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Kozhikode
 Location
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Northern Part of Kerala
Main Attractions
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Dolphin's Point
Formed on
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Calicut
Best Season
: September to May
Kozhikode (also known as Calicut) is a busy coastal city. Located to the north of Kerala and 225 km from Kochi holds an important position in the legend and history of Kerala. Vasco Da Gama landed at Kappad, 16km north of Kozhikode as the leader of a trade mission from Portugal & was received by the Zamorin himself. Kozhikode attained a position of pre-eminence in the trade of pepper & other spices which made it India's emporium of international trade.
As Kozhikode offered full freedom & security, the Arab & the Chinese merchants preferred it to all other ports.
Today Kozhikode has lush green forests, rivers, wildlife, hills, a unique culture and a warm friendly ambience make Kozhikode a much sought after destination.
PRIME ATTRACTIONS
MUSEUMS
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Pazhassi Raja Museum
Located at East Hill, the Pazhassiraja Museum, run by the State Archaeological Department, displays ancient murals, antique bronzes and old coins, as well as models of temples, megalithic monuments like dolminoid cysts and umbrella stones. Timings are 10 am to 5 pm. (Closed on Mondays) Situated next to the Pazhassiraja Museum, the Art Gallery contains paintings of Raja Ravi Varma and Raja Raja Varma.
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Krishnan Menon Museum
The Krishna Menon Museum has a section in honour of the great Indian leader V.K. Krishna Menon, whose personal belongings and souvenirs gifted by world leaders are exhibited here. Timings are 10 am to 5 pm. (Closed on Mondays and Wednesday forenoons).
OTHERS
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Dolphin's Point
Just 15 minutes from the city centre is a place called Dolphin's Point, where one can see dolphins playing in the sea of an early morning. The long tree-lined beach, about 2 km away, is popular with the local people because of the Lions Club Park, the lighthouse, and two piers - and of course, the opportunity to soak in the evening breeze.
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Mananchira
Mananchira is the heart of the city and sites important institutions like the Town Hall and the Public Library. One of Kozhikode's oldest institutions, the Commonwealth Trust's office is located here. The large pond and park are well-known landmarks.
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Kallai
Six kms away is Kallai, once the bustling nerve-centre of Kozhikode's timber trade, said to have been the largest such trading centre in Asia. Today, though some business does take place, hard times have fallen on the timber trade and Kallai is just a shadow of its busy past.
EXCURSIONS
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BEACHES
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 Beypore Beach
Beypore 11 km from Kozhikode, is a small coastal town famous for centuries as a ship-building centre and still is known today for its country crafts called `Uru' built by traditional shipbuilders known as `khalasis'. Beypore is still a favoured destination for Arabs shopping for large boats. A commercial centre also famous for the ancient Kerala style of martial arts, 'Kalaripayattu' is also the birthplace of Tacholi Othenan, whose heroic deeds have been immortalised in the ballads of North Malabar.
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Kappad Beach
Kappad, the historic beach. It is the beach where Vasco da Gama landed on the 27th of May, 1498 with 170 men in three vessels, thus discovering a sea route to India.
WILDLIFE
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Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary
Kalalundi bird sanctuary, 19 kms from Kozhikode is home to more than a
hundred varieties of native birds and over 60 species of migratory
birds flock here in large numbers.
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Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
Established in 1973, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is contiguous to the protected area network of Nagarhole and Bandipore of Karnataka and Mudumalai of Tamil-Nadu.
TEMPLES
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Lokanarkavu Temple
The Lokanarkavu Bhagavathi Temple is a temple frequently alluded to in the Northern Ballads or the Vadakkanpattu of Kerala. The main deity is Goddess Durga, with two adjacent shrines dedicated to Vishnu and Siva. more...
Thali Temple
Thali temple, located downtown is an important temple of the erstwhile Zamorin Kingdom of Kozhikode. The temple is famous for the 'Revathi Pattathanam', an annual competition of pedagogic skills.
CITIES
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Mananthavadi
The panoramic Mananthavadi is situated 32 kms from north east of Kalpetta. Perched on the Western Ghats at an altitude of around 500m above sea level.
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Lakkidi
Lakkidi, the gateway of Wayanad, is situated 700 m above mean sea level, at the crest of the Thamaraserri ghat pass. Lofty peaks, gurgling streams and luxuriant forests add magic to the journey up the winding roads to this hill station more...
 OTHERS
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Peruvannamuzhi Dam
60 kms from Kozhikode, it is picturesque dam with a crocodile farm, bird sanctuary and boating facilities. The dam is a famous picnic spot.
Thikkoti Lighthouse
The lighthouse, which overlooks Velliyamkallu - the rock much dreaded by mariners - off Moodadi coast, was built after a shipwreck, the remains of which can still be seen here. The region around the Velliyamkallu rock is the transit home of migratory birds.
Thusharagiri Waterfalls
Snuggled cosily in the Western Ghats, are the gurgling waterfalls of Thusharagiri. Meaning the snow capped mountains; Thushargiri exhibits a unique kinship between the land and water.
Getting There
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Air : Kozhikode airport is located at a distance of about 25 km from the center of the city. Kozhikode is well connected by air to Mumbai, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Goa, Madurai and Chennai.
Rail : Calicut is connected to all the major cities of India through rail link. The station is around 2 km south of Mananchira Square. The city is well connected by train with important places like Mangalore, Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Coimbatore, Goa and Mumbai.
Road : Calicut is well linked with various destinations in Kerala and beyond. National Highway-17 links Calicut with the rest of the cities in Kerala and neighboring states.
Accommodation
You won't have any accommodation problem here, as there are plenty of them at Calicut. The accommodation ranges between luxury and budget and you can pick the one which best suites your requirement.
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