District · Kerala

Kasaragod

കാസർഗോഡ്

Geo ID:IND-IN-KERA-KASA

About Kasaragod

Kasaragod (കാസർഗോഡ്) is the northernmost district of Kerala - Keralam, India, bordering Karnataka and the Arabian Sea. It is known for its multilingual communities, coastal landscapes, rivers and historic forts. Its terrain stretches from sandy shores and lowland farms to the wooded slopes of the Western Ghats.

Malayalam, Tulu and Kannada are among the languages spoken here. Theyyam traditions, religious festivals and coastal food cultures reflect the district’s diversity. Agriculture, fishing, trade and overseas employment support many households, with coconut and arecanut among important crops. Bekal Fort is a prominent landmark, while Chandragiri Fort and the district’s temples, mosques and churches contribute to its cultural heritage.

Residents commonly focus on reliable drinking water, healthcare access, education, transport links and local employment. Coastal erosion, waste management and protection of rivers and hills are recurring concerns. Rehabilitation and sustained healthcare for people affected by historical endosulfan exposure remain especially significant civic issues.

Source: CivicPulse · Kasaragod

Local overview guidance is unavailable; the following is state-wide context for Kerala.

Overview

Kerala is a coastal south-Indian state of 33.4 million people, formed on 1 November 1956, with the highest literacy, HDI and life expectancy in India — known worldwide for Ayurveda, backwaters and cardamom.

Kerala (Malayalam: കേരളം) sits on the south-western Malabar Coast between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats. The state has 14 districts, capital Thiruvananthapuram, largest city Kochi, and an area of 38,863 km² supporting 33,406,061 residents at the 2011 Census. Kerala consistently ranks first among Indian states on human-development indicators — literacy, life expectancy, infant mortality and HDI — and its economy is the most service-heavy of any state, with tourism, healthcare, IT and Gulf remittances the four pillars. Kerala is home to India's oldest Christian and Jewish communities and a syncretic religious balance (Hindu 54.7%, Muslim 26.6%, Christian 18.4%).

14 districts, 941 gram panchayats
Malayalam is the sole official language
Thiruvananthapuram
Government of Kerala

Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
Largest city: Kochi (Ernakulam)
Districts: 14
Statehood: 1 November 1956

Sources (2)

Government of Kerala — State Profile — Government of Kerala · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies toadministrative structure
Census of India — Kerala — Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies topopulation, area, religion

Key facts last verified by Indias.com editors on 2026-09-14

Source: Indias.com · Kerala state guide

Local history guidance is unavailable; the following is state-wide context for Kerala.

History

Kerala's recorded history stretches from Sangam-era Chera kingdoms and 2nd-century BCE Muziris trade with Rome, through Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial phases, to a 1956 States Reorganisation that merged Malabar, Kochi and Travancore into today's state.

Kerala's history begins in the Sangam period (roughly 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE), when the Cheras ruled much of the region alongside the Cholas and Pandyas. The ancient port of Muziris (near modern Kodungallur) was the principal Malabar port on the Indo-Roman spice route; Pliny and the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea record active trade in pepper, ivory and pearls by the 1st century CE. Christianity arrived, according to tradition, with the apostle Thomas at Kodungallur in 52 CE, and Jewish and Arab-Muslim mercantile communities were established at Kochi and along the coast well before European contact. The medieval period saw the rise of the second Chera dynasty (Kulasekhara, c. 800–1102 CE) and later the Zamorin of Kozhikode. Vasco da Gama landed at Kappad near Kozhikode on 20 May 1498, opening a Portuguese, Dutch (from 1663) and finally British colonial phase. The princely states of Travancore and Cochin negotiated separate accords with the British while the northern Malabar district was directly administered from Madras. On 1 November 1956 the States Reorganisation Act merged Malabar with Travancore–Cochin to form Kerala; the four northern taluks of Travancore were transferred to Tamil Nadu the same day.

Sangam-era Chera kingdom
Muziris — principal port on the Indo-Roman spice route
Portuguese landing at Kappad, 1498
Kerala formed on 1 November 1956

Sangam period: 3rd c. BCE – 3rd c. CE
Muziris trade with Rome: from 1st c. CE
Vasco da Gama at Kappad: 20 May 1498
State of Kerala formed: 1 November 1956

Sources (4)

States Reorganisation Act, 1956 — Ministry of Law, Government of India · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies tostate formation date and boundaries
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (translated by Wilfred Schoff, 1912) — Public domain / archive.org · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies toRoman-era Muziris trade
Vasco da Gama's landing at Kappad — Archaeological Survey of India · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies toPortuguese arrival date
Encyclopaedia Britannica — Kerala — Encyclopaedia Britannica · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies togeneral historical narrative

Key facts last verified by Indias.com editors on 2026-09-14

Source: Indias.com · Kerala state guide

Local geography guidance is unavailable; the following is state-wide context for Kerala.

Geography

Kerala is a narrow, coastal state on India’s south-western tip — 590 km of Arabian Sea coastline to the west, the Western Ghats to the east, and a dense mesh of rivers, lakes and backwaters between them.

Kerala occupies the south-western tip of the Indian peninsula between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats. The state stretches roughly 590 kilometres along the coast (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, State of Environment Report 2016) and is between 35 and 120 kilometres wide, with a total area of 38,863 km² (Census of India 2011). The land is traditionally described in three parallel belts: the coastal lowlands (below 7.5 m elevation), the midlands (7.5–75 m) covering roughly 41 percent of the state, and the eastern highlands rising into the Western Ghats where the highest peak, Anamudi in Idukki district, reaches 2,695 metres. 44 rivers originate in Kerala; 41 flow west into the Arabian Sea and only three flow east into Tamil Nadu. The famous backwaters — a network of interconnected brackish lagoons and lakes running roughly parallel to the coast — cover about 1,687 km², of which Vembanad Lake (Alappuzha–Ernakulam–Kottayam) is the largest at about 230 km² and is a Ramsar-designated wetland since 2002.

Between Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats
3 topographic belts: lowlands, midlands, highlands
44 rivers — all short (longest, Periyar, 244 km)
Backwaters cover 1,687 km²

Coastline: 590 km
Total area: 38,863 km²
Highest peak: Anamudi 2,695 m
Rivers: 44 (41 west-flowing)
Vembanad Lake: 230 km² (Ramsar site)

Sources (4)

State of Environment Report, Kerala 2016 — Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Government of India) · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies tocoastline length, land-use figures
District Census Handbook — Kerala — Census of India · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies tototal area
Ramsar Sites Information Service — Vembanad-Kol Wetland — Ramsar Convention Secretariat · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies towetland status and area
Anamudi peak — Survey of India · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies tohighest peak elevation

Key facts last verified by Indias.com editors on 2026-09-14

Source: Indias.com · Kerala state guide

Local climate guidance is unavailable; the following is state-wide context for Kerala.

Climate

Kerala has a tropical monsoon climate with two rainy seasons: the south-west monsoon (June–September) delivers about 2,000–3,000 mm of rain, followed by a lighter north-east monsoon (October–November); coastal temperatures stay between 22–36°C year-round.

Kerala's climate is classified Am (tropical monsoon) under the Köppen system, with high humidity and heavy monsoon rainfall shaped by the Western Ghats acting as an orographic barrier. Mean annual rainfall is around 3,055 mm (India Meteorological Department normals, 1991–2020), of which roughly 68% falls during the south-west monsoon (June to September) and another 16% during the north-east monsoon (October to November). Coastal Kerala averages 27–32°C through the year; high hills (Munnar, Ponmudi) drop to 5–10°C on winter nights. Kerala was severely flooded during the 2018 south-west monsoon — the worst flood since 1924 — causing 483 deaths and displacing 1.4 million people (Government of Kerala Post-Disaster Needs Assessment 2018).

Two distinct monsoons
Kerala first landfall of Indian SW monsoon each year
2018 floods — worst since 1924
Mean annual rainfall

Mean annual rainfall: ~3,055 mm
SW monsoon share: ~68%
2018 flood deaths: 483
2018 flood displaced: 1.4 million

Sources (2)

IMD Rainfall Statistics — India Meteorological Department · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies torainfall, monsoon timing
Kerala Floods 2018 — Post Disaster Needs Assessment — Government of Kerala with UN & World Bank · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies to2018 flood impact

Key facts last verified by Indias.com editors on 2026-09-14

Source: Indias.com · Kerala state guide

Local people guidance is unavailable; the following is state-wide context for Kerala.

People

Kerala's 33.4 million people live at the highest population density in south India, achieve the country's highest literacy rate, and speak Malayalam alongside significant Tamil, Kannada and Tulu minorities.

Kerala had 33,406,061 residents at the 2011 Census of India — the 12th most populous state — living at 860 persons per km², well above the national average of 382. Malayalam is the official language and the mother tongue of about 97 percent of residents; smaller communities speak Tamil (in the border districts), Kannada, Tulu, Konkani and Marathi. Religious composition per the 2011 Census: Hindus 54.7%, Muslims 26.6% and Christians 18.4% — the most religiously balanced state in India. Kerala reports the highest overall literacy rate in India (94.0%, Census 2011; 96.2% per the 2017–18 NSO Household Survey) and the highest female literacy (91.9%). Life expectancy at birth is 75 years — the highest in India — and infant mortality is the lowest at 6 per 1,000 live births (SRS 2020). Kerala's Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.782 (UNDP 2021) is the highest among Indian states. About 47.7% of the population is urban.

Highest literacy of any Indian state
Lowest infant mortality in India
Highest HDI in India
Balanced religious composition

Population: 33,406,061
Density: 860 /km²
Literacy: 94.0% (highest in India)
Female literacy: 91.9%
Life expectancy: 75 years
Infant mortality: 6 per 1,000 live births
HDI: 0.782

Sources (4)

Census of India — Kerala at a Glance — Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies topopulation, density, literacy, language & religion breakdown
Sample Registration System Statistical Report 2020 — Office of the Registrar General, India · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies tolife expectancy, infant mortality
UNDP Human Development Report 2021/22 — United Nations Development Programme · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies toHuman Development Index
NSO Household Social Consumption on Education 2017–18 — National Statistical Office, MoSPI · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies toupdated literacy figure

Key facts last verified by Indias.com editors on 2026-09-14

Source: Indias.com · Kerala state guide

Local culture guidance is unavailable; the following is state-wide context for Kerala.

Culture

Kerala's cultural identity is shaped by classical Kathakali and Mohiniyattam dance, the vernacular Malayalam literary tradition led by writers from Ezhuthachan to O. V. Vijayan, and syncretic temple, church and mosque festivals that punctuate the year.

Kerala's cultural corpus rests on classical performing arts recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi: Kathakali, a highly stylised dance-drama; Mohiniyattam, a solo female classical form; Koodiyattam, the world's oldest surviving Sanskrit theatre (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, 2001); and Ottamthullal, the satirical performance form of Kunchan Nambiar. Traditional martial art Kalaripayattu, referenced in Sangam texts, is regarded as one of the world's oldest fighting systems. Malayalam literature stretches from Thunchath Ramanujan Ezhuthachan (16th c., considered the father of the language) through Kumaran Asan, Vallathol and Ulloor — the modern "triumvirate" — to contemporary figures O. V. Vijayan and M. T. Vasudevan Nair; six Jnanpith Awards have been won by Malayalam writers. Landmark festivals include Onam (10-day harvest festival, statewide) and Vishu (Malayalam New Year). Kerala's cinema industry (Malayalam cinema, based largely at Kochi) is one of the four principal southern Indian film industries and has produced 3 Best Feature Film National Awards in recent years.

Koodiyattam — UNESCO Intangible Heritage
Kalaripayattu — among the world's oldest martial arts
10-day Onam harvest festival
Six Jnanpith Awards for Malayalam writers

Koodiyattam: UNESCO Intangible Heritage
Malayalam literature Jnanpith laureates: 6
Onam: 10-day harvest festival
Classical dance forms recognised: Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattam, Ottamthullal

Sources (3)

UNESCO Representative List — Kutiyattam, Sanskrit Theatre — UNESCO · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies toKoodiyattam UNESCO status
Sangeet Natak Akademi — Recognised Art Forms — Sangeet Natak Akademi · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies toclassical dance and theatre forms
Bharatiya Jnanpith — Award laureates — Bharatiya Jnanpith · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies toMalayalam Jnanpith winners

Key facts last verified by Indias.com editors on 2026-09-14

Source: Indias.com · Kerala state guide

Local economy guidance is unavailable; the following is state-wide context for Kerala.

Economy

Kerala runs India's highest per-capita GSDP in the tertiary sector, with services (banking, tourism, healthcare, IT) contributing over 60% of state output; remittances from about 2.1 million Malayali workers in the Gulf equal roughly a fifth of GSDP.

Kerala's Gross State Domestic Product at current prices was ₹11.30 lakh crore (about US$135 billion) in 2023–24 — the 12th largest state economy in India — with a per-capita GSDP of ₹3.29 lakh, roughly 1.7× the national average (Economic Review 2024, Kerala State Planning Board). Services account for about 63% of gross value added, industry 27% and agriculture 10%. Kerala is the world's largest producer of rubber, cardamom and coconut coir, and the largest Indian producer of black pepper, ginger, cardamom and rubber. Foreign remittances from the Kerala diaspora — estimated at 2.1 million workers, more than 80% of them in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Kerala Migration Survey 2018) — totalled about ₹85,000 crore in 2018, roughly one-fifth of GSDP. Kerala hosts three IT parks (Technopark Thiruvananthapuram, Infopark Kochi, Cyberpark Kozhikode), and Kochi is home to India's first indigenous shipbuilding drydock at Cochin Shipyard, which built INS Vikrant.

Highest per-capita GSDP among large states
World's largest producer of rubber, cardamom, coir
~2.1M diaspora (mostly Gulf); remittances ~20% of GSDP
Cochin Shipyard — built INS Vikrant

GSDP (2023–24, current): ₹11.30 lakh crore
Per-capita GSDP: ₹3.29 lakh (~1.7× national)
Services share of GVA: ~63%
Malayali diaspora: ~2.1 million
Annual remittances: ~₹85,000 crore
Rubber production: India's largest producer

Sources (4)

Kerala Economic Review 2024 — Kerala State Planning Board · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies toGSDP, per-capita income, sectoral shares
Kerala Migration Survey 2018 — Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies todiaspora size, remittance value
Rubber Board of India — statistics — Rubber Board, Ministry of Commerce & Industry · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies torubber production
Cochin Shipyard Ltd — corporate profile — Cochin Shipyard Limited · retrieved2026-09-14 · applies toINS Vikrant construction

Key facts last verified by Indias.com editors on 2026-09-14

Source: Indias.com · Kerala state guide

Towns & villages in Kasaragod

AjanurAnanthapuraBadiadkaBalalBedadkaBelloorChemnadChengalaCheruvathurDelampadyEast EleriEnmakajeKallarKanhangadKaradkaKayyur CheemeniKinanoor - KarinthalamKodomBelurKumbadajeKumblaKuttikolMadhurMadikaiMangalpadyManjeshwarMeenjaMogral PuthurMuliyarNileshwaram - NileshwarPadnePaivalikePallikerePanathadyPilicodePullurPeriyaPuthigeTrikaripurUdmaValiyaparambaVorkady

Source: CivicPulse

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