Kumpam River

Kuppam river has its genesis close to the border that the state of Kerala shares with Karnataka in the Western Ghats there. To be precise, the location of this river can be traced to be at Taliparamba that belongs to the Kannur District in the state of Kerala. The exact point of origin of this river is at a place by the name of Padinalkadu ghat and the river seems to be following the same track as that of another river by name Valapattanam. These two rivers seem to be running like railway tracks – not merging with each other, yet following the same course of travel.

This river is also known by the name Mattol and is close to 82 m long. This river has proven to be an important mode of transport, for the people who wanted to go across the town of Kannur. This was very helpful as the town also was a hilly region where treading on foot was a little difficult. However with the passage of time and the building of the bridges on the river, the usage of this river for transport has considerably reduced. There is a small port called Azhikkal near the river mouth. In earlier days this should have been played a major role in trading.

Either side of the river has lush greenery that makes this place an ideal tourist spot. Thanks to the ample rains that ensure the river never dries up, the greenery also never dries up. The small hills and the greenery that are seen all along the river beds makes it feel like heaven on earth when here.  The backdrop of the hills and the river, especially during the rainy seasons is must watch sight. Added to such natural and scenic beauty are the manmade bridges that enhance the beauty of the river. Tourists who visit Kerala make it a point to visit this river to see the wide variety of natural beauty that abounds in this place. The river in all its glory and the nature on both sides and the mountains that form a beautiful background all are sure to mesmerize the minds of tourists who make a visit here.

Course

The river that originates in the Western Ghats flows through the Kannur town of Taliparamaba. The river flows from east to west and ends its course when it empties itself into the vast Arabian Sea. The entire city where the river flows is full of people who follow the religion of Islam; therefore there are quite a few Muslim places of worship along the length of the river.

This river has served as an important transport system to the people of the earlier days and that is the reason for the so many bridges that have now come up on this river. There is ample proof that there were boats on this river that helped in transporting good amounts of cashews, peppers and therefore these had played an important part in the trade.  This kind of trading eventually increased the economic conditions of the place.

The city of Kuppam was an important centre of business, and therefore there were big boats that were constructed to ply on the river of Kuppam.  Today, there are two bridges on this river and the architecture of the bridges deserves special mention. The massive arches and the sturdy pillar that are used to withstand the weight of the transportation that happens, are very good examples of architectural excellence.

Tributaries

The Kuppam river has many tributaries and these are Chiriyathode, Kuttilol Puzha, Mukuttathodu, Alakutathode and Pakathupuzha. Of these the most prominent is that of Kuttilol Puzha and this seems to be flowing in the direction opposite to that of Thaliparamba.  This looks like it is flowing out of Thaliparambha.

The seven small hills that are seen in the city, the natural greenery that is seen on either side of the river, the strong and sturdy bridges, all leave the onlookers asking for more. Thanks to the availability of transport, this town of Kuppam served as an important storage centre for products like pepper and cashew and even today, we can see that there are good storage facilities that are present.

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