Kozhikode, Kozhikode in northern Kerala, known for its rich cultural heritage, was officially declared India's first UNESCO 'City of Literature' on Sunday.
In October 2023, Kozhikode got a place in the "Literature" category of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).
State Local Self-Government Department (LSGD) Minister MB Rajesh on Sunday announced the achievement of Kozhikode bagging the place in the UCCN 'Literature' category at an official event here.
Rajesh described Kozhikode as a city with a soul, characterized by humanity, harmony, a strong sense of justice and freedom of expression.
“These core values have given rise to the vibrant art of Kozhikode,” Rajesh said.
The minister said the efficient functioning of Kozhikode city corporation played an important role in earning the 'City of Literature' tag from UNESCO after beating cities with rich cultural history like Kolkata.
The state government also announced that from next year, June 23 will be celebrated as the 'City of Literature' Day of Kozhikode, a place known for literary greats like the late S. K. Pottakkad and Vaikom Muhammed Basheer.
Special awards in six categories will be announced that day, according to a statement issued by the LSGD.
As part of the event, the Minister of Tourism, PA Mohammed Riyas, unveiled the logo of the UNESCO "City of Literature".
Rajesh visited the house of Jnanpith awardee M T Vasudevan Nair and presented the Diamond Jubilee award instituted by the Kozhikode city corporation.
Once known as the city of Zamorins, Kozhikode, also known as Calicut during British rule, served as a gateway to the coast for many foreigners, including Persians, Arabs, Chinese and finally Europeans, centuries ago.
Kozhikode, the birthplace of the freedom movement in Kerala, has also been an important destination for book festivals for many decades.
Kozhikode is a city where more than 500 libraries are functioning and has been the base of legendary Malayalam writer M T Vasudevan Nair's literary activities for several decades.
India's Gwalior and Kozhikode are among the 55 new cities that have joined the UCCN. The new list was published on its website on the occasion of World Cities Day, which is celebrated on October 31.
These new cities were recognized for "their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies and showcasing innovative practices in people-centered urban planning," the UN agency said in a statement.
While Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh made it to the coveted list in the 'Music' category, Kozhikode bagged the spot in the 'Literature' category.
These cities join the list of places that received UNESCO labels, including Bukhara – Crafts and Folk Art, Casablanca – Media Arts, Chongqing – Design, Kathmandu – Cinema, Rio de Janeiro – Literature and Ulaanbaatar – Crafts and Art popular.
With the latest additions, the UCCN now has 350 cities in more than one hundred countries, representing seven creative fields: crafts and popular art, design, cinema, gastronomy, literature, media arts and music.
The newly designated Creative Cities are invited to participate in the UCCN Annual Conference 2024 (July 1-5, 2024) in Braga, Portugal, under the theme 'Bringing youth to the table for the next decade,' said the UNESCO in a statement.
In October 2023, Kozhikode got a place in the "Literature" category of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).
State Local Self-Government Department (LSGD) Minister MB Rajesh on Sunday announced the achievement of Kozhikode bagging the place in the UCCN 'Literature' category at an official event here.
Rajesh described Kozhikode as a city with a soul, characterized by humanity, harmony, a strong sense of justice and freedom of expression.
“These core values have given rise to the vibrant art of Kozhikode,” Rajesh said.
The minister said the efficient functioning of Kozhikode city corporation played an important role in earning the 'City of Literature' tag from UNESCO after beating cities with rich cultural history like Kolkata.
The state government also announced that from next year, June 23 will be celebrated as the 'City of Literature' Day of Kozhikode, a place known for literary greats like the late S. K. Pottakkad and Vaikom Muhammed Basheer.
Special awards in six categories will be announced that day, according to a statement issued by the LSGD.
As part of the event, the Minister of Tourism, PA Mohammed Riyas, unveiled the logo of the UNESCO "City of Literature".
Rajesh visited the house of Jnanpith awardee M T Vasudevan Nair and presented the Diamond Jubilee award instituted by the Kozhikode city corporation.
Once known as the city of Zamorins, Kozhikode, also known as Calicut during British rule, served as a gateway to the coast for many foreigners, including Persians, Arabs, Chinese and finally Europeans, centuries ago.
Kozhikode, the birthplace of the freedom movement in Kerala, has also been an important destination for book festivals for many decades.
Kozhikode is a city where more than 500 libraries are functioning and has been the base of legendary Malayalam writer M T Vasudevan Nair's literary activities for several decades.
India's Gwalior and Kozhikode are among the 55 new cities that have joined the UCCN. The new list was published on its website on the occasion of World Cities Day, which is celebrated on October 31.
These new cities were recognized for "their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies and showcasing innovative practices in people-centered urban planning," the UN agency said in a statement.
While Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh made it to the coveted list in the 'Music' category, Kozhikode bagged the spot in the 'Literature' category.
These cities join the list of places that received UNESCO labels, including Bukhara – Crafts and Folk Art, Casablanca – Media Arts, Chongqing – Design, Kathmandu – Cinema, Rio de Janeiro – Literature and Ulaanbaatar – Crafts and Art popular.
With the latest additions, the UCCN now has 350 cities in more than one hundred countries, representing seven creative fields: crafts and popular art, design, cinema, gastronomy, literature, media arts and music.
The newly designated Creative Cities are invited to participate in the UCCN Annual Conference 2024 (July 1-5, 2024) in Braga, Portugal, under the theme 'Bringing youth to the table for the next decade,' said the UNESCO in a statement.
