India Mint Stamp

Lokith Philately

Permanent Pictorial cancellation of Kerala

Permanent Pictorial Cancellation inaugural day covers

Date of issue: 23.02.1983

Pin code: 671316

Status: Active

PO Name: Pallikere

Description: The largest and best preserved fort, Bekal Fort is located 16 km south of Kasargod on NH-66 at the northern tip of Kerala. The shallow water Pallikere beach is just a km away from the fort. Bekal Fort is centuries old as it holds memories of a glorious past. The fort is a circular imposing structure of laterite 130 feet above sea level, situated on a 35-acre headland that extends into the Arabian Sea. The fort has a curved entrance, strategically placed gates on the outer walls for protection and a moat all around, but there is no palace inside and it was probably built for security purposes only. 

The sea bastions, underground tunnels and observation towers in the fort are impressive. Several underground passages lead from different parts of the fort. Two of them are still intact, one leading to the south side of the fort and the other to the east towards the moat. The fort was used to store arms and ammunition at that time. The fort is more than 300 years old. It was built in the 1650s by Shivappa Naik of the Ikkeri dynasty. It is said to have been originally built by the Kolathiri kings and later taken over by Shivappa Naik. The fort was captured by Hyder Ali of Mysore in 1763 AD, Huzur of Canara during the reign of Tipu Sultan and later by the British. It is now managed by the Archaeological Survey of India. The Postal Department has displayed the image of Bekal Fort on PPC.