Nileshwaram or Nileshwar, a municipality and a main town in Kasaragod District, at the state of Kerala, India.One of three municipalities in Kasaragod district,andothers are Kasaragod and Kanhangad. Nileshwar, referred as the cultural capital of Kasaragod, the northern district, of Kerala. Nileswaram, abbreviated by Neelakanta Ishwaran. It was historically ruled by the king Neeleswaram Rajahs, who belonged to the clans of the Kolathiri and Zamorins. The Nileshwar Rajahs and the Bednore Nayaks battled this area.Mostly people are Hindus, followed by the Christians and Muslims. To be a lesser extent, there are Jain and Buddhists are also the followers. The name Nileshwa is derived from the name of a temple Thaliyil Siva Temple (Neelakanteshwaran), and the culture of this town is based in large part by its temples, like Thaliyil Siva Temple, Mannam Purath Kaavu and Vaikunda Temple.