Context:
Kozhikode in Kerala declared India’s first UNESCO ‘City of Literature’ and placed it under the literary category of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN)
Kozhikode:
- Located on the – Malabar coast.
- Ruled by – Samoothiris (Zamorins).
- Also known as – City of Spices
- Known for its trade in spices like black pepper and cardamom with Jews, Arabs, Phoenicians, and Chinese
- Foreign travellers –
- Ibn Battuta visited the city in the 14th Century.
- Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama and Persian ambassador Abdur Razzaq visited the city in the 15th century.
- An Italian traveller, Niccolo de Conti (1445), described Kozhikode as rich in pepper, lac, ginger and cinnamon.
- Other significance –
- Birthplace of the 1st Malayalam novel, Kundalatha, penned by Appu Nedungadi in 1887. Has a robust literary foundation with over 500 libraries and more than 70 publishers.
- Has a long history of hosting various literary events, such as the Kerala Literature Festival, which is one of the largest literary gatherings in Asia.
- Home to many renowned writers, including S. K. Pottekkatt and Vaikom Muhammad Basheer
- Also boasts a high level of literary education.
- Received the tag of “City of Sculptures” (Shilpa Nagaram) in 2012
UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN):
- Established in – 2004
- Aim – To promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.
- Sustainable Development Goal 11 aims for Sustainable Cities and Communities.
- 7 creative fields covered – Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music.
- Other Indian cities on UCCN –
- Music – Gwalior, Chennai, Varanasi
- Film – Mumbai
- Gastronomy – Hyderabad
- Crafts and Folk Art – Jaipur and Srinagar
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
The world’s second tallest statue in sitting pose of Ramanuja was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India at Hyderabad recently. Which one of the following statements correctly represents the teachings of Ramanuja?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2022 Prelims]
(a) The best means of salvation was devotion
(b) Vedas are eternal, self-existent and wholly authoritative
(c) Logical arguments were essential means for the highest bliss
(d) Salvation was to be obtained through meditation
Answer: (a)
