Courtesy ET Online
Jun 24, 2024, 02:08:23 PM IST
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UNESCO recognition for Kozhikode
Kozhikode in north Kerala, known for its rich cultural heritage, was on Sunday officially declared as India’s first UNESCO ‘City of Literature’. In October 2023, Kozhikode had earned a place in the ‘Literature’ category of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).
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Humanity, harmony and soul
State Local Self Government Department (LSGD) Minister M B Rajesh described Kozhikode as a city with a soul, characterised by humanity, harmony, a strong sense of justice and freedom of expression. “These core values have given birth to the vibrant art of Kozhikode,” Rajesh said.
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Why Kozhikode?
Kozhikode is a place known for literary greats like late S K Pottakkad and Vaikom Muhammed Basheer. Known as the city of Zamorins once, Kozhikode, also known as Calicut during British rule, served as the gateway to the coast for many foreigners, such as Persians, Arabs, Chinese, and eventually Europeans, centuries ago.
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City of books and libraries
The cradle of the freedom movement in Kerala, Kozhikode has also been an important destination for book festivals for many decades. Kozhikode is a city where there are over 500 libraries functioning, and has been the base of literary activities of legendary Malayalam writer M T Vasudevan Nair for several decades.
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Among 55 cities
Gwalior and Kozhikode from India are among the 55 new cities which have joined the UCCN. The new list was published on its website on the World Cities Day, which falls on October 31. These new cities were acknowledged for “their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies and displaying innovative practices in human-centred urban planning”, the UN agency had said in a statement.