Mattanur
Mattanur, also spelled Mattannur, is a town, municipality, and an aerotropolis in Kannur district, Kerala, India. Mattanur is about 27 km east of Kannur and Thalassery, two major towns of the district. Mattanur lies between Kannur, Thalassery, and Iritty. It is the intersection where Thalassery–Coorg Highway (popularly known as the TC Road) meets the Kannur–Mattanur Road. The inter-state buses travelling from Bangalore and Mysore to Thalassery and Kannur pass through Mattanur. It is an important hub, connecting Kodagu and Kannur. Kannur Airport is about from Mattanur. Location. Mattanur is located at the midland of the Kannur  District at and stretches for about 4.8 km. It is surrounded by eight Panchayats and a municipality, namely Irikkur and Padiyur on the north side, Iritty (municipality), Thillankeri, and Malur on the east side, Mangattidam and Vengad on the south side, and Koodali and Keezhallur on the west side. The town is located at about 500 km north of Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital, and about 27 km east of Kannur, the district headquarters. Kochi, known as commercial capital of Kerala, is about 280 km south and Kozhikode which is a major urban center of northern Kerala, is 93 km south  of Mattanur. Mysore and Bangalore, two major cities of the state of Karnataka, are 153 km and 283 km east of Mattanur, respectively, and Mangalore is about 165 km away, towards the north. Connectivity. The Kannur International Airport is located just away from the town and provides the opportunity of air connectivity. The town is well connected to the neighbouring towns of Kerala and Karnataka. SH 30, the Thalassery–Coorg Road, passes through the town and connects it to other nearby towns like Thalassery, Koothuparamba, Iritty, Madikeri etc. It also has linkages to cities like Mysore, Mangalore, Bangalore, Kozhikode, Kochi , and Thiruvananthapuram. The proposed Kannur-Mysore National Highway under Bharatmala project, passes through Mattanur town facilitates access to major cities and towns in Kerala and Karnataka states. The Mattanur–Maruthayi–Mannur Road, towards the north, provides accessibility through the Nayikali Bridge and the Mannur Bridge to SH 36, thus allowing easy access to towns like Irikkur, Sreekandapuram, Taliparamba, and Payyanur. The Anjarakandy Road passes at the entrance of the airport and connects settlements like Anjarakandy and Chakkarakkal. The Thalassery–Coorg Road also connects the proposed Hill Highway at Iritty, which in turn provides connectivity to all major settlements in the  western Ghat area. Kerala government has given node for developing various roads connecting Kannur Airport like Vayanthode-Mattanur-Koottupuzha road, Thalassery-Anjarakandy-Mattanur road, Kuttiady-Panoor-Mattanur road, Mananthavady-Mattanur road, Kannur-Airport roads for better connectivity. There is no rail connectivity to Mattanur, but proposals for Thalassery–Mysore railway line and Kannur South Airport Railway line are still active. The nearest railway station is Thalassery, and is located at a distance of from Mattanur. The Kannur railway station, located at from Mattanur, is the major station in the district, with access to all trains, including super-fast trains, to  the north and south of the country. Administration. Mattanur Municipality is a part of Mattanur (State Assembly constituency) under Kannur (Lok Sabha constituency). Geography. The area has the typical midland characteristics of Kerala, with undulating terrain that is mainly used for agriculture. The geographical area of the municipal town stretches between the Irikkur River (a portion of the Valapattanam River) in the north and the Anjarakandy River in the south. The town is located at the foothills of the western shoulders of the Western Ghats, rising at the east side, while the western boundary contains gradual sloping terrain leading to  the Lakshadweep Sea. The Thalassery–Coorg Road (SH30) passes through the Mattanur municipal town. The major urban development and activities are confined to the Mattanur junction area, where the Kannur Road meets with the state highway. The Pazhassi Barrage and a garden of the Pazhassi Irrigation Project are located very close to the town, and this spot is a major tourist destination. The main entrance of the Kannur International Airport is in the town area and is just 3 km from the Mattanur junction. Attractions. Pazhassi Dam is a tourist attraction with a garden and boating facilities. The dam provides  drinking water to the Kannur, Tellichery, and Mahé municipalities. Mattanur is famous for its "Kavu," where ancient folk rituals, called Theyyam, are performed during the months of January to April. Important attractions in mattanur. The Utsavam of Mattanur, at the Sree Mahadeva Temple, starts from 27 February every year. The eight-day festival ends with the Aaratu. The Prathishtadinam Temple, Illam Nira, Mandalamasa, and Bhagavathasapthaha are holy moments of the temple. Inside the temple, Lord Mahadeva is worshiped with three Bhavas during the morning, noon, and evening. The "thee purath vayal" is famous . The Muzhakkunu Shri Mridhagasyleswari Temple is about  10 km from Mattanur. The goddesses Amma and Thrayambakeswari are worshiped there with the form of playing on a Mridangam, the sacred instrument. The temple hosts Navaratri in the month of Kanni, Thrikkarthika in the month of Vrischikam and Chalayil Mahavishnu kshetram is a famous Vishnu temple situated in Mattanur, and is one of the rarest temples for worshiping the Narasimha Avathara of Lord Vishnu. A Masjid or Mosque situated near Mattanur is known as the "Mattanur Juma Masjid." It is one of the largest and most famous Masjid in Kannur District. Mattanur also has a famous pond known as  kulathoor (thareeka's kulam) located near PRNSS College. The pond is famous for its transparency of water. Another famous place situated near Mattanur is "Perinchery Sree Vishnu Kshethram," for worshiping Lord Lakshmana. Annual celebrations include an eight-day Utsavam which starts on the "Uthratathi" day of every Kumbha Masam. The Pariyaram Shree Subhrahamanya swami Temple, situated in Pariyaram Mundayode, and famous for wall paintings worships the Lord Vel Muruka (Senapati Subhrahmanya). The three days of uthsavam starts on