Calicut

Calicut
Kozhikode formerly known as Calicut situated in the south Indian state of Kerala on the southwest coast of the Arabian Sea. The most important city of Malabar region serves as the focal point of prospering domestic and international trade and considered as the commercial hub of the progressive state of India.

Lush green scenery of the countryside and high hills, quaint and serene beaches, historical sites and relics of its past glory, tranquil rivers and lagoons, adventurous wildlife– a great combination of all the enthralling scenic beauty, a unique culture and very warm and friendly ambience made this city the perfect tourist destination in the heavenly abode of nature.

History
Kozhikode formerly called Calicut today’s most important city in Malabar region, the north region of Kerala, was the traditional capital of Northern Kerala during the medieval period. Rich in history, Calicut was once a flourishing town, leading trading center in spices on the west coast of India.

Calicut was brought into the attention of the entire world when Portuguese Navigator Vasco Da Gama discovered the sea route to India in 1498 and Calicut made a glorious entry in the world history. British and Dutch ruled the region for several years. In 1972 the administrative power was handed over to the local Zamori rulers after years of ascendancy by the British rulers. The region remained under Madras Presidency till Kerala was given the status of an individual state in 1956.

The city was under the rule of Chera administration until ad 1122 during Sangam age; this was the time when this region experienced unlimited spurt in foreign trade and business and alliance with rest of the world. Soon after the fall of Cheras also known as Perumals, the region was divided into numerous independent districts called ‘Nadus’ such as Earnad and Polanad.

It came into existence in the 13th century when the king of Ernad, conquered the land and built a fort at a place called Velapuram, well known as Calicut.

The Europeans used to call the local rulers as Zamorins. The city was under the rule of highly cultured and powerful Zamorins for long time.

Calicut derived its name from ‘calico,’ which is named after the fine variety of hand-woven cotton cloth said to have originated from this place which was famous worldwide.

The place flanked by the fort was known as Koyil (palace) or Kotta (Fort) and gave birth to the name of Kozhikode.

Vestiges of its grandeur can still be seen in this region depicting its glorious past.

Location
Kozhikode or Calicut is located in the south Indian state of Kerala on the southwest coast of the Arabian Sea. The district extends from latitude 11°15' N to 75°49' E. The place is famed for its beautiful location, which is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on the west and the eye-catching green Wayanad hills on the east, makes it the perfect holiday destination in the lap of nature.
If the soul-stirring scenic beauty and relaxation are high on your agenda, then Kozhikode is an ideal stop.

Weather
Due to its proximity to the Arabian Sea, Kozhikode experiences both hot and humid climate throughout the year. There are 4 distinct seasons that can be observed in Kozikode and all over Kerala. The summer, which usually extends from March to May with temperature hovers around 39.4 degree centigrade. The main rainy season is during the South West Monsoon, which sets in the first week of June and extends up to September. The North East Monsoon brings fair amount of rain during the second half of October through November. During this time, there are heavy but short-lived downpours almost daily usually in the afternoon and the dark clouds play hide and seek with the sun all day long. The average annual rainfall is usually 3266 mm. From December through January temperature remains around 14 degree centigrade with very occasional chilly bite, the best time to visit Kerala or Kozhikode.

Religion
Kozhikode or former Calicut being the major hub for Business and foreign trade was the abode for people from different countries and religions which gave the city a cosmopolitan population in turn. Hindus being on the top, Muslims and Christians are also present in a large number. The Muslims of Kozhikode district are well known as Mappilas who follow two different schools of thoughts such as shafi and salafi. They are also known as Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen, caused an accelerated growth in social development and education among Muslims. Christianity was introduced to Kerala during the presence of Portuguese, Dutch and British in 16th century.

Connectivity
Kozhikode , the small yet very busy city in Kerala, is a wonderful city with lush green forests, rivers, wildlife sanctuaries, hills-the place is rich in flora and fauna, attracts tourists from all over the world due to its inimitable charm of hospitality.
Kozhikode enjoys a very good connectivity to the rest of the world. Reaching there is very easy as the city is well linked by Air, Rail and Road network.

Air - The Kozhikode airport is located at Karipur which is around 27 Kilometers southeast of the city. The airport enjoys a wider connection of direct flights to Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Goa, and Coimbatore, also some other countries like Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Bahrain, Doha and Muscat. Other nearest Airports are in Cochin and Mangalore.

Rail - The Kozhikode has a good number of express and inter-state trains connecting major cities and railway hubs in India. The Kozhikode railway station is located at south of Manchira Square. Important places like Mangalore, Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Coimbatore, Goa and Mumbai are also well linked to Kozhikode by the wide railway network.

Road - Kozhikode is very well linked and easily accessible by a large network of roads connecting every nook and corner of the country. Short distance and long distance public transport system operated by Kerala State Road Transport Corporation as well as private transport operators are present in a good number. One can also avail of the other mode of conveyance such as auto rickshaw, taxi and ordinary or Deluxe or luxury coaches which are easily available and affordable too.

Kolkata

Kolkata
Kolkata formerly Calcutta Once the greatest colonial city in the Orient, today’s commercial and industrial hub of eastern India. A major port, Kolkata is situated on the right bank of the river Hooghly and it is one of the largest cities in the world and the capital city of the Indian state of West Bengal.

History of the city
Job Charnock, agent of East India Company anchored on the east bank of the Ganga in August 1690 to found the city. Calcutta is situated in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. There were three large villages along the east bank of the river Ganges, named, Sutanuti, Gobindapur and Kalikata that were bought by the British and the Mughal emperor permitted the East India Company to trade in return for an annual payment of Rs. 3,000/-.

The documented history of Kolkata, however, starts from the arrival of the British East India Company in 1690. After London, Kolkata was British Empire’s second city of pride. In 1772, the city was declared the capital of British India. Gradually Kolkata became the center of Indian Independence Movement. In 1905, the partition of Bengal resulted in widespread public protest and boycott of British goods. These activities, forced the British to move their capital to New Delhi in 1911.

In 2001, Calcutta was officially renamed Kolkata.

Kolkata is the “City Of Palaces” as it has been known since the 18th century. The city is a standing museum of 3000 years of architecture, with a great variety of styles.

This city has completed its three hundred years of its establishment.

The city now is a symbol of vibrance and creativity with all the modern amenities along with a leisurely life style and enduring charm.

Location
Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, a metropolitan city is situated in eastern India at 22°33'N 88°20'E. The River Hooghly, a distributary of the River Ganga runs south through the state of West Bengal and flows into the Bay of Bengal.

Weather
The city of Kolkata is situated where the river Hooghly merges into the Bay of Bengal. Kolkata has a tropical climate and has four seasons – spring, summer, monsoon and winter.

Spring is short between mid- February to mid April with temperatures ranging between 30- 35°C. Summers from mid- April to mid- June, are hot and the humidity nears saturation with the maximum temperature exceeding 40 °C. This is the most unpleasant period of the year. The monsoons are timely and heavy with the rains lashing the city between June and September and temperatures drop to the range of 25 °C - 35°C. It rains virtually every day. Winters are the best time to visit Kolkata, starting late October to early January. The temperature around New Year’s Eve can drop to 8°C at night but never below 15°C in the daytime.

Religion
Kolkata or former Calcutta being the major hub for Business and foreign trade was the abode for people from different countries and religions which gave the city a cosmopolitan population in turn. Hindus being on the top, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, and Parsis; Buddhists etc. make up the rest of the population. Here people of all religions reside together in harmony.

Connectivity
Kolkata enjoys a very good connectivity to the rest of the world. Reaching there is very easy as the city is well linked by Air, Rail and Road network.

The transport system of Kolkata is a mix of modern mass rapid transport and the old transport modalities like the rickshaws. The city is blessed with connections through the air, road, train and boat from almost every point of the country. Kolkata is well connected to the rest of India by the National Highways, the extensive network of the Indian Railways, and also by air. Most traffic to North-East India routes via Kolkata.

Air : The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (IATA code: CCU) at Dum Dum (former Dum Dum airport) is the only airport in the city, operating both domestic and international flights. Most of the domestic airlines have direct services to and from Kolkata-Kolkata to other important cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Patna, Varanasi, Lucknow, Bangalore. International Airlines operating from the Airport include British Airways, KLM, Singapore Airlines, Thai, Biman, Royal Brunei Airlines and Royal Jordanian apart from Air India.
Rail : The Kolkata has a good number of express and inter-state trains connecting major cities and railway hubs in India. The Indian Railways (IR) has several divisions of which the Eastern Railway and the South Eastern Railway are headquartered in Kolkata. There are two major railway stations in Kolkata- Howrah and Sealdah. Another major terminal has been built at Chitpur. Recently another terminal at Shalimar near Howrah started operating. Some intercity express trains start from there too.
Road : Kolkata is very well linked and easily accessible by a large network of roads connecting every nook and corner of the country. Probably the most important road route of the country emerges from the city. The Grand Trunk road (G T Road) connects the city to the northern part of the country covering the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and many more. Kolkata is also a part of the renowned Golden Quadrilateral which provides seamless connectivity of the city to the other Metros of the country.
One can also avail of the other mode of conveyance such as auto rickshaw, taxi and ordinary or Deluxe or luxury coaches which are easily available and affordable too.
Ferries : The city is home to the Kolkata Port Trust which provides connectivity mainly to Port Blair. The efficient boat service of the city also connects to the important places on the other side of the river Ganges.

Local transport in Kolkata
Bus: Kolkata has an extensive network of government run and privately owned buses. One can also avail of private-owned buses which are of two types - The regular ones and the mini-buses.
Tram: Kolkata is the only city in India to have a tram network. Trams are operated by the Calcutta Tramways Company, a government of West Bengal Undertaking, popularly called CTC.
Taxi: In Kolkata pre-paid taxis are very easily available. In recent past only air-conditioned cabs that are known as "Blue-Arrow” introduced in the city.
Rickshaws and Auto-rickshaws: Rickshaws and auto rickshaws can be more commonly spotted in and around the city.
Metro: Kolkata’s pride, India’s as well as South Asia’s first metro (under ground railway) was introduced in 1984 that connects between southern and northern part of the city between Tollygunge and Dumdum. The track passes through the heart of the city. Some stations are well decorated with art works based on themes related to local area.