Kozhikode – Kerala

Kozhikode District

Kozhikode District

Kozhikode District is a district of Kerala state, situated on the southwest coast of India. The city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, is the district headquarters. This is the third-most advanced district in Kerala. It is 38.25% urbanised.

History:

Calicut is the anglicised form of Kalikut. The Arabic for the Malayalam , Kozhikode. It is also called the Cock Fort. According to the historian, K.V Krishnan Iyer, the term means koyil (Palace) Kodu (Fortified). Anyhow, it is a historical town with a hoary past. From time immemorial, the city attracted travellers, with its charming physical features and prosperity. Even today , the glory that was Calicut has not faded. The political history of Kozhikode is a story of treacherous and ill conceived conspiracies hatched by the Western powers. Vasco De Gama landed at Kappad in May 1498, as the leaders of a trade mission from Portugal and was received by the Zamorin himself

The history of Kozhikode district as an administrative unit begins from January 1957. When the states of the Indian Union were reorganised on linguistic basis on 1st November, 1956, the erstwhile Malabar district was separated from Madras state (Tamil Nadu) and added to the new unilingual state of Kerala. But malabar district was found to be too uniwieldy for administrative purposes. Consequently the state government ordered the formation of three districts with certain changes in the boundaries of some of the taluks. The Kozhikode district thus came into existence on 1st Jnauary 1957,orginally consisting of five taluks, Viz, Vadakara, Koyilandy, Kozhikode, Ernad & Tirur. With the formation of malappuram district on 1st june 1969 & Wayandu on 1st November 1980, kozhikode district now consist of one revenue division , three taluks, twelve blocks, 77 panchayats and 117 villages.

Topography:

Topographically the district has three distinct regions – the sandy, the rocky highlands formed by the hilly portion of the Western Ghats and lateritic midland. Of the total area of 2344 sq.kms., the sandy coastal belt is 362.85 sq.kms., lateritic midlands 1343.50 sq.kms. And rocky highlands 637.65 sq.kms.All the three taluks are spreaded over the three regions. The district has a coastal length of about 80 kms. The highland region accounts for 26.80 per cent and the lowland region for 15.55 per cent of the total area of the district.

Climate:

The district has a generally humid climate with a very hot season extending from March to May. The most important 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 in 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 ºC in March 1975. The lowest was 14 ºC recorded on 26 December 1975.

KOZHIKODE TOURIST ATTRACTIONS/ PLACES TO VISIT

SM street/ Mittayi theruvu:

Sweat Meat Street, popularly known as SM street with its cross raods , is the busiest shopping spot of kozhikode . The name derived so as a result of the presence of numerous sweet meat stalls. Old bakery shops here known for the famous Kozhikodan Halwa and Banana Chips.

Beypore:

Beypore town is about 9.65 Kms from Kozhikode at the mouth of the Beypore River. The Place was formerly known as Vaypura and Vadaparappanad. Tippu Sultan named the town “Sultan Pattanam” .It is one of the imporatant ports of Kerala and naturally an important trading centre.It is famous for it’s boat buliding yard where mammoth country crafts known as “Urus” are being bulit.It is a major fishing harbour of kerala. there are two man made extensions to the sea to facilitate easy acces for fishing boats. This is an ideal place for outing.

Ghat Section:

Ghat Section

This is a thick dense forest and is called the “Chirapunchi” of Kerala because of the high availability of heavy rains. It is about 44 kms. from Kozhikode and is the boundary to Wayanad ditrict. A journey through this Ghat section is an enjoyable experience. It is 14 kms. long with nine hairpin curves amidst a number of hills and thick forests. A view from the top will be a breath taking experience.

Kuttichira Mosque:

Kuttichira was the main square in the Calicut urban area from 14th Centuary onwards. The square was formed around a tank with several mosques around and nearby. This area was mainly inhabited by Muslim traders.Mosques are built in the traditional systems of timber construction with tiered roofs.

Feroke:

Feroke is the cradle of the tile industry in Kerala. The rapid rivers from the Western Ghats after passing through forest carry the clay which is the raw-material for tiles, pottery and ceramic wares. There are more than a dozen tile factories in Feroke alone.

Kallai:

Kallai was known as the world’s best timber trading centre. Even now, it is the place for timber trade in Malabar.

Kappad:

On 27th May 1498, Vasco-De Gama landed here with three vessels and 170 men. If you travel 16 Kms north of Kozhikode by Kannur road, a small road near Tiruvangoor health centre guides you to this beach of historical inportance. A monument is here to commemorate the historical landing. An ancient temple on a hillock, facing the deep sea, is an added attraction.

Science Centre & Planetarium:

Calicut now wins a place in the Planetarium map of the world. Regional science centre Calicut houses a 250 seater Planetarium fitted with a sophisticated Zeiss projector. The Science centre abounds with puzzles which make mathematics easy. An array of rolling balls move in a circuitous path and perform acrobatics. They ring bells, generate electricity and play musical chimes on their way. Parabolic reflectors carry whispers from one end of the park to the other end. Objects float in space defying gravity. Chemistry brings magic at home. The Science Centre unravels mysteries, explains things which otherwise would be called supernatural.

Thusharagiri:

Thusharagiri is situated 55 kms away from Kozhikode City and the ‘Green Splender’ considered as the major tourist destination in Malabar region with four water falls right in the middle of the forest. The waterfalls and streams amidst the hilly regions are really a feast to eyes.

Kalaman Para Maruthilavu Tourist Spot:

A beautiful forest area, Location- 50 kms away from Kozhikode City in the Kozhikode-Wynad National Highway at Chippilithodu.

Kakkad Eco Tourism Centre:

Location- 40 kms away from Kozhikode City in the Kozhikode-Wynad National Highway at Eangapuzha. Attarctions: Variety of birds, animals and butterflies, Medicinal plants, Rivers . Trucking facility is an added attraction of this place.

Kolamala Eco Tourism:

Location- 40 kms away from Kozhikode City in the Kozhikode-Wynad National Highway at Eangapuzha and travel 2 kms West to rach this centre. Attractions: Variety of birds, animals and butterflies and Medicinal plants. Trucking facility to Kolamala, Koompan mala and Choyiyodu mala. Services of experienced guides are available in this place.

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