Literary circuit: Road to the literary city, Kozhikode

Kozhikode: "All its characters were flesh and blood human beings. None of them are among us today... Each of them played their part in the great drama that is human life, followed their own lives' plays, and cast their own light or shadow on the community's outer sphere before entering the other world. Not a single one of their names is found in the records that historians write. They were hidden in the grave, in the ground... forever..."

"But their echoes still linger in the laughter heard on the streets. New characters are being played here... New footprints are replacing old ones. These stories carry on for centuries..."

These moving words by SK Pottekkatt invite readers into Mittayi Theruvu in Kozhikode where story and time intertwine. Kozhikode is painted with SK's narratives, where locals traverse from the main road to Mittayi Theruvu where the portrayals of SK’s stories and characters can be seen. People of all ages gather around the sculptures here to capture selfies. At the far end of Mittayi Theruvu, the storyteller's sculpture stands witness to stories persisting across generations, even as new footprints erase the old.

At Mananchira, beyond Mittayi Theruvu, sculptures honour dramatist KT Muhammad, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's beloved goat (a character in his story ‘Pathummayude Aadu’), and other Malayalam literary figures at Ansari Park. Even before becoming the Literary City, sculptures of writers and characters had adorned Kozhikode.

The place of Basheer, MT, Uroob, and Pottekkatt envision a future where global recognition elevates it as a Literary City, attracting writers and readers worldwide for cultural exchange. Plans are underway to enhance tourism, including expanding the literary circuit, from Thunjath Ezhuthachan’s Tirur to Vaikom Muhammad Basheer’s Beypore, integrating writings of Ezhuthachan to MT, with the cultural heritage of the Nila (Bharathapuzha) banks and Kozhikode's literary traditions.

Sahitya Nagaram (Literary City): Announcement on the 23rd

Kozhikode will be officially announced as a UNESCO World Heritage City on June 23. The announcement will take place at 5:30 pm at the Muhammad Abdur Rahiman Memorial Jubilee Hall, Kandamkulam, attended by Ministers MB Rajesh and PA Muhammad Riaz.

Initially scheduled for June 22, the Chief Minister's official announcement was rescheduled to the next day. On October 31, 2023, Kozhikode was honoured with the title of India's first Literary City.