Kozhikode district | |
|---|---|
      Clockwise from top: ,KSRTC bus stand complex,Hilite Mall, Chaliyam harbour, Administrative block ofNIT Calicut,IIM Kozhikode, Calicut Mini Bypass, andThamarassery Churam. | |
 Interactive map of Kozhikode district | |
| Coordinates:11°15′N75°46′E / 11.25°N 75.77°E /11.25; 75.77 | |
| Country | India |
| State | Kerala |
| Headquarters | Kozhikode |
| Subdivisions | |
| Government | |
| • Collector | Snehil Kumar Singh[1] |
| • District Panchayat President | Sheeja SasiCPI (M)[2] |
| • Members of Parliament | |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,344 km2 (905 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 9th |
| Highest elevation | 2,339 m (7,674 ft) |
| Population (2018)[3] | |
• Total | 3,249,761 |
| • Density | 1,386/km2 (3,590/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam, English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Postal code | 673--- |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-KL |
| Vehicle registration | KL-11Calicut City, KL-18Vatakara, KL-56Koyilandy, KL-57Koduvally, KL-76Nanmanda, KL-77Perambra, KL-85Ramanattukara (Feroke) |
| HDI(2005) |  0.781[4] ( High) |
| |
| Website | kozhikode |
Kozhikode district (pronounced[koːɻikːoːɖɨ̆]ⓘ), is one of the14 districts in theIndian state ofKerala, along its southwesternMalabar Coast. The city ofKozhikode, also known as Calicut, is the district headquarters.[6]
TheKozhikode Municipal Corporation has a corporation limit population of 609,224[7] and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, makingKozhikode metropolitan area thesecond-largest in Kerala and the19th largest in India.[8] Kozhikode is classified as a Tier 2 city by theGovernment of India.[9]NIT Calicut,NIEIT andIIM Kozhikode are institutions of national importance located in the district.
Kozhikode is the largest city in the erstwhileMalabar District and acted as its headquarters duringBritish Raj.[10] In antiquity and the medieval period, Kozhikode was dubbed theCity of Spices for its role as the major trading point forIndian spices.[11] It was the capital of an independent kingdom ruled by theSamoothiris (Zamorins), which was also the largest kingdom inKerala prior to the expansion ofTravancore in the mid-18th century CE.[10] The port at Kozhikode acted as the gateway to medievalSouth Indian coast for the Chinese, theArabs, the Portuguese, theDutch and finally theBritish.[10]
Kozhikode district is bordered by the districts ofKannur andMahé (Puducherry) to the north,Wayanad to the east, andMalappuram to the south. TheArabian Sea lies to the west andthe Western Ghats mountain range stretches towards the east.Vavul Mala, a 2,339 m high peak situated on the trijunction of Kozhikode,Malappuram, andWayanad districts, is the highest point of elevation in the district. It lies between latitudes 11° 08'N and 11° 50'N and longitudes 75° 30'E and 76° 8'E. TheThamarassery Churam connects the city ofKozhikode with theplateau of Wayanad.[10]
The district is divided into fourtaluks: Kozhikode,Vatakara,Koyilandy andThamarassery. By the 2011 census there are 12 block panchayats: Balusseri, Chelannur, Koduvally, Kozhikode, Kunnamangalam, Kunnummal, Melady, Panthalayani, Perambra, Thodannur, Thuneri and Vatakara.[12] TheMultidimensional Poverty Index report prepared byNITI Aayog based on the National Family Health Survey 2015–16 declared Kozhikode as the third-least poordistrict in India, only after toKottayam andErnakulam, with a negligible multidimensional poverty rate of 0.26%.[13]
The exact origin of the name Kozhikode is uncertain. According to many sources, the name Kozhikode is derived fromKoyil-kota (fort), meaningfortified palace.[14]Koil orKoyil orKovil is theMalayalam/Tamil term for aHindu temple, referring to theTali Shiva Temple.[15] Both the termskōyil andkōvil are used interchangeably. The name also got corrupted intoKolikod, or its Arab versionQāliqūṭ and later its anglicised version Calicut.[16]TheArab merchants called itQāliqūṭ (IPA: qˠaːliqˠːuːtˤ).[17] Chinese merchants called itKūlifo. Tamils called it as Kallikottai.[18]
The city is officially named Kozhikode in Malayalam, and in English, it is known by its anglicised version,Calicut.[19]The wordcalico, a fine variety of hand-woven cotton cloth that was exported from the port of Kozhikode, is thought to have been derived fromCalicut.[20] The term for tricolour cats calledcalico cats, is as well derived from the fabric name.[21][22]
Following the formation ofKerala in 1956, the erstwhileMalabar District was divided into three:Kannur district, Kozhikode district, andPalakkad district.[23]
At that time, Kozhikode district had twoRevenue Divisions: Kozhikode Revenue Division and Malappuram Revenue Division.[23] Kozhikode Revenue Division had four Taluks: Vatakara, Koyilandy, Kozhikode, and South Wayanad.[23] Malappuram Division had two Taluks:Eranad andTirur.[23]
On 16 June 1969, Malappuram Revenue Division of Kozhikode district excluding three Revenue villages,Feroke,Ramanattukara, andKadalundi, was separated to formMalappuram district.[24]
Again on 1 November 1980, the South Wayanad Taluk of Kozhikode district was separated to formWayanad district.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 610,058 | — |
| 1911 | 654,846 | +0.71% |
| 1921 | 678,122 | +0.35% |
| 1931 | 796,881 | +1.63% |
| 1941 | 892,078 | +1.13% |
| 1951 | 1,116,391 | +2.27% |
| 1961 | 1,403,413 | +2.31% |
| 1971 | 1,821,734 | +2.64% |
| 1981 | 2,245,265 | +2.11% |
| 1991 | 2,619,941 | +1.56% |
| 2001 | 2,879,131 | +0.95% |
| 2011 | 3,086,293 | +0.70% |
| 2018 | 3,249,761 | +0.74% |
| source:[25] | ||
(Details for 'Kozhikode Urban' retrieved from Census of India.[26])
According to the2018 Statistics Report, Kozhikode district has apopulation of 3,249,761,[3] roughly equal to the nation ofMongolia[27] or the US state ofIowa.[28]2011 Census of India gives the district a ranking of 115th in India (out of a total of640).[29] Itspopulation growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 7.31%.[29] Kozhikode has asex ratio of 1097females for every 1000 males,[29] and aliteracy rate of 95.24%. 67.15% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 6.45% and 0.49% of the population respectively.[29]
TheKozhikode metropolitan area has a population of more than 2 million, making it thesecond-largest in Kerala and the19th largest in India.[8] 67.15% of the total population of Kozhikode district live in urban areas (which includes Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, and Census Towns), according to the2011 Census of India.[6]
TheMultidimensional Poverty Index report prepared byNITI Aayog based on the National Family Health Survey 2015–16 declared Kozhikode as the third-least poordistrict in India, only after toKottayam andErnakulam, with a negligible multidimensional poverty rate of 0.26%.[13]
Malayalam is the predominant language, spoken by 99.05% of the population. Small minorities speakTamil andHindi, mainly in urban areas.[30]
According to the 2011 census,Hindus constitute the majority of the population, followed byMuslims and Christians. The proportion in the 2011 census was 56.21% Hindus; 39.24% Muslims and 4.26% Christians.[31]
There is a small presence of Jains (601), Sikhs (297), and Buddhists (235).[32]
The district has a generally humid climate with a very hot season extending from March to May. The rainy season is during the South WestMonsoon, which sets in the first week of June and extends up to September. The North East Monsoon extends from the second half of October through November. The average annual rainfall is 3,266 millimetres or 129 inches. The best weather is found in towards the end of the year, in December and January – the skies are clear, and the air is crisp. The highest temperature recorded was 39.4 °C or 102.9 °F in March 1975. The lowest was 14 °C or 57.2 °F recorded on 26 December 1975.
| Climate data for Kozhikode | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.6 (88.9) | 32.0 (89.6) | 32.7 (90.9) | 33.1 (91.6) | 32.4 (90.3) | 29.4 (84.9) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.3 (82.9) | 29.5 (85.1) | 30.6 (87.1) | 31.3 (88.3) | 31.6 (88.9) | 30.9 (87.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22 (72) | 23.4 (74.1) | 25 (77) | 26.1 (79.0) | 25.8 (78.4) | 24 (75) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.5 (74.3) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 23.6 (74.5) | 22.7 (72.9) | 23.8 (74.8) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 2.7 (0.11) | 3.4 (0.13) | 21.4 (0.84) | 90.2 (3.55) | 310.9 (12.24) | 818.2 (32.21) | 902.5 (35.53) | 447.3 (17.61) | 233.4 (9.19) | 263.5 (10.37) | 136.6 (5.38) | 35 (1.4) | 3,265.1 (128.56) |
| Source:[33] | |||||||||||||
The headquarters of the district administration isKozhikode Civil Station in West Hill. The district administration is headed by theDistrict collector. He is assisted by deputy collectors with responsibility for general matters, land acquisition, revenue recovery, land reforms, and elections.[34]
There are seven municipal towns in the district, in addition to theKozhikode Municipal Corporation, which was established in 1962 as the second municipal corporation in Kerala after Trivandrum.[35] The district's municipal towns are:[7]
| Municipality | Population (2011) | Area(km2) | Population density (/km2) | Taluk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vatakara | 75,295 | 21.32 | 3,532 | Vatakara |
| Koyilandy | 71,873 | 29.05 | 2,474 | Koyilandy |
| Feroke | 54,074 | 15.54 | 3,480 | Kozhikode |
| Payyoli | 49,470 | 22.34 | 2,214 | Koyilandy |
| Koduvally | 48,687 | 23.85 | 2,041 | Thamarassery |
| Mukkam | 40,670 | 31.20 | 1,304 | Kozhikode |
| Ramanattukara | 35,937 | 11.70 | 3,072 | Kozhikode |
There are threeLok Sabha constituency in Kozhikode:Vatakara,Kozhikode, andWayanad.
There are 13Kerala Legislative Assembly seats in Kozhikode district.[36]
| Constituency | Member | Party | Alliance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vatakara | K. K. Rema | RMPI | UDF |
| Kuttiady | K. P. Kunhahammed Kutty | CPI(M) | LDF |
| Nadapuram | E. K. Vijayan | CPI | LDF |
| Koyilandy | Kanathil Jameela | CPI(M) | LDF |
| Perambra | T. P. Ramakrishnan | CPI(M) | LDF |
| Balussery | K. M. Sachin Dev | CPI(M) | LDF |
| Elathur | A. K. Saseendran | NCP | LDF |
| Kozhikode North | Thottathil Ravindran | CPI(M) | LDF |
| Kozhikode South | Ahamed Devarkovil | INL | LDF |
| Beypore | P. A. Mohammed Riyas | CPI(M) | LDF |
| Kunnamangalam | P. T. A. Rahim | LDF Ind. | LDF |
| Koduvally | M. K. Muneer | IUML | UDF |
| Thiruvambady | Linto Joseph | CPI(M) | LDF |
| Revenue division[37] | Taluk | Area (km2) | Population (2011)[38] | Number of villages[39] | Towns | Revenue villages[39] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vatkara | Vatakara | 576 | 687,726 | 28 | ||
| Koyilandy | 642 | 645,879 | 31 | |||
| Kozhikode | Thamarassery | 574 | 401,831 | 20 | ||
| Kozhikode | 547 | 1,354,107 | 39 |
|
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Kozhikode is one of the largest economic hubs in Kerala. Being home to about 8% of the state's population, the district contributes more than 12% to the state's income. Nedungadi Bank, the first and oldest bank in the modern state ofKerala, was established byAppu Nedungadi atKozhikode in the year 1899.[40] Cyberpark atKozhikode is one ofIT hubs inKerala. The economy ofKozhikode significantly depends upon its Service sector.
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In the field ofMalayalam language and literature, Kozhikode district has made many significant contributions. During the 17th century, His Highness Sri Samoothiri Manavedan Maharaja authored the famousKrishnattam, aManipravalam text describing the childhood of Lord Krishna in eight volumes. The district is famous for folk songs or ballads known asVadakkan Pattukal. The most popular songs celebrate the exploits of Thacholi Othenan andUnniyarcha. An intellectual debate for Vedic scholars, where winners receive the title ofPattathanam, takes place at Thali temple during the month ofThulam. Kozhikode also has a strong associations withghazals andfootball.
Many prominent writers of Malayalam literature hail from Kozhikode district. Among them areS. K. Pottekkatt,Thikkodiyan,Punathil Kunjabdulla,U. A. Khader,Akbar Kakkattil,N. N. Kakkad,P. Valsala and M. N. Karassery. S. K. Pottekkatt was perhaps the most celebrated writer from Kozhikode whose award-winning workOru Theruvinte Katha is set inS. M. Street. Several leading Malayalam publishing houses are based in the city, including Poorna,Mathrubhumi,Mulberry, Lipi and Olive. Several libraries are located in and around the city. The Kozhikode Public Library and Research Centre atMananchira was constructed in 1996.[41] In 2023, Kozhikode became India's first UNESCO City of Literature.[42]
In addition to the Malabar Mahotsavam, the annual cultural fest of Kozhikode,[43] every year since 1981 the Tyagaraja Aradhana Trust has been conducting a five-day music festival in honour ofTyagaraja. The festival is complete with the Uncchavritti, rendering of Divyanama kritis,Pancharatna Kritis, concerts by professional artistes and students of music from morning to late in the evening.[44]
Kozhikode has a tradition ofGhazal andHindustani music appreciation. There are many Malayalam Ghazals. The late film director and play back singerM. S. Baburaj, from Kozhikode was influenced by Ghazal and Hindustani.[45]
There are DJ parties and events that are held in hotels and malls and pubs and IT parks in Calicut. Ragam and Thatva fest in NITC and different fests in IIM gets participation of international bands.[46][47]
Kozhikode offers a variety ofSouth Indian,North Indian,European,Chinese,Arab, Gujarati and Jain food. The culinary culture of the city has been moulded by Portuguese, Dutch, French, British, Arab and other Indian influence. It offers both veg and non-veg dishes in great variety. The mall culture in the city has gained momentum and fast foods are very popular. The new generation is more inclined to Chinese, Arab and American food culture and a new trend of vegetarianism is getting popular because of health concerns.The city is also famous forHaluva called asSweet Meat by Europeans due to the texture of the sweet. Kozhikode has a main road in the town namedS. M. Street (Mittayi Theruvu). It derived this name from the numerousHalwa stores which used to dot the street. The history of this Street dates back to time of theZamorin of Calicut, when the ruler invitedGujarati sweetmeat makers to set up shop in the city and accommodated their shops just outside the palace walls.[48] Another speciality isbanana chips, which are made crisp and wafer-thin. Other popular dishes include seafood preparations (prawns, mussels, mackerel) . Vegetarian fare includes thesadya.
The film history of Kozhikode dates back to 1950s. Some of the main production companies of Malayalam films like Grihalakshmi Productions, Kalpaka and Swargachitra are based in Kozhikode. The city was also an important hub of prominent filmmakers likeI. V. Sasi andT. Damodaran. Kozhikode produced such notable actors asK. P. Ummer,Mammukoya,Balan K. Nair,Santha Devi andKuthiravattam Pappu. The evergreen musicianBaburaj, lyricistGireesh Puthenchery, filmmakersRanjith,V. M. Vinu,A. Vincent,Shajoon Kariyal andAnjali Menon, and cinematographerP. S. Nivas also hail from Kozhikode. Some of the other cine actors likeNellikode Bhaskaran,Augustine,Madhupal,Anoop Menon,Neeraj Madhav and Vijayan Malaparamba are from Kozhikode.
The 1947Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Hollywood thriller,Sinbad the Sailor, mentions Kozhikode.
Kozhikode, the largest city in the Malabar region, also has a vital role in the entertainment segment. The city's first theatre, Calicut Crown, was opened as early as 1925. The city has more than 10 theatres and two multiplexes, the PVS Film City (the first multiplex in Malabar region) and Crown Theatre.[49]
Kozhikode is known as the second Mecca offootball (afterKolkata).[50] The other most popular games in Kozhikode arecricket,[51] football, basketball, badminton and volleyball. TheEMS Stadium hosted many international football matches of major football teams in the past. The city is home to many international footballers. One of the famous wasOlympian Abdurahman who played for the nation in many international games including Melbourne Olympic games. K.P. Sethu Madhavan, Premnath Phillips, Muhamad Najeeb, M Prasannan, Sudheer etc. are some international footballers from Kozhikode. Theseven-a-side form of football is also very famous in the city.P. T. Usha, is a famous athlete who is regarded as one of the greatest athletes India has ever produced and is often called the "queen of Indian track and field". She is nicknamedPayyoli Express. Currently she runs theUsha School of Athletics at Koyilandy in Kerala.T. Abdul Rahman, popularly known as Olympian Rahman, was an Indian Olympian footballer from Kozhikode. Rahman was a member of the Indian team that reached the semi-final in 1956 Melbourne Olympics.Other sports personalities include Jimmy George, Tom Joseph (Indian volleyball player and was captain of Indian volleyball team) and Premnath Phillips.Jaseel P. Ismail,V. Diju,Aparna Balan &Arun Vishnu are international badminton players from the city.The Sports & Education Promotion Trust (SEPT) was established to promote sports development in India with focus on football. Started in 2004 and based in Kozhikode, the trust has set up 52 centres called "football nurseries" spread across thirteen districts in Kerala.[52] Since 2010,Calicut Mini Marathon runs have been organised by IIM Kozhikode and witness participation of around 7000 people every year.
The Kozhikode radio station ofAll India Radio has two transmitters: Kozhikode AM (100 kilowatt) and Kozhikode FM [Vividh Bharathi] (10 kilowatt). Private FM radio stations:Radio Mango 91.9 operated by Malayala Manorama Co. Ltd.andRed FM 93.5 of the SUN Network. AIR FM radio station: Kozhikode – 103.6 MHz; AIR MW radio station: Kozhikode – 684 kHz.
A television transmitter has been functioning in Kozhikode since 3 July 1984, relaying programmes from Delhi andThiruvananthapuramDoordarshan. Doordarshan has its broadcasting centre in Kozhikode located at Medical College. The Malayalam channels based on Kozhikode are theShalom Television, Darshana TV andMedia One TV. All major channels in Malayalam viz.Manorama News,Asianet,Surya TV,Kairali TV,Amrita TV,Jeevan TV,Indiavision andJaihind have their studios and news bureaus in the city. Satellite television services are available throughDD Direct+,Dish TV,Sun Direct DTH andTata Sky. Asianet Cable Vision popularly known as ACV telecasts daily city news. Spidernet is another local channel. Other local operators include KCL and Citinet.
The Calicut Press Club came into existence in 1970. It is the nerve centre of all media activities, both print and electronic. Began with around 70 members in the roll, this Press Club, over the years, became a prestigious and alert media centre in the state with a present membership of over 280.[53]
Kozhikode is served byCalicut International Airport (IATA:CCJ,ICAO:VOCL) located atKaripur inMalappuram District, about 28 kilometres (17 miles) from Kozhikode city. The airport started operation in April 1988. It has two terminals, one for domestic flights and second for international flights.[54]
Kozhikode is well connected by road. NH 66 and NH 766 connects Calicut to rest of India.[55][56] It has bus services to all parts of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and to important cities likeHyderabad andMumbai.[citation needed]. New national highway is planned from Calicut to Bangalore.[57]
Thence we travelled to the town of Qāliqūṭ. [Calicut], which is one of the chief ports in Mulaibār.
Mongolia 3,133,318 July 2011 est.
Iowa 3,046,355
Football and Cricket – the Most Popular Games
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