Named after Kallai, the core center of timber trade in north
Kerala, the Kallai River originates from the Cherukulathur village in
Kozhikode District and links itself with the Chaliyar on the south by a man-made canal. It traverses the state through Cherukulathur, Kovur, Olavanna, Manava and Kallai before merging with the
Arabian Sea at
Kozhikode. The 22 km long river covers an area of 96 sq km, and is one of the most important in the entire state from the commercial point of view.