Kozhikode District found a place in the World History with the discovery of Sea Route to India in 1498 by the Portuguese Navigator Vasco Da Gama who landed at the Kappad sea shore with three vessels and 170 men. A monument is constucted here to commemorate the historical landing.
The temples and mosques of this district contain sculptures and inscriptions which are of considerable interest to the students of art. Kozhikode town itself has many temples, the most important of which are the Tali temple, the Tiruvannur temple, Azhakodi temple, Varakkal temple, Bilathikulam temple and Bhairagimadom temple. Some of these temples contain sculptures and paintings of very high artistic order. The Thiruvilangad temple contains many ancient sculptures. Its gateway is interesting because it is built in the same style as the Jain Bastis.
In the field of Malayalam Language and Literature, Kozhikode has made most significant contributions. The district is famous for folk songs or ballads known as Vadakkan Pattukal. The most popular folk songs among them are those which celebrate the exploits of Tacholi Meppayil Kunju Othenan, ‘the Robinhood of North Malabar’.
During temple festivals and important social functions, entertainments like Koothu, Kathakali, Ottanthullal and Kaikottikali are performed. There are also ritual dances such as Thira and Theyyam.One of the favourite pastimes of the Muslims of the district is the singing of the Mappilapattu and Oppana. These songs are sung in a distinctive tune and cover a wide range of themes. The songs are composed in a composite language of Arabic and Malayalam.
