Kozhikode / Calicut കോഴിക്കോട് |
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City | |
Clockwise from top: Kakkayam , Ksrtc Bus stand,calicut Marina,vayalada, Hilite mall, Calicut Beach skyline at night
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Nickname(s): City of Spices, City of Sculptures, City of Truth | |
Kozhikode Sea Shore | |
Coordinates: 11°15′N 75°47′E / 11.25°N 75.78°ECoordinates: 11°15′N 75°47′E / 11.25°N 75.78°E | |
Country | India |
State | Kerala |
District | Kozhikode |
Government | |
• Mayor | Thottathil Raveendran |
• Collector | Sri.N.Prashanth.IAS |
• City Police Commissioner | Smt.Uma Behra |
• Member of Parliament | M. K. Raghavan |
Area | |
• City | 177 km2 (68 sq mi) |
Elevation | 1 m (3 ft) |
Population (2011) | |
• City | 550,440 |
• Density | 3,100/km2 (8,100/sq mi) |
• Metro | 2,030,519 |
Languages | |
• Official | English Malayalam |
Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
PIN | 673 0xx |
Telephone code | 91 (0)495 |
ISO 3166 code | IN-KL |
Vehicle registration | KL 11,KL 18,KL 56, KL 57, |
Sex ratio | 1.096 ♀/♂ |
Literacy | 96.8% |
Website | www |
Kozhikode ([koːɻikːoːɖ]), also known as Calicut, is a city in the state of Kerala in southern India on the Malabar Coast. Kozhikode is the largest urban area in the state and 195th largest urban area in the world. The city lies about 275 km west of Bangalore. The greater Calicut urban area in the Malabar coast is the part of the ninth biggest urban area in the world and the second biggest in India after the greater Kolkatta urban area, which constitute of the northern Kerala region or the Malabar coast.
During classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. It was the capital of an independent kingdom ruled by the Samoothiris (Zamorins) in the Middle Ages and later of the erstwhile Malabar District under British rule. Arab merchants traded with the region as early as 7th century, and Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landed at Kozhikode on 20 May 1498, thus opening a trade route between Europe and Malabar. A Portuguese factory and fort was intact in Kozhikode for short period (1511–1525, until the Fall of Calicut), the English landed in 1615 (constructing a trading post in 1665), followed by the French (1698) and the Dutch (1752). In 1765, Mysore captured Kozhikode as part of its occupation of the Malabar Coast. Kozhikode, once a famous cotton-weaving centre, gave its name to the Calico cloth.
On 7 June 2012, Kozhikode was given the tag of "City of Sculptures" (Shilpa Nagaram) because of the architectural sculptures located in various parts of the city.