forts in kerala

There are many forts in Kerala. Kerala means the land of the coconuts. Mythology says Kerala came out of the sea when Lord Parusurama threw his axe into the ocean. This paradise nestles between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.  

Bekal the largest fort sprawls over 40 acres. There is a tank with steep flights, a tunnel, a magazine for storing ammunition and observation tower. It is built up from the sea and is continuously drenched by the waves.

An ancient Hanuman temple and mosque speak of bygone religious harmony. The entrance is a zigzag maze. Trenches surround the fort. Bekal was never an administrative centre unlike other Indian forts. Here there are no palace remains. There are holes at three levels of the walls to attack the enemy when far, near and very near. 

The fort dates before 12th century AD. It became one of the defense lines of Tipu Sultan and later became a British headquarter. It seems the structure of the fort was changed with the advent of the gunpowder and the coming of the white man.  

Chandragiri Fort beside Payaswini River is a17th century marvel. It is large and square rising 150’ above sea level.  Today only ruins remain. Once it was part of the Vijaynagar Empire and holds a breathtaking view of the Arabian Sea. 

The Hosdurg Fort with forty five caves has round bastions been built by the Ikkeri dynasty. The Palakkad Fort is an old granite wonder located near the town of Palakkad.

Haider Ali built it in 1766 and is today one of the best preserved forts in Kerala and once housed the horses and elephants of Tipu Sulta.  A small Hanuman temple inside it continues to attract devotees. 

The Pallipuram Fort located in Ernakulam district was constructed by the Portugese in 1503 – and is the oldest European fort in India. St Angelo’s Fort is Kannur city and was built by the Portuguese.   St. Angelo Fort, a little distance from Kannur was built by the first Portuguese Viceroy to India in 1505. It changed hands until conquest by the British in 1790.

The Thalassery Fort, also in Kannur district was built by the British in 1708. It is square with massive walls and hidden tunnels leading to the sea. The outsized doors are intricately carved and imposing.  Scholars opine that the oldest fort in Kerala along Podiya hills southernmost tip of Western Ghats, goes back to the 8th or 9th when the land was under the rule of the Ay dynasty.

It covered 800 sq m. towards the sea side walls, tapering upwards, were made from boulders fortified with mud mortar. There are no battlements or loop holes. The sea surrounds it on three sides. Research is still going on about this ancient fort.