Kerala's Kozhikode becomes India's first UNESCO 'City of Literature'
- In Reports
- 12:36 PM, Jun 24, 2024
- Myind Staff
Kozhikode in north Kerala, renowned for its rich cultural heritage, was officially declared India's first UNESCO 'City of Literature' on Sunday.
In October 2023, Kozhikode earned a place in the 'Literature' category of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).
State Local Self Government Department (LSGD) Minister M B Rajesh announced on Sunday at an official event that Kozhikode has achieved the status of being India's first UNESCO 'City of Literature' under the 'Literature' category of the UCCN.
Rajesh described Kozhikode as a city with a soul, characterised by humanity, harmony, a strong sense of justice and freedom of expression.
"These core values have given birth to the vibrant art of Kozhikode," Rajesh said.
The minister highlighted that the efficient functioning of the Kozhikode city corporation played a significant role in securing the 'City of Literature' designation from UNESCO, surpassing cities with a strong cultural legacy such as Kolkata.
The state government also declared that starting from the upcoming year, June 23 will be celebrated as 'City of Literature' Day in Kozhikode, a city renowned for literary figures such as the late S K Pottakkad and Vaikom Muhammed Basheer.
On this occasion, special awards will be presented in six categories, as announced by the LSGD.
During the event, Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas unveiled the UNESCO 'City of Literature' logo.
Rajesh visited the residence of Jnanpith awardee M T Vasudevan Nair and presented him with the Diamond Jubilee award established by the Kozhikode City corporation.
Formerly known as the city of Zamorins, Kozhikode, also referred to as Calicut during British rule, served as a pivotal gateway to the coast for numerous foreign traders, including Persians, Arabs, Chinese, and later Europeans, centuries ago.
Kozhikode, known as the cradle of the freedom movement in Kerala, has also been a significant hub for book festivals for many decades.
The city boasts over 500 functioning libraries and has been a central hub for the literary endeavours of the legendary Malayalam writer M T Vasudevan Nair for several decades.
Both Gwalior and Kozhikode from India are among the 55 new cities that have joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). The updated list was published on the occasion of World Cities Day, celebrated on October 31st.
These new cities were acknowledged for "their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies and displaying innovative practices in human-centred urban planning", the UN agency had said in a statement.
While Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh secured a spot in the coveted UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) under the 'Music' category, Kozhikode earned its place in the 'Literature' category.
These cities now join a prestigious list of places recognised by UNESCO, including Bukhara for Crafts and Folk Art, Casablanca for Media Arts, Chongqing for Design, Kathmandu for Film, Rio de Janeiro for Literature, and Ulaanbaatar for Crafts and Folk Art.
With these additions, the UCCN encompasses 350 cities across over a hundred countries, representing seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music.
UNESCO has announced that the newly designated Creative Cities will participate in the 2024 UCCN Annual Conference, scheduled for July 1-5, 2024, in Braga, Portugal. The theme for the conference is 'Bringing Youth to the Table for the Next Decade'.
Image source: UNESCO
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