town in Kasargod District, Kerala, India
Bekal is a small town, known for the nearby seaside Bekal Fort, near Kanhangad in Northern Kerala, India.
Bekal Fort is one of the unspoilt forts of Kerala. The area inside the fort is 40 acres and being very photogenic, this fort is a favorite location for film shooting. Bekal Fort was built by Shivappa Nayaka of Keladi in 1650 AD. Tamil film Bombay directed by Mani Ratnam has some scenes form this fort.
Buses are available from Mangalore 50km, Kasaragod 18 km and Kozhikode 170 km. The nearest airports are at Kannur and Mangalore. The nearest major railway station is at Kanhangad, 8 km. The cute little railway station at Pallikkara near Bekal Fort caters only for slow trains.
Autorikshaws are the only available local transport.
Bakel is notorious for nosy people who crowd and catcall at the visitors, especially the womenfolk. You can take it as a new experience as you will not get such dedicated attention anywhere else in Kerala. They are not dangerous people except when you try to react or complain to the police. The miscreants are aged between 20 and 30 and come in expensive cars for this activity. They also follow you around the town if you expose any flesh.