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 malapuram 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.
Kozhikode district is situated on the south west coast of India. The district is bounded on the north by Kannur district, on the east by Wynad district, on the south by Malappuram district and on the west by the Arabian sea.
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.
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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 malapuram 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.
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Kozhicode, formerly called Calicut was the traditional capital of Northern Kerala under the Samuthiri ruler. Kozhicode, was the most important region of Malabar in the days gone by. Today, ancient monuments, serene beaches, historic sites, wildlife sanctuaries, rivers, hills, a unique culture and a warm, friendly ambience make Kozhicode a much sought after destination.
The district has a 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.
During December to march, practically no rain is received and from October onwards the temperature gradually increase to reach the maximum in May, which is the hottest month of the year. The highest maximum temperature recorded at Kozhikode was 39.40 C during the month of march 1975 and lowest temperature was 140 C recorded on 26th December 1975. Humidity is very high in the coastal region.
Tusharagiri (50 km from Kozhikode)
Tusharagiri is located near Vythiri in Wayanad and is famous for its trekking tracks. Trekkers start early morning from the second waterfall and climb uphill through the pristine, dense evergreen forests populated with exotic birds and wildlife to reach Vythiri by evening.
Mananchira Maidanam
A new attraction in the heart of the city, Mananchira Maidanam, is the sublimation of the concept of a planned modern city. The historic maidan, adjacent to Manachira has been converted into an arcadia with beautiful trees and plants, 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 Maidanam is managed by the corporation of Kozhikode.
Kappad (16 km from Kozhikode)
This is the historic beach where Vasco da Gama landed on the 27th of May 1498. A monument on the beach commemorates this historic event. The rock studded beach is locally known as Kappakadavu. An interesting feature of the landscape is the sprawling rock that protrudes into the sea.
Pazhassirajah Museum
Situated 5 km from Kozhikode. Here exhibits of copies of ancient mural paintings, antique bronzes, old coins and models of temples and megalithic monuments are seen. The next door to the museum is the Art Gallery and Krishna Museum which has an excellent collection of paintings by Indian artists and wood and ivory carvings. Open from 9.30 am - 12.30 pm, 2.30 pm - 5.30 pm, closed on Mondays.
Beypore (10 km south of Kozhikode
Located at the mouth of the Chaliyar river, Beypore, one of the prominent ports and fishing harbours of ancient Kerala was an important trade and maritime centre. Ancient Beypore was much sought after by merchants from Western Asia, for its shipbuilding industry. The boat building yard here, famous for the construction of the Uru (the Arabian trading vessel), boasts a tradition of almost 1500 years.
Kirtads ( 7km from Kozhikode)
This unique museum houses the tools and devices used by the ancient tribal communities of kerala. a good library with books on Anthropology and Sociology is and added attraction.
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Collectorate - 2370518
Fire Station - 2321654
Railway Station - 2701234
Medical College Hospital - 2356531
Air Port - 2711314
Vidhyudhi Bhavan - 2765912
KSRTC - 2723796
Head Post Office - 2720164
Calicut University - 0494 - 2401144
D.T.P.C - 2373532
K.T.D.C - 2722391
P.R.D Dy. Director - 23701096
District Information Office - 2370225
Women's Development Corporation - 2766454
Backward Class Development Corporation - 2380766
Calicut Press Club - 2721860
Friends - Jana Sevana Kendra - 2724550
Akshaya Project, Kozhikode - 2349014, 9847366289 (Mobile)
NORKA, Kozhikode - 2304885
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Good information about Kozhikode town and know about history of KIRTADS museum.
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