KOZHIKODE (CALICUT) SHOTS BY
CK. SUBRAMANIAM – CALICUT KRISHNAN SUBRAMANIAM
Get to know about Kozhikode (called Calicut) and the importance of the place in Indian history. From Vasco da Gama’s days to the present-day setup, the place has been considered a business spot for years. As I belong to the Thali area of Kozhikode, I followed the development of the place from my younger days.
As a bank officer, I was working in the Quilandy branch and was able to visit the Kappad Beach, through which Vasco da Gama entered India. When I was watching the Surabhi programme by Siddharth Kak on Doordarshan, I came to know that hookahs manufactured at Quilandy were exported to Persia and other countries. Whenever I returned from Kozhikode, I used to buy the Aluwa (sweet) specially made in different colours for my children. When I was leaving Kozhikode Railway Station, I saw repairs being made on a grand scale to make the station a model one for the Indian Railways.
There are many facets of the place in the northern part of Kerala, and if you want a quiet holiday and somewhere you can unwind and get away from the stress of metropolitan life, then Kozhikode is the ideal place.
It is the erstwhile capital of the Zamorin kings of yore. Calicut, as the old name suggests—literally meaning a cockerel crowing—is a city of contrasts. A city that showcases wide-open spaces and lush, green countryside as well as narrow, tightly wound streets that teem with activity. This is not only Kerala’s commercial hub and centre for its timber industry but also the home of Ayurveda—an ancient system of medicine that operates in tune with nature. In fact, about 50 kilometres from Kozhikode lie the largest herbal gardens in the world.
Kerala’s verdant forests have, for long years, nourished a profusion of herbs, plants, and trees that are extremely valuable in the preparation of Ayurvedic medicines. Not surprisingly, therefore, the ancient tradition of Ayurveda has been kept alive in this state by master Vaidyas. The chief Vaidyas belonged to just eight families and were called Ashta Vaidyas due to their competence in all the eight branches of Ayurveda.
If you are looking for bright city lights, then Kozhikode is not really your kind of place.
On the other hand, if you want a quiet holiday and somewhere to unwind and get away from the stress of metropolitan life, then this is the ideal getaway—there is no doubt about it. There is the sea, a rather quiet beach, and a few good museums like the Pazhassiraja Museum and the Krishna Menon Museum, whose exhibits include an excellent selection of paintings as well as wood and ivory carvings.
P.T. Usha, the sprint queen, belongs to this place. She has won many laurels for India in the field of sports and is still active in the sporting field. Her coach, Nambiar, brought her name and fame. V.R. Krishna Iyer, the supreme judge of Kerala, who died at the age of 99, was a veteran in the judicial system. His views—‘Bail is the rule and jail the exception’ and ‘Dogs may bark, but the caravan (of justice) passes’—are among his best quotes. Justice Vaidyanathapuram Rama Iyer Krishna Iyer was a noted judge who became a pioneer of judicial activism in India. He pioneered the legal-aid movement in the country. Before that, he was a state minister and politician. As an activist lawyer, he served jail terms for the cause of his poor and underprivileged clients.
A large number of the population here is Muslim, and in Kuttichira, possibly the oldest quarter in the city, you can hear the muezzin call the faithful to prayer. Visit the Muccunti Mosque and discover some interesting facts in the history of the Zamorins of Kozhikode and their patronage of Islam in Kerala. Better still, see the Mananchira Maidan and the Mananchira tank. Once the bathing area of the Zamorin kings, it stands amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. The musical fountain at the Maidan is a local favourite. Kozhikode is a city that exudes all our expectations.
