Kozhikode district

Kozhikode district, is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, along its southwestern Malabar Coast. The city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, is the district headquarters.
The Kozhikode Municipal Corporation has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making Kozhikode metropolitan area the second-largest in Kerala and the 19th largest in India. Kozhikode is classified as a Tier 2 city by the Government of India. NIT Calicut, NIEIT and IIM Kozhikode are institutions of national importance located in the district.
Kozhikode is the largest city in the erstwhile Malabar District and acted as its headquarters during British Raj. In antiquity and the medieval period, Kozhikode was dubbed the City of Spices for its role as the major trading point for Indian spices. It was the capital of an independent kingdom ruled by the Samoothiris, which was also the largest kingdom in Kerala prior to the expansion of Travancore in the mid-18th century CE. The port at Kozhikode acted as the gateway to medieval South Indian coast for the Chinese, the Arabs, the Portuguese, the Dutch and finally the British.
Kozhikode district is bordered by the districts of Kannur and Mahé to the north, Wayanad to the east, and Malappuram to the south. The Arabian Sea lies to the west and the Western Ghats mountain range stretches towards the east. Vavul Mala, a 2,339 m high peak situated on the trijunction of Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Wayanad districts, is the highest point of elevation in the district. It lies between latitudes 11° 08'N and 11° 50'N and longitudes 75° 30'E and 76° 8'E. The Thamarassery Churam connects the city of Kozhikode with the plateau of Wayanad.
The district is divided into four taluks: Kozhikode, Vatakara, Koyilandy and Thamarassery. By the 2011 census there are 12 block panchayats: Balusseri, Chelannur, Koduvally, Kozhikode, Kunnamangalam, Kunnummal, Melady, Panthalayani, Perambra, Thodannur, Thuneri and Vatakara. The Multidimensional Poverty Index report prepared by NITI Aayog based on the National Family Health Survey 2015–16 declared Kozhikode as the third-least poor district in India, only after to Kottayam and Ernakulam, with a negligible multidimensional poverty rate of 0.26%.

Etymology

The exact origin of the name Kozhikode is uncertain. According to many sources, the name Kozhikode is derived from Koyil-kota, meaning fortified palace. Koil or Koyil or Kovil is the Malayalam/Tamil term for a Hindu temple, referring to the Tali Shiva Temple. Both the terms kōyil and kōvil are used interchangeably. The name also got corrupted into Kolikod, or its Arab version Qāliqūṭ and later its anglicised version Calicut.
The Arab merchants called it Qāliqūṭ. Chinese merchants called it Kūlifo. Tamils called it as Kallikottai.
The city is officially named Kozhikode in Malayalam, and in English, it is known by its anglicised version, Calicut.
The word calico, a fine variety of hand-woven cotton cloth that was exported from the port of Kozhikode, is thought to have been derived from Calicut. The term for tricolour cats called calico cats, is as well derived from the fabric name.

History

Following the formation of Kerala in 1956, the erstwhile Malabar District was divided into three: Kannur district, Kozhikode district, and Palakkad district.
At that time, Kozhikode district had two Revenue Divisions: Kozhikode Revenue Division and Malappuram Revenue Division. Kozhikode Revenue Division had four Taluks: Vatakara, Koyilandy, Kozhikode, and South Wayanad. Malappuram Division had two Taluks: Eranad and Tirur.
File:Caminho maritimo para a India.png|thumb|The path Vasco da Gama took to reach Kozhikode in 1498, which was also the discovery of a sea route from Europe to India, and eventually paved way for the European colonisation of Indian subcontinent.
On 16 June 1969, Malappuram Revenue Division of Kozhikode district excluding three Revenue villages, Feroke, Ramanattukara, and Kadalundi, was separated to form Malappuram district.
Again on 1 November 1980, the South Wayanad Taluk of Kozhikode district was separated to form Wayanad district.

Demographics

According to the 2018 Statistics Report, Kozhikode district has a population of 3,249,761, roughly equal to the nation of Mongolia or the US state of Iowa. 2011 Census of India gives the district a ranking of 115th in India. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 7.31%. Kozhikode has a sex ratio of 1097 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 95.24%. 67.15% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 6.45% and 0.49% of the population respectively.
The Kozhikode metropolitan area has a population of more than 2 million, making it the second-largest in Kerala and the 19th largest in India. 67.15% of the total population of Kozhikode district live in urban areas, according to the 2011 Census of India.
The Multidimensional Poverty Index report prepared by NITI Aayog based on the National Family Health Survey 2015–16 declared Kozhikode as the third-least poor district in India, only after to Kottayam and Ernakulam, with a negligible multidimensional poverty rate of 0.26%.
Malayalam is the predominant language, spoken by 99.05% of the population. Small minorities speak Tamil and Hindi, mainly in urban areas.

Religion

According to the 2011 census, Hindus constitute the majority of the population, followed by Muslims and Christians. The proportion in the 2011 census was 56.21% Hindus; 39.24% Muslims and 4.26% Christians.
There is a small presence of Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists.

Climate

The district has a generally humid climate with a very hot season extending from March to May. The rainy season is during the South West Monsoon, which sets in the first week of June and extends up to September. The North East Monsoon extends from the second half of October through November. The average annual rainfall is. The best weather is found in towards the end of the year, in December and January – the skies are clear, and the air is crisp. The highest temperature recorded was in March 1975. The lowest was recorded on 26 December 1975.

Administration

The headquarters of the district administration is Kozhikode Civil Station in West Hill. The district administration is headed by the District collector. He is assisted by deputy collectors with responsibility for general matters, land acquisition, revenue recovery, land reforms, and elections.

Urban Local Bodies

There are seven municipal towns in the district, in addition to the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation, which was established in 1962 as the second municipal corporation in Kerala after Trivandrum. The district's municipal towns are:

Municipality	Population	Area	Population density	Taluk
Vatakara	75,295	21.32	3,532	Vatakara
Koyilandy	71,873	29.05	2,474	Koyilandy
Feroke	54,074	15.54	3,480	Kozhikode
Payyoli	49,470	22.34	2,214	Koyilandy
Koduvally	48,687	23.85	2,041	Thamarassery
Mukkam	40,670	31.20	1,304	Kozhikode
Ramanattukara	35,937	11.70	3,072	Kozhikode

Legislative representation

There are three Lok Sabha constituency in Kozhikode: Vatakara, Kozhikode, and Wayanad.
There are 13 Kerala Legislative Assembly seats in Kozhikode district.

Constituency	Member	Party	Alliance
Vatakara	K. K. Rema	RMPI
Kuttiady	K. P. Kunhahammed Kutty	CPI
Nadapuram	E. K. Vijayan	CPI
Koyilandy	Kanathil Jameela	CPI
Perambra	T. P. Ramakrishnan	CPI
Balussery	K. M. Sachin Dev	CPI
Elathur	A. K. Saseendran	NCP
Kozhikode North	Thottathil Ravindran	CPI
Kozhikode South	Ahamed Devarkovil	INL
Beypore	P. A. Mohammed Riyas	CPI
Kunnamangalam	P. T. A. Rahim	LDF Ind.
Koduvally	M. K. Muneer	IUML
Thiruvambady	Linto Joseph	CPI

Administrative divisions

Revenue division	Taluk	Area	Population	Number of villages	Towns	Revenue villages
Vatkara	Vatakara	576	687,726	28	Vadakara Nadapuram Kuttiady Chorode Eramala Vanimal Azhiyur	Ayanchery Azhiyur Chekkiad Chorode Edachery Eramala Kavilumpara Kayakody Kottappally Kunnummal Kuttiady Maniyoor Maruthonkara Nadakkuthazha Nadapuram Narippatta Onchiam Palayad Purameri Thinoor Thiruvallur Thuneri Vatakara Valayam Vanimel Velom Vilangad Villiappally
Vatkara	Koyilandy	642	645,879	31	Koyilandi Chemancheri Ulliyeri Balussery Perambra	Arikkulam Atholi Avitanallur Balussery Chakkittapara Changaroth Chemancheri Chempanoda Chengottukavu Cheruvannur Eravattur Iringal Kayanna Keezhariyur Koorachundu Koothali Kottur Kozhukkallur Menhannyam Meppayur Moodadi Naduvannur Nochad Palery Panthalayany Payyoli Perambra Thikkodi Thurayur Ulliyeri Viyyur
Kozhikode	Thamarassery	574	401,831	20	Thamarassery Thiruvambady Koodaranji Koduvally Kodencheri Omassery Poonoor	Engapuzha Kanthalad Kattippara Kinalur Kizhakkoth Kodencheri Koduvally Kedavoor Koodaranji Koodathayi Narikkuni Nellipoyil Panangad Puthuppadi Puthur Raroth Sivapuram Thiruvambady Unnikulam Vavad
Kozhikode	Kozhikode	547	1,354,107	39	Kozhikode Kadalundi Feroke Ramanattukara Mukkam Kunnamangalam Beypore	Beypore Chathamangalam Chelannur Celavoor Cheruvannur Chevayoor Elathur Feroke Kacheri Kadalundi N. N. Kakkad Kakkodi Kakkur Karuvanthuruthy Kasaba Kodiyathur Kottooli Kumaranallur Kunnamangalam Parambil Bazar Kuttikkattoor and Velliparamba Madavoor Mavoor Nagaram Nanmanda Neeleshwaram Nellikode Bhaskaran Olavanna Panniyankara Pantheeramkavu Perumanna Peruvayal Poolacode Puthuyangadi Ramanattukara Thalakkulathur Thazhekode Valayanad Vengeri