Thaankai wharf in Kasaragod: Where history floated away into oblivion

Cheruvathur: Once a bustling hub where crowds gathered to board ferries to the outside world, the Thaankai ferry landing in Kayyoor has now been reduced to a shadow of its former self. Evening boats from Kannur would arrive, return the next morning and bring life to the landing, supporting thriving hotels, shops and markets. But today, all of this have been reduced to history.

Thaankai landing rose to prominence during the heyday of water transport along the Karyankodu river. Leaders attending memorial meetings related to the Kayyoor struggle would often arrive via the landing. On one occasion, leader K. Karunakaran took the ferry from Karyankodu to Thaankai to address an election campaign in Kayyoor. Newspapers from Kannur also reached the area by boat in those days.

As water transport declined, the ferry landing lost its vibrancy. The building that once housed shops in the old market fell into disrepair. With projects like the Palai shutter-cum-bridge coming up, Thaankai landing has now become irrelevant. Today’s generation remains entirely unaware of the pivotal role it once played in connecting the region to the outside world.