Kannur is one of the 14 districts in the south Indian state of Kerala. Kannur district came into existence as an administrative unit on 1st January 1957, when Kannur, Kozhikode and Palakkad were carved out from Malabar district and Kasaragod taluk. On the north of Kannur is the Kasaragod district and in south are Wayanad and Kozhikode (has the historic beach where Vasco-da-gama landed) districts. On the east side of Kannur are the Western Ghats. There are multiple beaches in Kannur district. The Arabian Sea is on the west side of Kannur.
The language spoken in Kannur is Malayalam. Kannur is known as the land of folk arts and festivals held in temples; and also as the land of looms and lores, because of the loom industries. Kannur is also very famous for the highly ritualistic dance, Theyyam. Various organizations have preserved Theyyan with its rare and attractive make-up and costumes.
