Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 1 (PTI) Kozhikode, renowned for its cultural richness and the base of literary greats like the late S K Pottakkad and Vaikom Muhammed Basheer, has been awarded the esteemed title of 'City of Literature' by UNESCO.

This recognition consolidates its reputation as a centre for literary enthusiasts in the southern state.

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The UN agency's announcement saw celebrations across the north Kerala district, with greetings pouring in from various quarters.

Known as the city of Zamorins once, Kozhikode, also known as Calicut during British rule, served as the gateway to the coast for many foreigners, such as Persians, Arabs, Chinese, and eventually Europeans, centuries ago.

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The cradle of the freedom movement in Kerala, Kozhikode, has also been an important destination for book festivals for many decades.

State Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas, who represents Beypore constituency in the district in the state assembly, said the UN agency's recognition is a gift to the state as Kerala celebrates its formation day on Wednesday.

Kozhikode is the historical city of the southern state, and now it has been recognised as the City of Literature as well, he said.

"It's a recognition not only for Kozhikode but for the entire state," he said.

The happiness is sweeter, as it is the first time a city in India has ever received such a recognition, the minister added.

Kozhikode Mayor Beena Philip said the relentless effort by a host of people, including writers, journalists, publishers, local libraries, and ordinary people, helped the city win UNESCO's recognition.

"It is a deserving recognition," she told reporters, adding that the people of the city are the real winners.

Stating that Kozhikode is a city where there are over 500 libraries functioning despite being a small place, Philip said it may be very rare.

The number of publishing houses and presence of newspapers in Kozhikode also might have contributed to UNESCO's recognition, the mayor added.

Leading publisher Ravi Deecee, managing partner of the Kottayam-based well-known DC Books, said literature, art, music, and dance are part of the culture of Kozhikode.

He said probably another place in the country on the same lines as Calicut (as Kozhikode is commonly called) might be Kolkata.

"People thought Kolkata would be the first... but Calicut got the first City of Literature tag by UNESCO in the country, which is a great thing," he told PTI.

The northern city boasts hundreds of publishers and book shops, he said.

He claimed that the annual Kerala Literature Festival, organised by the DC Books in Kozhikode for the last six years, also "tremendously" contributed to winning the UNESCO tag of 'City of Literature'.

Next is going to be the 7th edition of the KLF in Kozhikode, he added.

Kozhikode has been the base of literary activities of legendary Malayalam writer and Jnanpith laureate M T Vasudevan Nair for several decades.

Gwalior and Kozhikode from India are among the 55 new cities which have joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

UNESCO made the announcement on its official website on Tuesday.

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 said in a statement.

On World Cities Day, 55 cities joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), following their designation by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, it added.

While Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh has made it to the coveted list in the 'Music' category, Kozhikode in Kerala has earned the place in the 'Literature' category.

Earlier, Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy praised Kozhikode and Gwalior for their recognition and said that it was a proud moment for India.

"These cities get acknowledged & recognition for their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity. Congratulations to all stakeholders!," he said on his "X" handle.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)