Bekal Fort
Bekal Fort is the largest fort in Kasargod District of Kerala, south India.
The fort faces the Arabian Sea. One claim is that the fort was built by Sivappa Naik of the Ikkery dynasty of Kumbla in 17th century (between 1645 and 1660). Its also said that the fort was captured by Sivappa Nail from Kolathiri Rajas. Recent archeological exploration seems to support other claims, like the fort was an extension of the construction of the Vijayanagara empire.
Around 1763 the fort was occupied by Haider Ali of Mysore. In 1792 the region containing the fort was ceded to the British, and became the Malabar District of British India. There is an Anjaneya temple inside the fort and outside the fort one can see a grant mosque which was built by Tippu Sultan, son of Haider Ali.
Chandragiri Fort
Chandragiri Fort built in the 17th century is in Kasargod District of Kerala, south India. It is a large squarish fort by the side of the river Payaswini.
The fort has an eventful history behind it. In earlier days, the river was considered to be 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.
During the decline of the Vijayanagara empire the area was administratively looked after by the Ikkeri Naikans. When the Vijayanagara empire fell in the 16th century, Vengappa Naik declared independence. Later Shivappa Naik took over the reins. He built a chain of forts of which Chandragiri is part.
Chandragiri Fort offers a breathtaking view of the river and the Arabian Sea.
Palakkad Fort
Palakkad Fort (Tipu's Fort) is an old granite fort situated in the heart of Palakkad town of Kerala state, southern India. It was built by Haider Ali in 1766 and remains one of the best preserved forts in Kerala.
The Palakkad Fort is said to have existed from very ancient times,
but little is known of its early history. The local ruler, Palakkad Achchan, was originally a tributary of the Zamorin, but had become independent before the beginning of the eighteenth century. In 1757 he sent a deputation to Haider Ali seeking help against an invasion threatened by the Zamorin. Haider Ali seized upon the oppurtunity to gain possession of a strategically important location such as Palghat, and from that time until 1790 the fort was continually in the hands of the Mysore Sultans or the British. It was first taken by the latter in 1768 when Colonel Wood captured it during his raid on Haider Alis's fortresses, but it was retaken by Haider a few months later. It was again captured by Colonel Fullarton in 1783, after a siege which lasted for eleven days, but was abandoned next year. Later, it fell into the hands of the Zamorin’s troops. In 1790 it was finally captured by the British under Colonel Stuart. It was renovated and from that time, it was used as a base for the operations which ended in the storming of Srirangapatnam. The fort continued to be garrisoned until the middle of 19th century. In the early 1900s it was converted to taluk office. The fort is also known as Tipu's Fort .
St. Angelo Fort
St. Angelo Fort (also known as Kannur Fort or Kannur Kotta) is a fort facing the Arabian Sea, situated 3 km from the town of Kannur in Kerala state, south India.
Don Francisco De Almeida of Portuguese constructed this fort in 1505 AD. The Dutch captured the fort from Portuguese in 1663 they sold the fort to the king Ali Raja of Arakkal kingdom.In 1790 the British seized the control over this fort and became one
of the important military centres of the British in Malabar.
Inside St.Angelo's fortMany people believe that there is a secret tunnel in this fort. This tunnel was built underneath the sea to the Thalassery Fort which is 21 km from Kannur fort. This under passage is said to be used by soldiers to escape.
The Moppila Bay Harbor and Arakkal Mosque are near the fort. The fort, is now under the supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India.
Pallipuram Fort
Pallipuram Fort is in Ernakulam district of Kerala, south India. It was built by the Portuguese in 1503. It is the oldest existing European fort in India. In 1789 the Dutch captured the fort in 1661 and sold it to the State of Travancore. This fort is situated in the northern extremity of the Vypeen island at Pallipuram.
Povval Fort
Povval Fort is an old fort in Kasargod district of Kerala state, south India. It is an old fashioned fort on the Kasargod-Mulleria route about 10 km from Kasargod town.
Thalassery Fort
Thalassery Fort is in Thalassery (Tellicherry) a town in Kannur District of Kerala state in south India.
The British East India Company built the fort in 1708 to establish a stronghold on the Malabar Coast. In 1781 Hyder Ali, ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore, was unsuccessful in capturing the Fort in his campaign to control Malabar. His successor,
Tipu Sultan, was forced to cede Malabar District to the British in 1792, at the conclusion of the Third Anglo-Maratha War.
The square fort, with its massive walls, secret tunnels to the sea and intricately carved huge doors, is an imposing structure. The fort was once the nucleus of Thalassery's development. It is now a historical monument.
Anchunthengu Fort
The historic remains of the Anchunthengu Fort in Thiruvananthapuram built by the English East India Company in the 17th century, and an adjoining cemetery are noteworthy relics of this first major British trading station on the Malabar coast.
