Muslims (about 17.5%) and Christians (about 2.2%).

Meaning Behind the Name

The name Payyanur has a special meaning. Payyan is another name for the Hindu deity Kartikeya, and ooru means town or place. So, Payyanur means the land of Lord Kartikeya. This name comes from the ancient Sri Subramany Swamy temple located in the town.

A Glimpse into Payyanur's Past

Ancient History and Travelers

Payyanur is a very old town with a rich history. Ancient remains found here show that a city existed in this area many centuries ago. The town is even mentioned in the Brahmanda Purana, an ancient Hindu text.

Many famous travelers visited this area long ago. Ibn Battuta, a well-known explorer, came to Ezhimala (a nearby hill) in 1342 AD. He wrote about the large seaport and Chinese ships there. Other explorers like Marco Polo and Niccolò de' Conti also visited and described the Ezhimala port, which was then called "Heli."

From Kingdoms to Modern Town

Centuries ago, Payyanur was part of the Ezhimala/Mushika/Kolathiri Kingdom. King Nandan was a famous warrior and ruler of this area. Ezhimala was also ruled by the Cheras, and a well-known ruler was Pazhassi Raja.

In the past, a nearby city called Kachil Patanam (now Kavvayi) was the main town. It was important because of its waterways and large seaport. Ships from China and other countries used to visit this port. The British East India Company even set up their first court and office in Kavvayi.

Later, Kokkanisseri became the main center of the town. The business area was called Kokkanisseri Bazaar. Over time, the name Payyanur became more common, and that's how the modern town we know today came to be.

Education and Learning in Payyanur

Payyanur has many colleges and institutions for learning. These include:

Swami Anandatheertha Campus, Payyanur
Ampere Institute of Engineering and Private ITI
Sree Narayana Guru College of Engineering & Technology
Payyannur College, Edat
Gurudev Arts & Science College, Mathil
College of Engineering and Technology, Payyanur
Govt. Residential Women's Polytechnic College Payyanur
Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit Regional Centre, Payyanur
AWH- al-badar special college Payyanur, Department of Psychology

How Payyanur is Governed

Local Administration

Payyanur Taluk is one of the five taluks in the Kannur district. It manages 22 villages.

The Payyanur Municipality is divided into 44 areas called wards. Elections are held every five years to choose local leaders. The current ruling party in the municipality is the CPI(M).

Political Representation

Payyanur is part of the Kasaragod Loksabha constituency for national elections. For state elections, it is part of the Payyanur Assembly constituency. The current MLA for Payyanur is T. I. Madhusoodanan.

Keeping Order: Law and Safety

The Payyanur police station was set up a long time ago, in 1881, during the time of British rule.

Payyanur is also the headquarters for one of the four police subdivisions in the Kannur rural police district. This subdivision covers five police stations: Payyanur, Pazhayangadi, Pariyaram medical college, Peringome, and Cherupuzha. Important places like the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala and a Central Reserve Police Force Training Camp are located within this subdivision.

Getting Around: Transportation in Payyanur

Roads

The National Highway 66 goes through Payyanur. This highway connects Payyanur to cities like Goa and Mumbai to the north, and Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram to the south. There are plans to make this highway a 6-lane road.

Payyanur has many buses, both private and government-run (KSRTC), that travel within the district and to other places. The town has three bus terminals: the KSRTC Bus terminal, the Old Bus Stand, and the New Bus Stand.

Railways

Payyanur is an important railway station on the Shoranur-Mangalore Section of the Southern Railway. It has 3 platforms and 4 tracks.

Airports

The closest airport is Kannur International Airport, which is about 57 kilometers away. Mangalore International Airport is also nearby, about 115 kilometers away.

Community and Social Work

Payyanur has a history of social service. For example, KP Kunhirama Poduval, a freedom fighter, started the Sanjayan Memorial Library here. The Kelappan Service Center, named after K. Kelappan (also known as "Kerala Gandhi"), is another important social organization in the area.

Cultural Traditions of Payyanur

Vishnumoorthi Theyyam at Payyanur

Bali Theyyam

A Masjid at Payyanur

Payyanur is known for its vibrant culture.

Theyyam is a special traditional dance and religious ritual that attracts many people.
Poorakkali and Kolkali are other major traditional dance performances.
The town has produced famous artists like the dancer Vannadil Pudiyaveettil Dhananjayan and the Sanskrit scholar E. Sreedharan.
The legendary Kathakali master Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair also has roots near this town.
Kandoth, a place in Payyanur, is famous for its pottery.
The villages around Payyanur are known for their handloom weaving.

The Famous Pavithra Mothiram

Payyanur Pavithram, or Pavithra Mothiram, is a unique ring worn during special Hindu religious ceremonies. It is used during Vedic rituals or ceremonies for ancestors. The traditional Pavitram is usually made from a type of grass called dharba. The making of the Payyanur Pavitram is closely linked to the Payyanur Sree Subrahmanya Swami Temple.

Notable People from Payyanur

Many talented individuals from Payyanur have made a name for themselves in various fields:

Ganapathi S Poduval, film actor
Chidambaram S. Poduval, film director
Deepak Parambol, film actor
Abhiram Radhakrishnan, film actor
V. P. Appukutta Poduval, freedom fighter
Unnikrishnan Namboothiri, film actor
P. V. Kunhikrishnan, judge of Kerala High Court
V. P. Balagangadharan, author and former space scientist
C. V. Balakrishnan, writer
Satheesh Babu Payyannur, writer
Dhananjayans, classical dancers (Padma awardee)
V. P. Krishnakumar, award-winning sound engineer
K. U. Mohanan, cinematographer
Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, lyricist
Kaithapram Viswanathan Namboothiri, music director
Sahal Abdul Samad, professional footballer
Malavika Mohanan, film actress
Parvathy Nambiar, film actress
K. C. Venugopal, Indian politician
P. Kunhikrishnan, ISRO scientist
Subeesh Sudhi, film actor
Mohan Kupleri, film director
Anaswara Rajan, film actress
Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval, film director
Felix Bast, phycocologist

Images for kids

Subrahmanya swamy Temple pond
Kokannisseri Kannangattu Temple Pond
Payyannur Highway