Wayanad

It was at Mananthavady (35km N) that Lord Arthur Wellesley fought a guerilla war with the Pazhassi Raja and British supremacy marked the region for two centuries. When the state of Kerala was created in 1956; the southern region of Wayanad which was part of Cannannoor district was attached to Calicut district. In 1980 the Wayanad region was amalgamated out of the districts of Kannur and Kozhikode and comprised the three taluks of Mananthavady, Sultan Bathery and Vythiry.

Kalpetta, the region's district headquarters (15 km N), used to be a major Jain centre. Lakkidi, its gateway town, is popular for its plantation homestays. Tipu Sultan, the legendary ruler of Mysore who valiantly opposed the British, built a fort at Sultan Bathery 10 km away, in the 18th century.

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Chethalayam Waterfall, Sri Mahaganapathy Temple at Thiruvangoor, Pazhassi Raja Museum, Pookote Lake and Edakkal Caves are the prime tourist attractions of Wayanad. Beisdes, Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, Tholpetty, Karappuzha Dam, Jain Temple at Sultan Bathery, Tiger Valley, Meenmutty Falls, Soochippara Waterfalls, Chembra Hills, Bird Sanctuary in north Wayanad, Thirunelly Temple and Kuruva Islands are the other nearby tourist destinations in and around Wayanad.