Calicut Calling

As your flight lowers into Calicut, all you can see is a sea of green, thanks to thick cover of coconut palms. It is a stunning visual that forms a great first impression and one that continues as you discover other parts of this city. Kozikode or Calicut is a part of Kerala’s famed Malabar Coast that is a city that surprises you with what it has to offer. With a plethora of sights and sounds, Calicut merges as the traditional and the contemporary seamlessly to give the avid traveller more than anticipated. Whether it is the Malabar cuisine, the spiritual touches, the lovely beaches or the historical monuments, this is a city having all that and more. Said to have been derived from the Malayalam word Koyil Kotta, meaning a fortified place, some others say it is named after Kalicut, an Arabic version of Kozhikode that also gave the name to Calico, the hand-woven cloth that has its origins here. An ancient settlement with a prominent role in the history of Kerala, Calicut’s Zamorins or Samutiris established a stable government in the 15th century here. In fact, it is here at Kappad that Vasco do Gama landed in 1498. The city had a thriving Muslim and early Christian population much before the Portuguese arrived and today history stands as a mute witness to this vibrant city. Here are some places that must be on your ‘to-do’ list when you visit this charming city.