Kozhikode

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  ?Kozhikode
Kerala • India
Map indicating the location of Kozhikode
Thumbnail map of India with Kerala highlighted
Location of Kozhikode
Coordinates: 11°15′N 75°46′E / 11.25, 75.77
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Area
• Elevation
• 1 m (3 ft)
District(s) Kozhikode
Population 436,556 (2001)
Mayor M. Bhaskaran
Codes
• Pincode
• Vehicle
• 673001
• KL 11
Website: kozhikode.nic.in

Coordinates: 11°15′N 75°46′E / 11.25, 75.77

For the district with the same name, see Kozhikode District.

Kozhikode pronunciation (help·info) in (Malayalam കോഴിക്കോട് ; IPA: [ko:ɹikko:ɖ]), also known as Calicut, is a city in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is the third largest city in Kerala and the headquarters of Kozhikode district. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom, and later of the erstwhile Malabar District.

Kozhikode has a population of 436,527 as of 2001 census, with an extended metropolitan population of about 0.9 million, making it the third largest urban agglomeration and the third largest city in Kerala. According to data compiled by economics research firm Indicus Analytics on residences, earnings and investments, Kozhikode ranked as the second best city in India to reside in. Indicus considered six parameters -- health, education, environment, safety, public facilities and entertainment -- for preparing their 'reside-in' index of livability.[1]

Contents

[edit] Name

The word Calicut is the anglicized version of the Malayalam name Kozhikode derived from koyil (Palace) Kodu (Fortified). Traditionally Calicut was a world famous port for trading and it has a long time relationship with the Arabian peninsula. As is common with several place names in Kerala, most non-native speakers find it difficult to pronounce the retroflex approximant (IPA symbol: ɻ) in local name 'Kozhikode', hence its called Calicut in the outside world. The place surrounded by the fort was known as Koyil (palace) Kotta (fort) and hence the name of the place became Kozhikode. Foreigners called it by different names, for Arabs it was Kalikat, for Chinese it was Kalifo while the city is known to the outside world by its European name. Tipu Sultan, during the conquest of Malabar, unsuccessfully attempted to change the name of the city to Ferozabad.

[edit] History

Zheng He's navigation chart from Hormuz to Calicut, 1430
Zheng He's navigation chart from Hormuz to Calicut, 1430

The ports of the Malabar Coast have participated in the Indian Ocean trade in spices, silk, and other goods for over two millennia. There are documented visits in as early as the 14th century, by Chinese travellers such as Zheng He[2]. Kozhikode had emerged as the centre of an independent kingdom by the 14th century, whose ruler was known as the Samoothirippadu (often anglicised as Zamorin). Thus Calicut came to be called the City of Zamorins

In the year 1498 Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landed at Kappad, about 25 km from Calicut city. This was a major event in the era of European Discoveries, because the discovery of the sea route from Europe to India gave the Portuguese a significant advantage in the control of international trade that lasted for almost a century.

During the 16th century, the Portuguese set up trading posts to the north in Kannur and to the south in Kochi, but the Zamorin resisted the establishment of a permanent Portuguese presence in the city. In 1509 though, the kingdom was forced to accept a Portuguese trading post in Chaliyar[citation needed]. The Samoothirippadu later allied with Portuguese's rivals, the Dutch, and by the mid-17th century the Dutch had captured the Malabar Coast spice trade from the Portuguese. In 1766 Hyder Ali of Mysore captured Kozhikode and much of the northern Malabar Coast and came into conflict with the British based in Madras, which resulted in four Anglo-Mysore Wars. Kozhikode and the surrounding districts were among the territories ceded to the British by Tipu Sultan of Mysore at the conclusion of the Third Anglo-Mysore War in 1792. The newly acquired possessions on the Malabar Coast were organized into the Malabar District of Madras Presidency, and Calicut became the district capital.

After Indian Independence in 1947, Madras Presidency became the Madras State. In 1956, the Indian states were reorganized along linguistic lines. Malabar District was combined with the state of Travancore-Cochin to form the new state of Kerala on November 1, 1956. Malabar District was split into the districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, and Palakkad on January 1, 1957.

[edit] Geography

View of Kallai river
View of Kallai river

Kozhikode is located at 11.25° N 75.77° E[3]. It has an average elevation of 1 metre (3 feet). There are many number of rivers and lakes in the district. Chaliyar puzha, Kallayi Puzha, Korapuzha, Poonoor puzha, and Iravanjhi puzha are some amongst them.

Calicut, is the most important coastal city of Malabar the north region of state of Kerala. It was a leading trading centre for spices on the West Coast of India during the medieval period. Ruled by the Zamorin dynasty, Calicut found a place in World History with the discovery of sea route to India in 1498 by the Portuguese navigator Vasco Da Gama. He landed at Kappad a coastal fishing village and history was changed with the political scanario of India ultimately ending with its colonization by the British. It remained under the Madras Presidency till the formation of Kerala in 1956 after independence.

During the Sangam period, the Calicut District formed part of the Chera Empire. It played a leading part in fostering trade relations between Kerala and outside world. Tondi, the present Kadalundi as per scholars, was one of the most flourishing seaports of Kerala that time. Again nothing is known in the post-sangam age which is considered to be the Dark Age in South India's history. In the 9th century, Calicut became a part of the Second Chera Empire. The Chera's also known as Perumals, ruled the territory till 1122 AD. With the fall of Cheras, the kingdom was divided into many independent districts called "Nadus" such as Ernad and Polanad. Originally Calicut area was under the Porlarthris, rulers of Polanad. It became an important town in 13th century with the conquest of Polanad by the King of Ernad.

The Udaiyavar of Ernad, whose headquarters was at Nediyiruppu wanted an outlet to the sea and after fighting with the Polatthiri King for 48 long years conquered the area around Ponniankara and build a fort at a place called Velapuram. Thus the city of Calicut came into existence sometime in the 13th century AD. With the accession of Calicut, the status of Nediyirippu increased and he come to known as Swami Nambiyathiri Thirumulpad, which gradually became Samuri or Samuthiri over the years. The Europeans called him Zamorin. The place surrounded by the fort was known as Koyil (palace) Kotta (fort) and hence the name of the place became Kozhikode. Foreigners called it by different names, for Arabs it was Kalikat, for Chinese it was Kalifo while the city is known to outside world by its European name - Calicut. Interestingly, the name Calicut is derived from "calico", the fine variety of hand-woven cotton cloth said to have originated from this place, which was then an important manufacture. Kozhikode passed to British rule in 1792.

[edit] Climate

The district has a generally humid climate with a very hot season extending from March to May. The main rainy season is during the South West Monsoon, which sets in the first week of June and extends up to September. The North East Monsoon extends from the second half of October through November. The average annual rainfall is 3266 mm. The best weather is found towards the end of the year, in December and January—the skies are clear, and the air is crisp. The highest temperature recorded was 39.4 °C in March 1975. The lowest was 14 °C recorded on 26 December 1975.

[edit] Demographics

As of 2001 India census[4], Kozhikode had a population of 436,530.Sex ratio : Females/1000 - 1,057. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Kozhikode has an average literacy rate of 92.24%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 96.11%, and female literacy is 88.62%. In Kozhikode, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

[edit] People

Kozhikode is a multiethnic and multi-religious town since early medieval period, as it was an important trading port in the Indian ocean.

Hindus form the largest community, followed by Muslims and Christians respectively. Muslims of Kozhikode are known as Mappilas. Many of the muslims living in the historic part of the city follows Matriliny. In fact, Mappila is a Dravidian word, meaning a newly wed husband coming to his wife's house. The argument is that the infant Muslim community in Malabar adopted it as a convenient arrangement that they were familiar with, and owing to the increasing number of marriages between West Asian traders who visited the area for business and Malabar women belonging to trading families.[5]

Mappila cuisine developed over centuries is influenced by Arab cuisine. Many of the muslims living in the town sometimes have the surname 'Koya', a title which is given to them by Zamorins, the early rulers of Kozhikode.[citation needed]

See also: Mappilas

[edit] Media

Kozhikode occupies a prominent place in the history of Malayalam journalism. The origin of journalism in this district can be traced back to 1880. The Kerala Pathrika is likely to be the earliest newspaper published from Kozhikode. Keralam, Kerala Sanchari and Bharath Vilasam are among the other newspapers that were published from Kozhikode before 1893. Kozhikode is the birth place of one of the top Malayalam dailies "Mathrubhumi".

Many prominent writers of Malayalam literature are from this city. Among them are M T Vasudevan Nair, S K Pottekkadu and Thikkodian.

The Kozhikode station of All India Radio was commissioned on 14 May 1950. It has two transmitters, Kozhikode AM of 100 kilowatt power and Kozhikode FM (Vividh Bharathi) of 10 kilowatt power. A television transmitter has been functioning in Kozhikode from 3 July 1984, relaying programmes from Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram Doordarshan.

Private FM Radio Stations

Radio Mango (the Malayala Manorama Co Ltd) -91.9

S Fm (kal Radio,sun Network) 93.5

Air FM Radio Stations

Kozhikode - 103.6

Air AM/MW Radio Stations

Kozhikode - 684

[edit] Hotels

  • Hyson Heritage
  • Malabar Palace Hotel
  • The Taj Residency
  • The Calicut Tower

[edit] Restaurants

  • Hotel Sea Queen
  • Hyson Heritage
  • Malabar Restaurant
  • Mezban Restaurant
  • Paragon Restaurant
  • Sagar Restaurant (Old), Mavoor Road
  • Sagar Restaurant (New), Mavoor Road
  • The Taj Residency
  • Zains Hotel
  • Bite zone-Food court at focus mall

[edit] Movie Theatres

  • Apsara theatre
  • Coronation theatre
  • Crown theatre
  • Davison theatre
  • Ganga movies
  • Kairali theatre
  • Pushpa theatre
  • Radha theatre
  • Regal theatre
  • Sree theatre

[edit] Places of interest

[edit] Kozhikode Beach

The beauty and serenity of Kozhikode beach is not yet exploited to develop it into a tourist center. Still people from all around gather here to enjoy the sunset and it is a popular retreat for local people. Two sea piers almost 125 years old extending well inside the sea are a speciality. Lion’s club, children’s park make the evenings pleasant for visiting families. Fishermen with their small rowing boats entering the sea, fighting the waves and returning with varieties of fish are worth watching.


[edit] Mananchira Square

Main gate of Mananchira Square
Main gate of Mananchira Square
View of Mananchira from Comtrust
View of Mananchira from Comtrust

Mananchira Square is the sublimation of the concept of a planned modern city. The historic maithan, adjacent to Manachira has been converted into an arcadia with beautiful trees and plants, an artificial hill, shrubs, sculpture, an open air theatre and above all, a musical fountain. No doubt, locals and tourists, seeking leisure and relief from the mad rush outside, find shelter here.

Mananchira Square, named after the pond Mananchira, is about a square-kilometre in area and situated in the heart of the city. It is named after Manadevan, the erstwhile ruler of Zamoothiri Kingdom, known as Mana-devan's Chira (Pond) and later transformed to Mana-an-Chira.

Vasco da Gama landed here at Kappkadavu in the year 1498
Vasco da Gama landed here at Kappkadavu in the year 1498

[edit] Kappad Beach

On 27th May 1498, Vasco Da Gama landed in Kappad Beach with three vessels and 170 men. If you travel 16 km north of Kozhikode by Kannur road, a small road from Tiruvangoor will guide you to this beach of historical importance. A monument is here to commemorate the historical landing. An ancient temple on a hillock, facing the deep sea, is an added attraction.

uru
uru

[edit] Beypore

Beypore is a port city situated 10 km south of Calicut at the mouth of chaliyar river. Beypore is famous for its ancient shipbuilding industry, which constructed uru, the traditional trading vessels of Arabs. The place was formerly known as Vaypura and Vadaparappanad. Tippu Sultan named the town “Sultan Pattanam”. It is one of the important ports of Kerala and naturally, an important trading centre. It is the major fishing harbour of Kerala. There are two man-made extensions to the sea to facilitate easy access for fishing boats. This is an ideal place for an outing. The 2 km break-water made of stone is another attraction.

[edit] Vadakara

This ancient place is now the headquarters of the taluk as well as the municipality of that name. There is a ruined fort in the town. Vadakara was the scene of many exploits of 'Thacholi Othenan', the hero of the ballads of north Malabar (Vadakkan Pattukal). Five km. South-East of Vadakara in Memunda amsom, is the Lokanarkavu which has three rock-cut caves in its vicinity. Annual ceremonies are conducted in memory of Othenan, whose birth place is Manikkoth near Meppayil. Vadakara (Vadakkekara) is so called because of its location just north (Vadakku) of Kotta river.

[edit] Other places

  • Art gallery and Krishna Menon Museum at East Hill in Kozhikode
  • Lalitha Kala Academy: An art gallery adjacent to the Kozhikode town hall
  • Planetarium
  • Thusharagiri: A waterfall situated about 55 km from Calicut Railway Station
  • Kozhippara waterfalls is located at the eastern side of the district and offers a good trekking experience.
  • Pavayil Cheerpu-a wonder land
  • Peruvannamuzhi[1],Dam site, Boat service, Bird sanctuary and Crocodile sanctuary
  • Kakkayam : Dam Site, Hydro-electrical Project, famous for trekking
  • Purakkattiri, 10 km from city, famous for house boats

[edit] Major Temples in Kozhikode

  • Tali Mahadeva Temple
  • Sree Valayanad Devi Temple Govindapuram
  • Sreekandeswara Temple
  • Azhakodi Devi Temple
  • Thiruvachira Temple, Thiruvachira, 6 Kilometers from City.
  • Lokanar kaavu, Vadakara.
  • Pishari kaavu, Quilandy.

[edit] Culture

In the field of Malayalam language and literature, Kozhikode has made many significant contributions. The district is famous for folk songs or ballads known as Vadakkan Pattukal. The most popular songs among them are those which celebrate the exploits of Thacholi Othenan. One of the favourite past times of the Muslims of the district is singing Mappila pattu and Oppana. The songs are composed in a composite language of Arabic and Malayalam. The famous intellectual debate for Vedic scholars to win the coveted position of Pattathanam takes place at Thali temple during the month of Thulam. Kozhikode also has strong associations with ghazals and football.

The city also has a strong mercantile streak to it. The main area of business was once the Valiyangadi (Big Bazaar) near the Calicut railway station and as time progressed it shifted to other parts of the city. Now the major vein of commerce is the Mittai Theruvu, a long street crammed with shops that sell everything from sarees to cosmetics, and house restaurants to sweetmeat shops. The name Mithai Theruvu or S M Street comes from the famous Kozhikode Halwa which was often called the Sweet Meat by European traders. The multicultural mix of Kozhikode ensures that Onam, Christmas and Id-ul-Fitr (the festivals of the Hindus, Christians and Muslims) are celebrated with equal pomp.

[edit] Cuisine

Kozhikode offers fare for every palate. Vegetarian fare includes the sadya. However, the non-vegetarian food offered in the city is a unique mix of Muslim and Hindu preparations. Some popular dishes include the Biriyani, Ghee Rice with meat curry, sea-food (prawns, mussels, mackerel) and paper thin Pathiris to provide accompaniment to spicy gravy. Another well known Kozhikode speciality is banana chips, which are made crisp and wafer thin. The 'Kozhikode Halwa' is very popular, even overseas also.

[edit] Educational institutions

Main article: Educational institutions in Kozhikode district

Kozhikode is home to two of the premier educational institutions in the country; the IIMK, one of the seven Indian Institutes of Management, and the only National Institute of Technology in Kerala, the NITC.

[edit] Notables

[edit] Literature

[edit] Politics

[edit] Entertainment

[edit] Science and Technology


[edit] Business

[edit] Sports

[edit] Art

[edit] Trivia

The name Calico is derived from the name of the city of Calicut. It is a type of cotton that is used a lot in soft furnishing. It was one of the first export commodities to the European nations. Calico was made by the traditional weavers of calicut called 'chaliyans'. Peruvayal panchayat is the largest panchayat in Calicut district.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Best cities to live, invest and earn in
  2. ^ Ma Huan: Ying Yai Sheng Lan, The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores, translated by J.V.G. Mills, 1970 Hakluyt Society, reprint 1997 White Lotus Press. ISBN 974-8496-78-3
  3. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Kozhikode
  4. ^ Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns. (Provisional). Census Commission of India. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
  5. ^ The Hindu : Kerala / Kozhikode News : `Let matrilineal system continue'
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