Kerala’s largest urban state, Kozhikode is also one of the region’s most charming districts. It is a haven of natural blue seas, heritage homes, cascading waterfalls and ancient temples and is filled with lush vegetation, wildlife, rivers, hills and places of worship, making it a wonderful destination for tourists.
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Location
Kozhikode is located in the north of India’s Southern state of Kerala, and 275km west of Bangalore. On the West is the Arabian Sea while the Wayanad hills are situated to the east.
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Exploring Kozhikode
There are a lot of places to visit and enjoy in this city, which attracts large number of tourists each year. The city has many temples, the most important of which include the Tali Temple, Trivannur Temple & Valayanad Devi Temple. The city also houses a large number of Churches and Mosques including Mother of God Church, St Mary’s Church, Jami Mosque, and Mishkal Masjid to name a few. Other places of interest include Mananchira Square, Sweet Meat Street, Palayam Market, Valiya Angadi, Kozhikode Beach, Regional Science Centre, Kappad Beach and Dolphin’s Point which is a great place to watch dolphins playing early in the morning.
The backwaters of Calicut are a unique feature to Kerala. They are a network of canals, estuaries, deltas, and rivers that meander into the Arabian Sea. Fantastic for exploring and relaxing as well as visiting places of tourist interest such as the Lighthouse, Pazhassiraja Museum, Thusharagiri Waterfalls, Pookot Lake, Bird Sanctuary, Dolphin’s Point, and the Lion’s Park.
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Shopping
Sweet Meat Street is the busiest street in Kozhikode and derives its name from the times when the street was lined with sweetmeat stalls. One can pick up fancy clothes from the shops lining S M Street and Mavoor Road. There is a wholesale spice market at the Big Bazaar Road. The Comtrust Store off Town Hall Road sells handloom fabrics produced in the factory next door. Calicut is popular for its local handicrafts such as rosewood and buffalo horn carvings, coir products and miniature snake boats. The best places to get these are the supermarket on Mavoor Road and CSI at Mananchira and Big Bazaar at SM Street.
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Currency
Indian Rupee (INR)
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Language
English is widely spoken and understood in all cities and Tourist areas. Hindi is the official language.
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Climate
Kozhikode has a tropical climate, divided mainly between a monsoon and a dry season. There is significant rainfall in most months of the year with the annual average temperature at approximately 27°C. Anytime between September and May is pleasant.
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Flying Time
Flying time from Muscat : 2 Hours 30 Minutes
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Time Difference
GMT + 5.30 Hours
