PAYYANUR FEST NIGHT VIEW - 2013
Payyannur is one of several extant ancient civilized places in Kerala,
Payyannur derives its name from the renowned Sri Subrahmanya Swami Temple located here.
Payyan is an appellation of Lord Subrahmanya and ooru means town or place.
Thus Payyannur means the land of Lord Subrahmanya.
The northern town of Kerala claims a rich recorded history. The archaeological remains
excavated from Payyannur and nearby places prove the
existence of a city in this area centuries ago
Centuries back, Payyannur was a part of the Ezhimala/Mushika/Kolathiri Kingdom.
King Nandan was well known as a great warrior and ruler. The books written during the
Sangam period describe the area and King. Ezhimala was also under the rule of the
Cheras. A famous ruler there was Pazhassi Raja.
In the past, the city of Kachil Patanam (presently Kawayi ) was the main town due to the proximity
of waterways through Kavvayi River and its large seaport. It was both the administrative and business
center during that time. According to historians, the ships from China and other countries used to visit
this port and were anchored in the nearby river Changoorichal Kavvayi retained its position during the rule
of British East India Company also. They established the first Magistrate's court and Registrar's Office in Kavvayi.
Later, Kokkanisseri became the city center. The main road, which starts from Perumba, divided the town into two.
The south of this road was called Payyannur village and the north Kokkanisseri village. The business center was
called Kokkanisseri Bazaar. Later, the name Payyannur became common and thus the developed city of today came into existence.
Subrahmanya swamy Temple pond .During the regime of the Kolathiri Dynasty, Payyannur was a part of Kolathu nadu ,
ruled by the Kolathiri Rajas based in Chirakkal near Kannur. During British rule, Payyannur was considered as a "farka"
which in turn is a part of the Chirakkal Taluk. Until the formation of Kerala State in 1957, Payyannur remained in the Malabar Dristict of the Madras state