Tirur was part of the Kingdom of Tanur (Vettattnad) in medieval times and the site of part of the first railroad laid by the British in Kerala. Vettathunad, also known as the Kingdom of Tanur, was a coastal city-state kingdom in the Malabar Coast. It was ruled by the Vettathu Raja, who was a dependent of the Zamorin of Calicut. Vettathunad was known for its trade relationship with the Arab merchants in the medieval period. The Kshatriya family of the Vettathu Rajas became extinct with the death of the last Raja on 24 May 1793.[3] It was a part of the Malabar District during the British rule.

The 16th-century poet Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, who is considered to be the father of the Malayalam language literature, lived in the town. Thunchan Parambu in Tirur is highly venerated and its sand is believed to be sacred. The sand is used in Vidyāraṃbhaṃ, especially on Vijayadashami. Many mathematicians of Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics lived in Tirur, like Parameshvara and Nilakantha Somayaji among others. The train of Wagon tragedy started its journey from here.

 

Wagon Tragedy

The Wagon Tragedy was the death of a large number of prisoners on 10 November 1921 in the Malabar region of Kerala state of India. The prisoners had been taken into custody following unrest known as Moplah rebellion in Malabar, and their deaths through apparent negligence discredited the British Raj and generated sympathy for the Indian independence movement.

Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and the national leaders of India, there was a widespread and peaceful uprising against the British colonial rule of India. After a series of events that culminated in violent clashes between police and protesters, Martial law was introduced and the rebellion mostly crushed. The British packed 70 prisoners into a railway goods wagon at Tirur railway station to be sent to the Coimbatore jails. By the time they reached their destination 61 of the prisoners had died from suffocation.

Thunchan Parambu

The birthplace of Thunjathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam language. The famous "Thunchan Utsavam" is held here every year in the first week of February. During this festival many literary luminaries, singers and classical dancers gather here. Thunchan Parambu is located in Annara, 1.5 km away from Tirur railway station. A memorial for the great poet has been built at Thunchan Parambu, where a week-long literary mela is organised in the last week of December. This place is sacred for all who speak Malayalam.
Thunchan Paramba is a hallowed ground where hundreds of children are introduced into the world of writing, soon after infancy, when they first trace the letters of the Malayalam alphabets in sand taken from that revered spot which was Ezhuthachan's home. People in thousands reach Thunchan Parambu with their children, to initiate them into the world of letters on the Vijayadasami day. Children are made to write on the white sands of Thunchan Parambu with their fingers. Also young poets of Kerala come on that day to offer their first poem. A Nux vomica  tree, the leaves of which are not bitter, is a surprise at the Thunchan Parambu.

Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan Malayalam University
Kerala's Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurated the Thunchathu Ezhuthachan Malayalam University at Tirur Thunchan Parambu on 1 November 2012. There are seven MA courses in the Malayalam language, linguistics, creative writing, culture and traditional studies, mass communication and journalism, local self governance and environmental studies. The second intake of students were inducted on 18 August 2014.

Thirunavaya/Mamankam Festival
Thirunavaya is a small town in Tirur. The historically important land of ancient Mamankam, Thirunavaya is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of Tirur on the banks of Bharathapuzha River.

The area has three temples dedicated to the Trimurtis, the gods of creation, sustenance and annihilation of life, according to the Hindu belief strewn on the banks of the Bharathapuzha. The well-known vedic Vidyalaya Othanmar Madom of ancient times, is on the bank of Bharathapuzha, near the Siva Temple. This madom was a centre of Aryanisation through Sanskrit and Vedic education, as Thirunavaya was believed to be the main centre where Parasurama brought and settled Brahmins.

Chandanakavu, the birthplace of the great 16th-century Sanskrit poet and grammarian Melapthur Narayana Bahttathiri, is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Tirur on the Thirunnavaya-Kottakal road. A memorial has been built there for the poet, where small children are brought for their formal initiation into learning on Vijayadasami day, as in Thunjan parambu.

Navamunkuda Temple, believed to be constructed by Nava yogis on the right bank of Bharathapuzha, is an important Vishnu temple in Kerala. Pitru Tharpanam is a ritual, held here on the day of Amavasi in Karkidakam (July–August). Balikarma is offered by people in their wet clothes, after a dip in the river, for the salvation of sins and to appease the manes. The martial arts festival Kalripayattu is conducted during summer on the sands of dry Bharathapuzha. The well known Changampalli Kalari, is near Thirunavaya. During the second week of February a Sarvodaya Mela is conducted in Thirunavaya where the Gandhians of Kerala used to assemble. The Santikudeeram, established by the nationalist leader K. Kelappan, is the centre of this mela gathering.

Koottayi hanging bridge
The Tirur-Koottayi road ends at Padinjarekara, better known as Padinjarekara Azhimugham, where the Bharathapuzha and Tirur River s converge to drain into the sea. This place is noted for migratory birds, gathering in their thousands during February - April. This beautiful beach is very near Tirur and is also famous for its astonishing scenic beauty. This beach has long been a favourite destination for both domestic and international travellers as well as nature lovers. Most of the travelers to Malappuram district and pilgrims who are heading to the Kadambuzha Baghavathi Temple and other temples stay here.