Thalassery, earlier known as Tellicherry, is the commercial capital of
Kannur District. The town was founded in 1683 by the British
East India Company mainly for spice trade and it was their first settlement on the
Malabar Coast.
Thalassery fort built in 1708 was a strong hold of the British. Herman Gundert, the German Missonary who wrote the first
Malayalam dictionary, made Thalassery his home.
The prime interest at Thalassery is the fort. The church beneath the walls of the fort and Odathu Palli nearby are the major attractions within the vicinity of the fort. Sree Ramaswami Temple and the Sree Jagannath Temple situated at Thiruvangad, 1 km away from Thalassery are important shrines. The Juma Masjid in the heart of the town, Gunder Bunglow and
Dharmadam Island are the other interests. Government Brennen College is a renowned educational institution.
Thalassery has several first's to its credit. Rajya Samacharam the first Malayalam Newspaper was published here. NTTF (Nettur Technical Training Foundation) a premier institute for tool and die making was founded here. The writer of the first Malayalam novel, O.Chandumenon was born here. The first bakery of
Kerala, Mambally Bakery, was started in Tellicherry. With numerous circus companies and artists, Thalassery is the home of circus in India.
Thalassery is 62 km north of Kozhikode. Thalassery has a railway station on
Mangalore-
Chennai rail line.
