A Culinary MosaicArticle
The Era of Music ClubsArticle
The Beypore Uru Prevails Article
Cinema in the CityArticle
Kozhikode
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Countless cities across India carry layered histories woven with threads of trade, migration and cultural exchange. Yet, many remain in the shadows in the broader narrative of the nation’s past. Kozhikode stands apart in that its ethnography and food culture are so deeply intertwined that every…
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Kozhikode, renowned for its passionate football culture, captured global attention during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar when a group of fans of the Argentine team erected a 30-foot cut-out of player Lionel Messi on a small islet in the Kurungattu Kadavu River in Pullavoor village. Not to be…
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Performing arts encompass dance, drama and music performed before an audience, representing one domain of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage. In the Kerala context, the Department of Cultural Affairs categorises performing arts into five groups: classical art forms, ritual arts, folk arts,…
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Kozhikode boasts a rich history of musical traditions. The city once thrived with a vibrant community of music enthusiasts who appreciated a wide range of genres—from Hindustani classical to theatrical compositions. What set this community apart was its members’ passion for diverse musical styles…
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The Vagbhatananda Library occupies a cramped, old and unassuming space, approximately the size of a one-car garage. Located 90 kilometers inland from the coast of Kozhikode, the library’s exterior offers little indication of the treasures within. Albert Camus’s books are placed on a dusty shelf,…
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Kozhikode has held many names in its long history—from the ‘City of Spices’, in recognition of its role as a major trade hub in medieval times, to the ‘City of Truth’, a nod to the transparency and openness of its people. Most recently, Kozhikode was awarded the title of ‘City of Literature’.…
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In Kozhikode, the craft of making an uru or dhow (traditional wooden ships) is a continuation of a 2,000-year-old legacy. Today, Beypore, located near the mouth of the Chaliyar River, where it flows into the Arabian Sea, is home to one of the last few surviving boatyards.…
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Silent motion pictures were introduced to India in 1896 by the Lumière brothers, ushering in a new cultural age. Calicut experienced its first cinematic event a decade later, in 1906, with a screening of moving images in a temporary tent at Muthalakkulam Ground. The show was organised by Swamikannu…
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Calicut’s literary and scholarly tradition dates back to the thirteenth century, when the Zamorins established the city as a significant medieval port. Historical accounts reveal that when the Zamorin dynasty, originally from the inland region of Nediyirippu, took control of the Tali Siva Temple…
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Kozhikode, or historically Calicut, once the capital of an independent kingdom under the Zamorins, emerged as a pivotal centre of global trade in the Middle Ages, earning the sobriquet ‘City of Spices’ for its involvement in the spice trade, especially black pepper. The city was an economic hub,…
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