Taliparamba

The town's name may be derived from "Tali" (plate) and "Parambu" (area), and from the legend of Rajarajeshwara Temple. According to this legend, the Ikshvaku King Maandhatha offered great penance to Shiva who in return gifted him with a Shiva Linga and instructed him to place it at a site where there had never been a cremation ground. He found a space the size of a plate in Perinchelloor, and hence the name Taliparamba became attached to the area. Lakshmipuram, a previous name for the city, means place of prosperity. It is best known as the location of Allamkulam (Mahshood).

Taliparamba originated as the Perinchalloor Brahmin settlement. Of the 2,000 Brahmin families who settled here, only 45 remain today, as many were forced to flee after the onslaught of the Islamist army of Tipu Sultan in the late 18th century. In 1955 the Taliparamba panchayat was formed, with Balakrishna Menon as its first president. In 1975 the Pattuvam region was separated from the panchayat. In 1990 Taliparamba municipality was formed by the merging of Anthoor and Taliparamba panchayats and then bifurcated Anthoor region from Taliparamba and created separate Anthoor municipality in 2015.

Taliparamba is located about 22 kilometres (14 mi) north of the district headquarters of Kannur, and about 486 kilometres (302 mi) away from the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram, 287 kilometres (178 mi) north of Ernakulam, 110 kilometres (68 mi) north of Kozhikode, 132 kilometres (82 mi) south of Mangalore and 310 kilometres (190 mi) south west of Bangalore city.

Taliparamba is the headquarters of Taliparamba taluk, one of the five taluks constituting the district and one of the revenue divisions in Kerala. Kannur district is divided into two revenue divisions, Taliparamba division in the north and Thalassery division in the south, respectively. The division has jurisdiction over taluks of Payyanur, Taliparamba and Kannur. Taliparamba Assembly constituency comes under Kannur Loksabha constituency.

Taliparamba Municipality is divided into 34 wards covering an area of 25 km² (9.7 sq mi) for which the elections are held every five years. Taliparamba Municipality has total administration over 8909 houses to which it supplies basic amenities like water and sewerage. It is also authorize to build roads within Municipality limits and impose taxes on properties coming under its jurisdiction.

Taliparamba is located at 12.05°N 75.35°E / 12.05; 75.35.[6] It has an average elevation of 56 metres (184 ft) above sea level. The surrounding area (including the villages of Pattuvam, Pariyaram, Kuttiyeri, Karimbam, and Koonam) features lush green fields and low rolling hills. The Kuppam and Valapattanam rivers surround the town and the Arabian Sea is only 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) to the west of the city.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, during the regime of the Kolathiri Rajas, Taliparamba was renowned in Kerala as a seat of learning, enlightenment, and culture. Today, the most prominent educational institutions include:

• Darul Falah Islamic Academy, Taliparamba
• Pariyaram Medical College
• Government College of Engineering, Kannur
• National Institute of Fashion Technology
• Sir Syed College (Taliparamba)
• Tagore Vidyaniketan, Taliparamba
• St. Paul's High School, Taliparamba
• Seethi Sahib Higher Secondary School, Manna
• Yatheem Khana UP School, Manna
• Mappila UP School, Madrasa Junction
• Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Taliparamba
• Akkiparamba UP School, Chiravkk
• Moothedath Higher Secondary School, Taliparamba
• Shyam Prasad School, Taliparamba
• Sir Syed Higher Secondary School, Karimbam
• Devamatha Arts And Science College, Paisakary

As of the 2011 census, Taliparamba Municipality had population of 72,465 of which 33,779 are males while 38,685 are females with an area spread over 43 km² (17 sq mi).[7] In 2015, Anthoor region was carved from Taliparamba Municipality and formed a separate Anthoor Municipality. After bifurcation, Taliparamba Municipality has a population of 44,247 which consists of 20,838 males and 23,409 females with an area of 25.04 km² (9.67 sq mi). The female sex ratio here is of 1187 against state average of 1084. The average population density is 1,767 inhabitants per square kilometre (4,580/sq mi).

Literacy rate of Taliparamba town is 96% higher than state average of 94.00%. In Taliparamba, male literacy is around 97.50% while female literacy rate is 93.06%. Hindus, Muslims, and Christians form the core population.[8]

The political landscape of Taliparamba is dominated by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM). In the Kerala Legislative Assembly election held in 2016, James Mathew won by a margin of 41,000 votes.[9] Other political parties like such as the BJP, Muslim League, and Congress also have marginal influence in the town.

Taliparamba assembly constituency is part of the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency.[10]

NH 66 passes through Taliparamba town. Goa and Mumbai can be accessed on northern side and Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram on southern side.[11] SH 36 connects Taliparamba town with Iritty and Mysore and Bangalore are accessible from Iritty towards east.

The nearest railway station is Kannur on the Shoranur-Mangalore Section line.

The nearest airport is at Kannur, 37 kilometres (23 mi) away,[12] while Mangalore and Calicut airports are nearby, too.

Taliparamba is home to a number of temples, churches, and mosques. Temples include the Rajarajeshwara Temple, Trichambaram Temple and Parassinikkadavu Temple. Taliparamba Juma Masjid and St. Mary's Church are other prominent religious centres in the town. The bridges at Kuttiyeri and Kooveri, Vellikkeel Eco-Tourism Park, and the riverside temple at Parassinikkadavu attract many tourists. Paithal Mala and Palakkayam thattu hill stations are other popular locations nearby.

The District Agricultural Farm at Karimbam is a major research organization in Taliparamba. The farm was originally established in 1905 by Sir Charles Alfred Barber at the behest of the Madras Government, based on the recommendation of the Famine Commission of 1880 of the Government of India. Although the objective was to do research on pepper, the activities of the farm were further extended to agroclimatic experiments, hybridization and the production and distribution of seeds and seedlings. Covering an area of 56 hectares, the farm has a rich biodiversity with a variety of indigenous and exotic fruit trees, such as Mangosteen, Rambutan, and Durian.[16]

• 
  Forest footpath
• 
  Farm Office
• 
  I.T.K.Center

• Muyyam
• Alakkode Road
• Taliparamba West
• Dharmasala, Kannur

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Taliparamba.

• Taliparamba travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Map