Beypore to be Developed as a Responsible Tourism Destination

KOZHIKODE:
The Kerala government is working towards developing Beypore as a Model Responsible Tourism constituency to bring to world attention the heritage of the ancient port town, Tourism and PWD Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said today.

Such a project will enable to help earn a prominent place for the Malabar town known for its ship-building tradition and age-old cross-cultural influences, he pointed out while presiding over the opening ceremony of the four-day Beypore Water Fest, inaugurated by south Indian superstar Mammootty.

The December 26-29 event, which will have races and celebrations held in ten venues, features kayaking, paddle race, display boat, boat races, the Navy’s band music and an exhibition of naval ships, will herald a return of full-fledged tourism activities in the state after being hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, Riyas noted.

“Beypore, with its vastly untapped potential and unique history, has ample scope for tourism activities,” the Minister said. “The government has decided to build a literary corridor, which will be the country’s first such endeavour. The project is set to string together landmarks of iconic writers such as M.T. Vasudevan Nair and poet Akkitham from Thrithala to Tirur, which is the birthplace of Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam, to Kozhikode’s Beypore where iconic Vaikom Muhammed Basheer stayed much of his later life.”

Ace film actor Mammootty, appearing online at the hybrid function, spoke of Beypore’s vintage ‘uru’ (dhow) that was in immense demand among the Arabs during the southwest Indian coast’s trade with West Asia from as early as the 7th century AD.

“A revival along that lines can boost Kerala’s tourism and generate job opportunities and supplement the income of the fisher communities of the region,” he added while declaring open the milestone event that has races and Malabar’s first sailing regatta as the chief attractions.

Additional Chief Secretary (Tourism) Dr Venu V. delivered the keynote address, while Kerala Tourism Director V.R. Krishna Teja presented a report. Others present at the function were M.K. Raghavan MP, Kozhikode Deputy Mayor CP Musafar Ahamed, District Collector Dr Narasimhugari TL Reddy and representatives of local bodies.

The pioneering sailing regatta has been curated by retired Naval officer-yachtsman, Commander Abhilash Tomy, the first Indian to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world under sail.

On Monday, a kite fest will be inaugurated by Elamaram Kareem, MP. The valedictory function will have actress Manju Warrier as the chief guest.

Beypore is located six km south-west of Kozhikode city on the estuary where the River Chaliyar empties into Arabian Sea. Long before the advent of the western colonialists, the port was a vital link in maritime trade with West Asia. As Malabar’s commercial hub, it was renowned for the weather-resistant wooden uru ships built by the local artisans.