District Handbooks of Kerala (Kozhikode) With Map

Reference books have always been in great demand in Kerala and the educated public approach the Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala, for authentic information on our state and districts. It is in this context that District Handbooks used to be published. To be abreast of the times. It has been our sincere endeavour to update these sites/portals on a day-to-day basis and popularise the use of computers through out the state to enable information and services to reach the needy. However the Department feel that the time is not ripe for a complete switch over from the print media and hence a new series of District Handbooks is now published.

Hope that this book would cater to the requirements of the tourists as well as the general public who seek a handy booklet containing relevant information about the district. Suggestions for improvement of the publication/the contents of the websites/ portal s are welcome.

Calicut is the anglicized 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). Any how, 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 poswers. Vasco Da Gama landed at Kappad (16 kilometres north of Kozhikode) in May 1498, as the leader of a trade mission from Portugal and was received by the Zamorin himself.

This marked the beginning of foreign dominations in-the East. From the 13th century, Kozhikode attained a position of pre-eminence in the trade of pepper and other spices which made it India's emporium of international trade.

As Kozhikode offered full freedom and security, the Arab and the Chinese merchants preferred it to all other ports. The globe totter Ibn Btuta (A.D. 1342-47) notes: "We came next to Calicut, one of the great ports of the district of Malabar, and in which merchants of all parts are found".

Athanaseus Nikiten, the Russian traveller, (1468-74) accounts thus, "Calicut is a port for the whole Indian sea, which God forbid any craft to cross, and whoever saw it, will not get over it healthy, everything is cheap and servant and maids are very good".

Associated with the Zamorins is Kottaparamba where stood their ancient palace. Mananchira was the bathing tank of the members of the Zamorin's household.