Kannur is one among the northernmost districts in the south western state of Kerala in India. The old name 'Cannanore' is the anglicised form of the Malayalam word Kannur. Kannur might have derived its name from one of the the Hindu diety, Kannan (Lord Krishna) and Ur (place) making it the place of Lord Krishna. The deity of the Katalayi Sreekrishna temple was earlier situated in a shrine at Katalayi Kotta in the south eastern part of the Kannur town.

Kannur is a coastal city in the south Indian state of Kerala. It was once an ancient trading port. Enduring monuments such as 16th-century St. Angelo Fort, once occupied by European colonial forces, show the city’s significant role in the spice trade. Housed in a former palace, the Arakkal Museum highlights Kerala's one Muslim royal family. The palm-fringed sands of Payyambalam Beach run along Kannur’s western shore.