KOZHIKODE, 6 January 2007 — The monthlong Malabar Shopping Festival, which kicked off late last month, is drawing huge crowd. The shopping and entertainment gala is attracting visitors from far-flung areas of the state.
The annual event aims at highlighting the past glory that once attracted traders and seafarers from far places to the Malabar Coast. The benefits of Kerala’s booming tourism industry are yet to reach the northern parts and the authorities are trying to utilize this opportunity to tap tourism potential of the area.
An artificial snow park, halwa festival, beach volleyball and bungee jumping are among the main attractions of the festival. On offer are daily gifts and prizes worth 10 million rupees in various categories. And for children, there’s a 10-day-long magic show featuring the leading magicians of the state.
“The shopping festival has evoked keen interest among Keralites working in the Gulf. We hope this would give a fillip to trade and travel industry of the region,” City Mayor M. Bhaskaran said.
The festival has been organized on the lines of the Dubai Shopping Festival, though in a much lower scale. The organizers hope to attract a slice of DSF visitors as well through its road shows in Dubai.
Horseback riding, camel riding and elephant riding are popular with visitors. They can also make a helicopter trip over the city. Weeklong beach volleyball tournaments for men and women will begin on Jan. 11.
A snow park will be open at Apsara grounds from Jan. 8 to 12. Circus, magic theme park, exhibition of ornamental fish, cyber games, food festival, film festival and book fair are other major attractions.
“We will make it one of the biggest events in the region. There will be roadshows throughout the Gulf where Keralites have significant presence. We are also planning to operate charted flights from the Gulf,” Finance Minister Dr. T.M. Thomas Isaac, one of the architects of the event, said.
Products that meet international standards, including the state’s well-known handloom materials, are expected to get a boost. The shopping festival is being organized jointly by the state government and the Kozhikode Corporation, which has completed 140 years of its establishment.
The MSF is also holding shop-illuminating and building-painting contests. Health seminars and business seminars will also be held during the festival.
The stadium corner at the event is the venue of an international book fair and the Jubilee Hall of cyber games. The medical college ground offers helicopter jaunts for adventurous visitors.
Demonstrations by the navy, air force and firefighters, paragliding, hot air balloon, cool snow park and helicopter ride are expected to fascinate visitors. Treasure hunts, package tour, floating restaurants, flying trapeze, Burma bridge, commando net and Tarzan swing are other attractions.
“Matsyalanka,” an ornamental fish exhibition-cum-sale in some 250 aquarium stalls, flaunts an extensive collection of fresh water and sea fish brought from various parts of the country and from abroad.
“Queen of Show” contest for angelfish offers a cash prize of Rs. 10,000. Up for grab are some 30 prizes in different categories.
Special tour packages, covering beaches, hill stations, ayurvedic spas and backwaters in Malabar are also being offered to overseas visitors.
There are several attractive places in Kozhikode for tourists. They include Pazhassiraja Museum and Art Gallery. Copies of ancient murals, antique bronzes, old coins, excavated earthenware, megalithic monuments like dolmonoid cysts and umbrella stores are showcased here.
Krishna Menon Museum has an exclusive wing dedicated to the renowned statesman V.K Krishna Menon. His personal belongings and souvenirs are displayed here.
Kallai: Once, the second largest timber trading center in Asia.
Beypore: Ten km south of Kozhikode, is an ancient port and an important trade and maritime center. The boat-building yard here, famous for the construction of the Urus (the Arabian trading vessel), boasts of a tradition of almost 1,500 years and it still gets orders from the Gulf.
Kappad: The historic beach (16 km from Kozhikode) where Vasco da Gama landed in 1498 with 170 men in three vessels. An interesting feature of the landscape is the sprawling rock that protrudes into the sea.
Kozhikode Beach: A favorite haunt of sunset viewers. Adding to its natural beauty is the old world charm retained in the lighthouse and the two crumbling piers, each more than a hundred years old.
Velliyamkallu: The massive rock, much dreaded by navigators, was once a vantage point for the Marakkars to attack the invading Portuguese. An entire crew of a Portuguese ship was killed here.
Thikkodi Lighthouse: The lighthouse which overlooks Velliyamkallu of 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.
Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary: The estuary at Kadalundi (25 km from Kozhikode) is a haven for migratory birds. Terns, gulls, herons, sandpipers, whimbrels and other exotic birds flock into this place in November and return home in April.
Planetarium: The Kozhikode Planetarium at the city’s Jaffar Khan Colony offers extensive insight into the mysteries of the universe, the planets and the galaxies.
Kakkayam: This picturesque dam site (45 km from Kozhikode), teeming with exotic wildlife, offers excellent trekking and rock climbing opportunities. The best time to visit is between November and April.
Mananchira Square: The serene square in the heart of the city was originally the palace tank of King Mana-Vikrama. The musical fountain inside the maidan and the meticulously landscaped lawn surrounded by traditional buildings in the Kerala style, fascinate the visitors.
Kuttichira: The stone inscriptions found in the Muccunti Mosque at Kuttichira reveal an interesting aspect in the history of the Zamorins of Kozhikode and their patronage of Islam in Kerala. Mishkal Masjid, Kuttichira is one of the oldest mosques in the city.
Marine Water Aquarium: It is also located on the Kozhikode Beach near the lighthouse. It has a rich collection of colorful marine and fresh water fishes.
Bekal Fort, Kasaragod: An imposing circular structure of laterite 130 ft. above seal level that stands on a 35 acre headland running into the Arabian Sea.