|
Once the capital of the powerful Zamorins and a prominent trade and commerce centre, Kozhikode was the most important region of Malabar in the days gone by. Today, lush green countrysides, serene beaches, historic sites, wildlife sanctuaries, rivers, hills, a unique culture and a warm, friendly ambience make Kozhikode a popular destination.
Tusharagiri Waterfalls :
As the name suggests, land and water have struck an extraordinary kinship at Thusharagiri (mist capped peaks). The plantation destination that abounds in rubber, arecanut, pepper, ginger and spices, is also a trekker's delight. Trekkers start early morning from the second waterfall on the hills and climb up through the pristine dense evergreen forests teeming with exotic birds and animals to reach Vythiri in Wayanad district by evening.
Peruvannamuzhi :
The Peruvannamuzhi damsite set amid hills is a beautiful picnic spot. The reservoirs here provide facilities for speed and slowboat cruises. Uninhabited islands, a bird sanctuary and a crocodile farm add to the charm of the place.
Tali Temple:
Built in the 14th century by Swamy Thirumulpad, the Zamorin, within his palace complex, this temple was the venue of Revathy Pattathanam, the annual cultural and intellectual event. The Tali Temple is a fine example of the total integration that can exist between wood and laterite, which is a remarkable feature of the Kerala style of architecture
Pazhassiraja Museum:
A veritable treasure trove for historians and connoisseurs of art, the Pazhassiraja Museum is located in Kozhikode - the land of spices which lured navigators from time immemorial down to the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama in 1498. The Art Gallery adjacent to the museum displays the acclaimed paintings of Kerala's cherished artists, Raja Ravi Varma (1848 - 1906) whose works brought international repute to the State and his uncle Raja Raja Varma.
The museum is managed by the State Archaeology Department and has on display mural paintings, antique bronzes, ancient coins, models of temples, umbrella stones, dolmenoid cists (quadrangular burial chambers with capstones), and similar megalithic monuments. The art gallery has the oil paintings and other works of Raja Ravi Varma. For more information on Ravi Varma's works, refer 'The prince among painters and a painter among princes' .
The museum and the art gallery are named after the great Pazhassiraja Kerala Varma of the Padinjare Kovilakom of the Kottayam royal family. The famous 'Pazhassi Revolt' (against the British East India Company during the second half of the 1700s) was led by Pazhassiraja. Nicknamed the Lion of Kerala, Pazhassiraja is also credited with introducing guerilla warfare in the hills of Wayanad to resist the increasingly intolerable British colonialism. This great freedom fighter was shot dead in an encounter on 30 November 1805.
Beypore:
Beypore, one of the prominent ports and fishing harbours of ancient Kerala, was an important trade and maritime centre Beypore was much sought after by merchants from Western Asia for its ship building industry. The boat building yard here is famous for the construction of the Uru (the Arabian trading vessel), which boasts a tradition of over1500 years
S M Street:
Sweet Meat Street is the busiest street in Kozhikode and derives its name from the times when the street was lined with sweetmeat stalls. Kozhikode is famous for its 'Halwa' and Sweets.
Kappad Beach:
For the people of Kozhikode, this pleasant stretch of rock studded beach is Kappakkadavu. To the tourist it is one of the most charming of Kerala's beaches. Kappad finds mention in history and geography texts as the gateway to the Malabar coast. Here, 501 years ago, 170 men led by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama (1460-1524) sailed in and stepped into Kerala to create a new chapter in history.
The story of a long and tumultuous socio-political relationship between India and Europe. It was the spices and wealth of Malabar that first brought the Arabs, the Phoenicans, the Greeks, the Romans, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English to Kerala. Kappad has witnessed many such landings. Kozhikode was then the most important trade centre of the Malabar region and the Zamorins who ruled this mighty land were powerful and shrewd.
Though the Portuguese were welcomed in Kozhikode they were not too well encouraged or entertained for long by the Zamorins, which might be the reason they shifted their base to Kochi and Kollam down south. Today only a little stone monument is left at the Kappad beach to speak of its great historic importance.
On the rocks nearby is a temple believed to be 800 years old. To the tourist, however, this little sea faring town is a haven. The best route to Kappad is along the backwaters. Unspoilt and uncrowded, the picturesque backwaters of Kozhikode offers a bewitching experience. A ride down the backwaters through the Korappuzha river brings you to the beach.
| 
