Considered the largest and the best-preserved fort in Kerala, the Bekal Fort is a majestic structure that lies 130 feet above sea level. Endowed with a long history, the Bekal Fort still is one of the most imposing structures in Kerala and attracts tourists, historians, and nature lovers alike.
The historical relevance of the fort led the Archeological Survey of India to take up the responsibility of looking after it, and it was made a ‘Special Tourism Area’.
Location of Bekal Fort
The Bekal Fort is located in the Kasargod District of Kerala. The exact location of the Bekal Fort is about 16 km south of the Kasargod, on the national highway, and at the northernmost tip of the State of Kerala.
Time Required : 2-3 hours
Entry Fee : INR 20
Information about Bekal Fort
The Bekal Fort has a long history, which is three centuries old. Around the 1650s, Sivappa Naik of the Ikkeri dynasty built this fort, though some historians believe that it was Kolathiri Rajas who built the fort that Naik later captured. Hyder Ali of Mysore also possessed the fort during 1763 A.D. From there it passed on to the Huzur of Canara and then to the British Empire.
One interesting feature of the fort is that there are no palaces inside the fort walls, and the Bekal Fort was likely built only for defense purposes. The features of the Bekal Fort in Kerala are the underground tunnels, the observation towers, the sea bastion, the meandering entrance, the strategic openings on the walls, etc. There is also a mosque built by Tipu Sultan just outside the Bekal Fort.
