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Thalassery () (also called Tellicherry) "Govt approves change in names of 25 towns". The Times of India. 12 February 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2015. is a city and municipality on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the districts of Mahe and Kozhikode. Thalassery municipality has a population of just under 100,000 as of 2011 census. Thalassery Heritage City has an area of . Thalassery has an altitude ranging from above mean sea-level. It is located 25 km (15 mi) from Vatakara, 15 km (10 mi) from Mahé and 22 km (13 mi) from Kannur.
Tellicherry municipality was formed on 1 November 1866 according to the Madras Act 10 of 1865 (Amendment of the Improvements in City act 1850) of the British Indian Empire, making it the second oldest municipality in the state. At that time, the municipality was known as Tellicherry Commission and Tellicherry was the capital of North Malabar. G. M. Ballard, the Malabar District collector, was the first president of the municipal commission. A European barrister, A. F. Lamaral, would later become the first Chairman of Thalassery municipality. Thalassery grew into a prominent place during European rule, due to its strategic geographic location. Thalassery has played a significant historical, cultural, educational and commercial role in the history of India, especially during the colonial period. On 9 February 2014, Thalassery taluk was split in two and Iritty taluk was formed. The northeastern hilly region of the former Thalassery Taluk, including Peravoor, Aralam, Ayyankunnu, Kottiyoor, and Kelakam, are within the Iritty Taluk area.
The second volume of the 1885 administration manual of the former Madras Presidency cites, which includes information on the research of regional legends and folklore, indicates that the name Thalassery in ancient Sanskrit literature was Shwetaranyapura.
The British established a trading post and built a factory at Tellicherry in 1694, having gained permission from Vadakkalankur, the prince regent of the Raja of Kolathunad. They had already been trading on the Malabar coast for much of that century, buying pepper from merchants, and had established a similar post at Travancore ten years earlier.
In 1761, the British captured Mahe, which lies adjacent to Thalassery, and the settlement was handed over to the ruler of Kadathanadu. The British restored Mahe to the French as a part of the 1763 Treaty of Paris. In 1779, the Anglo-French war broke out, resulting in the French loss of Mahe. In 1783, the British agreed to restore to the French their settlements in India, and Mahe was handed over to the French in 1785.
After the annexation of Malabar, the British called upon Thalassery, the royal families and other major Nair and Namboothiri feudal lords to return, but this was heavily opposed by some local rulers. Along with heavy taxation and laws that curbed free movement, the appeal resulted in multiple uprisings against the British with heavy casualties to British forces. Thousands of soldiers were killed, but the resistance was eventually defeated.
Unlike southern Kerala, the region of Thalassery does not have lagoons, although many rivers flow through it. Thalassery however has a large area of mangroves, which is now being protected. The coast has no delta formation. The coastal plain is only a few kilometres in width and is bordered by highlands. The north of Thalassery is Dharmadam, an island area surrounded by two rivers and the sea. On the eastern side, hilly areas start from Kuthuparamba.
The Thalassery urban agglomeration consists of the Thalassery municipality and panchayaths of Eranholi, Kadirur, Dharmadam, Muzhappilangad, Pinarayi and New Mahe with a present population of around 300,000.
Hindus made up 61.37% of the population, followed by Muslims (34.30%), and Christians (3.64%).
The Government of Kerala has included Thalassery in its heritage city project. The project includes the preservation of historical structures. Thalassery cuisine (a blend of Arabian, Persian, Indian and European styles of cooking) is popular around the world. Thalassery biryani is popular as an ethnic brand, and Tellicherry pepper is also used in Europe.
Painting and sculpture exhibitions are frequently held at the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi art gallery located in Keezhantimukk, Thiruvangad.
William Logan was said to be fluent in Malayalam, Tamil language and Telugu language. He is remembered for his 1887 guide to the Malabar District, popularly known as the Malabar Manual.
Rajyasamacharam and Paschimodayam (the first two Malayalam newspapers) were published from Illikunnu, Nettoor in Tellicherry in 1847 by Hermann Gundert, who was the editor of the journal and was a religious propagator from the Basel Evangelical Mission Society (BEMP). Rajyasamacharam started publishing from Illikkunnu in Thalassery City.
The spice trade from the Malabar coast which began around 1500 BC is still active.
Thalassery Stadium, located close to the sea, hosts Ranji Trophy cricket matches quite often. Wellesley is believed to have introduced this game in Kerala in the 18th century for British soldiers garrisoned in the Tellichery Fort. India's first cricket club, which was later named the Town Cricket Club, was formed in 1850 at Tellichery by Wellesley. The Tellichery Cricket ground was the hub of cricket activities during this period. An exhibition match was conducted in there to raise funds during the First World War.
Kannur University Thalassery Campus is located at Palayad, 6 km north of Thalassery. The Basel Evangelic Mission Parsi High school is an English Medium school (established 1856) in Malabar. Dr. Hermann Gundert was a tutor there. Kaikose Ruderasha, a Parsi, donated funds to build the institute with the assistance of German missionaries.
Other educational institutions include Sports Authority of India Centre, Nettur Technical Training Foundation, St Joseph's Higher Secondary School, Sacred Heart Girls High School, and Basel Evangelical Mission Parsi High School.
The nearest airport is Kannur International Airport, located 24 km east from the town.[5]. "The Times of India". (5 November 2018). Calicut International Airport 100 km, Mangalore International Airport 170 km and Cochin International Airport 235 km could be alternate choices.
Kanyakumari-Mumbai NH-66 passes through Thalassery. Kozhikode is 66 km from Thalassery. Mangalore is 150 km from Thalassery. Interstate highway, Thalassery-Coorg Road (SH-30) is a major road linking Kerala to Kodagu district of Karnataka State. Interstate buses ply on this route in a frequency of one in an hour. The hill stations Virajpet in Kodagu and Mananthavady in Wayanad are 82 km away from the town. Regular buses to Bengaluru, which is at a distance of 310 km from Thalassery, operate on a daily basis.
The Thalassery-Mahe bypass, a six-lane highway inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2024, significantly enhances connectivity between Muzhappilangad in Kannur district and Azhiyoor in Kozhikode district.
Muzhappilangad beach is a 5.5 km long beach where it is possible to drive vehicles. This beach was listed as one of the top 10 drive-in beaches in the world by a BBC survey.
It is an important center of Kalari Payattu and health tourism. Other visitors come to experience Theyyam and explore the area's history, such as Tellicherry Fort.
Thalassery Pier ( Kadalpaalam), Overbury's Folly, Pazhassi Dam and Reservoir garden and Malayala Kala Gramam, New Mahe,(7 km from Thalassery) are other attractions. A shipwreck is visible near the Thalassery shore.
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