Calicut is an important coastal town in the Kerala state of India. It was called as the “City of Spices” for its role as a major trading center for eastern spices. From time immemorial, the city has attracted travelers from across the globe with its prosperity, especially in terms of spices.
Different travelers named it differently and the following section throws light on the names of this city.
Calicut: The name game
The city being a junction for international spice trade with Arabs, Chinese, and Portuguese, acquired different names. For example, Arab merchants called the city Qāliqūṭ and Chinese called it Kalifo.
Calicut also had domestic trade relations with the neighboring states and was known as Kallikottai by Tamils and Kallikote in Karnataka.
Officially, the city of Calicut is known as Kozhikode. But, the nicknames that this city has got tells us about its intense trade relations with neighboring lands.
A cultural tour of Calicut
Calicut has been a multi-ethnic and multi-religious town since the early medieval period. The Hindus form the largest religious group here, followed by Muslims and Christians.
The city was the capital of Malabar during the time of Sri Samoothiri Maharajas, who ruled the region before the British took over. Despite modernization and western influence, you can find traditional values and even occupation being preserved here.
Popular sites of Calicut
- Kozhikode beach
- Sarovaram bio park
- Mananchira
- Thali temple
- Beypore beach
- Kadalundi bird sanctuary
If you are planning to visit Calicut, an easy and accessible travel option is roadways. You can hire a cab on day rental in Kozhikode and enjoy your trip hassle-free.
Do you know that Calicut or Kozhikode was once a popular cotton-weaving center and the “Calico cloth” is the output of this region.
Interested to know Calico textile? Here is the wiki link.
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