UNESCO declares Kozhikode ‘City of Literature’, Gwalior, ‘City of Music’

NEW DELHI: Kozhikode, Kerala, becomes the only Indian city to be named a city of literature’ and inducted into the Creative Cities Network of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, was also declared a ‘city of music’ on the same day. Gwalior is now the second Indian city, after Chennai, to be named as a ‘city of music’.

UNESCO released a list of 55 new cities that will join its Creative Cities Network which now consists of 350 cities across the world. Unesco said that the new cities were acknowledged for their “strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies, and displaying innovative practices in human-centered urban planning”.

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Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on social media said that the announcement is a “moment of great pride”.

“It's an honour for Kerala that the beautiful city of Kozhikode has been designated as a UNESCO City of Literature. Kozhikode is the first city in India to receive this prestigious title, and it is a moment of great pride for all of us. This recognition is a testament to the city's rich literary heritage and vibrant cultural scene,” chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, said through his official X(formerly Twitter) account. Famous Malayalam novelists such as SK Pottekkatt, MT Vasudevan were based in Kozhikode.

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Prime minister Narendra Modi also congratulated both cities.

“Gwalior and music have a very special relationship. It is a matter of great pride to receive the highest honor from UNESCO. The commitment with which Gwalior has preserved and enriched its musical heritage is being echoed across the world,” wrote the prime minister congratulating Gwalior through a post on X. Some of the greatest exponents of the Gwalior Gharana were Ustad Hameed Ali Khan, Fateh Ali khan,etc. The school of music is said to have risen during the reign of the Mughal emperor, Akbar.

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The UNESCO selects cities under seven categories: crafts and folk art; design; film; gastronomy; literature; media arts; and Music. Chennai , Hyderabad, and Jaipur have already been added to UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network over the previous editions. Chennai is listed as a ‘city of music’, Hyderabad is listed as a ‘city of gastronomy’, and Jaipur is listed as a ‘city of crafts and folk art’.

The newly-designated Creative Cities will be invited to participate in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network 2024 annual conference scheduled to be held in Braga, Portugal in 2024.