Chandragiri fort, Kasaragod, Bekal, Kerala India

A ruined fort, breathtaking view of the river, coconut groves and the Arabian sea. Six km away, perched beside the Chandragiri River , is the Chandragiri Fort. Built during the 17 th century by Sivappa Naik of Bedanore, who is said to have built the Bekal Fort too, Chandragiri's western rampart is an ideal place to watch sunsets.

The fort has an eventful history to relate... A couple of centuries ago, the river Chandragiri was considered the border of two powerful kingdoms - Kolathunadu and Thulunadu. When Thulunadu was captured by the Vijayanagara Emperor, the Kolathunadu kings lost the Chandragiri region to them. It was only in the 16th century that the great empire of Vijayanagara (presently under the Karnataka State) declined. But later the Ikkeri Naikkars or the Bedanoor Naiks took over the reins of Chandragiri as an independent region. Thus the Chandragiri Fort was built by Sivappa Naik for the defence of his kingdom. The fort changed hands over the years to Hyder Ali of Mysore and then to the British East India Company. Today it is a protected monument under the State Archaeology Department. The Chandragiri region was rejoined to the State of Kerala through the State Reorganisation Act, 1956, Government of India.