South India · Kerala
Kozhikode, Kerala
Sources: wikimedia
About Kozhikode
- Coastal
Where it is
Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, is a port city on the Malabar Coast of northern Kerala, facing the Arabian Sea, with the Western Ghats and the hills of Wayanad rising to the east.
History
For centuries Kozhikode was the capital of the Zamorins, Hindu rulers whose port grew rich on the spice trade with Arab and Chinese merchants. Vasco da Gama reached the city in 1498, opening Europe's sea route to India. Mysore took Kozhikode in the 1760s, and from the late 18th century it was the British headquarters of Malabar District.
People
Kozhikode's people speak Malayalam, and the city is a centre of Malabar's Mappila Muslim culture alongside its Hindu and Christian communities. It has a long tradition of ghazal and Hindustani music gatherings, a strong football culture and a celebrated cuisine of biryani, snacks and sweets.
Known for
- Kozhikode halwa and Malabar biryani
- Kozhikode beach
- Kappad beach, linked to Vasco da Gama
- The wooden Mishkal Mosque at Kuttichira
- Calico cloth, named after Calicut
Did you know?
In 2023 UNESCO named Kozhikode India's first City of Literature, in recognition of its long literary and reading culture.
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