Kozhikode or Calicut is located on the Malabar Coast in the kozhikode district of Kerala. The population is more than 4,00,000 and the native, most widely spoken language is Malayalam. The total population of the district is 3 million, out of which 31 percent of the population is in the working age. 10 percent of the workers are in the agricultural sector, 89 percent in industry and services, with the balance one percent in the household industry.Kappad, or Kappakadavu, the exact site where the ship of Vasco Da Gama sailed to in May 1498, is situated 16 km from modern Kozhikode. A small stone monument is constructed here to commemorate the historical landing. Tourists visit this historic city to also enjoy its beautiful beaches. The Dutch occupied Kerala in 1663 following the capture of Cochin, but the history of European occupation of Kozhikode starts with the arrival of the British in 1615, when they reached the coast of Calicut, gradually establishing their foothold in this tract of land to attain political strength in the Indian peninsula. During Indias freedom movement, an annual session of the Congress party was held at Calicut twice – in the late 19th century and in 1903. Mahatma Gandhi and Shauqat Ali visited with regard to the Non-cooperation and Khilafat movements.
