Heritage walk

Calicut has a rich history and the best way to explore this is to go on a heritage walk. The Calicut Regional Chapter of INTACH organises this walk alongside the historic beach promenade and must be booked in advance. I attended a walk by the city history expert and former Convenor of INTACH in Calicut Mohan. The walk starts at the Lighthouse on the city beach and lasts about 90 minutes. It covers major landmarks of historical significance like the old pier, old Dutch weaving factory, Cosmopolitan Club, old Municipal Offices, Gujarati and Arab settlements and the mosques at Kuttichira. As we walked, we saw many colonial style buildings that have stood the test of time. The Comtrust Textile Factory and Tile Factory complex, the CSI church, Town Hall and the Basel Mission schools will give you a trip down memory lane. Interestingly there is a street called Silk Street here which is probably one of the links to the Chinese connection that Calicut has. For me the ruins of a beautiful church were probably one of the best sights I saw on the tour. In all this is an interesting way to get to know the Malabar Coast’s connection with Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, French, Chinese and English. And to round of the tour stop by at the Sri Venkatesh Lunch Home for a piping hot fresh South Indian breakfast.