History of the name Kozhikode or Calicut
In a lot of places, where I am not sure, I have put some question marks. A lot of this info is based on a walk that I did with the amazing Rajeesh Raghavan, Heartiage Storytelling. This is a great initiative that a lot of cities in India have and I am glad to have been a part of it.
Ibn Batuta's writings had the name Calicut in it, it is the only city (in India) supposedly that he has visited twice. The Arabs called this place Qualicat. This was even before Vasco da Gama landed.
So what happened historically?
The last Chera king Cheraman Perumal embraced Islam, divided his empire among various subsidiary rulers. That is when one of the rulers was not in the region. This was Samutiri (eventually became Zamorin possibly by the British). When he returned, he asked the King what will become of him. The King gave him his sword and told him, "Kill, be killed and expand your land". Over time some of them conquered, some of them died but the last one to rule was a Zamorin. He built a temple, Thali temple and an admnistrative office and palace around it. That is where the name Kozhikode comes from Kovil (palace) and Kotta (?).
Legend has it, that he used to ensure that he got rid of his enemies by holding a 'mamankam' where anyone could try and kill him in combat (although his personal bodyguards were around to protect him). While none of them managed to harm him, once an 18 year old boy nicked his neck with one of the swords but the narrow escape scared the Zamorin and he put an end to this post that (1695?).
But the city grew and became extremely important under the Zamorins.
Some of the important landmarks in Calicut
Thali temple
This temple is a Shiva temple but does not have a shivling but a statue. There is also a temple to Krishna here but this is Krishna as a child not a fully grown person. This temple has two flag staff of equal height one for Shiva and one for Krishna and both are worshiped and celebrated equally.
The seven-day cultural festival of Revathi Pattathanam originated only here, which attracted erudite scholars and eminent philosophers in the olden times. Even today, this takes place and the Zamorin comes to be part of it. It used to be a month long affair but it is now only a week long.
When the Zamorin first became ruler, he was of a lower caste than the priests of the temple (he was a Nair while the priests were Namboodiris). The priests refused to accept him as ruler and went on hunger strike and by the 15th day, they died. The Zamorin, then brought priests from TN to perform the rituals and they came only on the condition that they would get a separate place which is away from the place where other priests were killed. Which is why the temple next to it is built in the shape of most TN temples and that area is still a Tamil area and meat shops are not allowed to be set up.
The Zamorin had 2 lieutenants - Shahbandar Koya and Kunjali Marrakar. Shahbandar was in charge of all the trade and Kunjali Marrakar was in charge of the seas.
By the 13th century, Calicut had become a major trading town especially of pepper. The Europeans used pepper not just as a spice but also as a preservative, you can see pepper in tinned anchovies for example.
In Hinduism, it was considered against the religion to cross the sea, so the Zamorin came with a plan for Hindus to marry into Muslim families to ensure that they get over this hurdle. Which is where the term Maplah came from which originally meant son in law.
When Vasco da Gama came to Calicut (Kaapad beach), the Zamorin welcomed him, gave him gifts. (The Arab traders realizing the threat to their hold over trade regularly poisoned the ears of the Zamorin against the visiting Portugese, it is said) When he was returning after meeting the Zamorin and while leaving with 4 ships, Kunjali Marrakar stopped him and asked for 2 ships worth tax (the other 2 ships being gifts of the Zamorin). Vasco da Gama left, leaving behind the 2 ships but promising to come back for them. When he came back, he was with his naval vessels equipped with cannons but the ships of the Marrakar were more like suicide squads, they had these long hulls which were driven right into the middle of the attacking ships. Vasco da Gama left when he realised he was losing the battle and his ships.
Much later he attacked Calicut again and set fire to a lot of mosques that were there in Calicut to seek revenge for his father's loss. They even took away Kunjali Marrakar to Goa, beheaded him and brought his head back to Kannur (?)
While this did ensure that the son won but it left a lot of Portugese traders stuck because suddenly no one wanted to trade with them and they were also attacked. They sent an emissary to King of Portugal who sent his people and finally the Zamorin allowed free trade if they helped build trust in the local population. They set up the church and the St Josephs School - established by the Jesuits in 1793, it is one of the oldest educational institutions in India and the oldest school in Kerala and soon set up St Josephs for girls and the Mother of God church.
Mishkal mosque -
Built in 1300 by a rich Arab businessman and ship owner named Nakhooda Mishkal, he asked the Zamorin to help build it and paid him handsomely. He wanted the mosque to be seen when he returned from his trading and should be seen from the sea as he entered. Originally a seven-tiered structure, the Mishkal Palli was once the tallest building in Kozhikode. The artisans of the Zamorin, however, had no blueprint to build a mosque so they built like other temples so it is not traditionally shaped like a mosque with a dome, more like a temple.
On 3rd January 1510, in an attack by the Portuguese, the mosque was set on fire and the top floors were damaged. The Zamorin helped rebuild it but it became only 5 floors.
Kuttichira Juma Masjid
Juma Masjid has the largest floor area among mosques in Kerala. This single-storeyed shrine has large doors on the four sides on the ground floor with intricate woodwork on the ceiling which have lotus carvings which is not seen in mosques otherwise (given the current political climate, it would be easy to refer to these as built up from destroyed temples). Verses from the Holy Qu’ran are etched in Arabic on the partly wooden walls and ceiling rafters.
Muchundipalli, Kozhikode
This is oldest mosque in the city. Again with flower carvings on the ceiling. This mosque also has a 13th century stone slab inscribed in ancient Vattezhuthu (early Malayalam script - some round wiring), mentions that the property was donated to the mosque by a Zamorin - it is like a land deed saying the Zamorin will look after the maintenance of this mosque. The slab has been installed on a wall inside the mosque. Unlike other such slabs, this one was embossed not carved in and hence till it was found a lot of eroding of the content + old script made it difficult to decipher.
Others
Bairagi temple - where people of different faiths can come and get married as long as one person is Hindu. It is recognized by the state as valid. Bairagi means nomads, these were people from the North (mainly Gujarat or Rajasthan).
There is also a Parsi fire temple and Tower of Silence but the Tower of Silence is no longer operational. There is one Parsi family who still lives in Kozhikode. They own shops in SM street. SM street is Sweet meat street where they used to sell halwa. Legend has it that from a distance British soldiers thought this red halwa was meat and when they ate it, they realised it is sweet hence the name. Over time, people who came for sweets didn't like the name meat along with it so they shortened it to Sweet MEat street.
There is a Sindhi Darbar for a small number of Sindhis who came here as money lenders. There a few families here who still are in the money lending business. The Sindhi temple also has a gurudwara inside and both of them function separately.
The French helped the Zamorin defeat the Portugese (?) and in return they were given some land to settle and trade but by the time the British took over the kingdom they took over the surrounding land too. So the little French colony ended up being a refuge for escaped prisoners from Brtish rule since the Brits couldn't enter this area.
There was also the Chinese who came with silk cloth so that the locals could weave it - the Chinese were not interested in spices.
Also visited valiyangadi - which is the biggest wholesale market in the country it seems. And visited a rice trader's shop
The only big city without an MG Road (although there is a Gandhi road where Gandhi walked when he first came to Calicut.)
Went to RMS halwa to see how halwa making takes place - one worker who was Bengali and from North 24 Parganas was there speaking bledy good Malayalam and spoke to me in Bengali :D
Went past Rahmat Hotel which was supposedly a place for workers from a yard opposite to eat but went on to become famous for biryani
And hogged on idiyappam and chicken stew at Bombay Hotel! This was the hotel that started the "keeping nibbles (kadi) in glass box back in the day!
History of the Beach hotel
There was a Kovilakam (a Bungalow) which was known as Kozhikode Ambadi Kovilakam owned by Her Highness Maha Devi Thamburatti alias Valiya Thamburatti who was a member of the Zamorin, hereditary monarch and ruler of the Kingdom of Kozhikode. The senior female member of the whole Zamorin family, the Valiya Thamburatti, also enjoyed a Sthanam with separate property known as the Ambadi Kovilakam. The ruling family constructed this Kovilakam in 1890 and their followers stayed in this Kovilakam. Later this Kovilakam was taken over by Eble Sayippu.
After a long years in 1932 a British Club committee took over the property for Malabar British Club. Its Committee of management Viz: Messers 1. A.R.Mac Even, Collector and District Magistrate of Malabar, 2. F.P.I Fickling, Agent of Chartered Bank, Calicut, 3. C.F Sims, Port officer, Calicut and others.
In 1943 this property was purchased by the parents of Sri. Hassan Kutty Haji and his family. They were maintaining this property from 1943 onwards. In 2000 the present owners (Beach Heritage Inn Pvt Ltd) had purchased this property and maintained it very well till the date.
And finally to this beautiful community where I stayed! Vettaths ... it is a beautiful community that is being curated with such cozy living spaces. It is a visual treat and a great space to rest too!
Carolyn Myss, an American author, once said, we evolve at the rate of the tribe we are plugged into. This is one such place which I think aims to be that plug point!
and to end - CHAYA KADA!
