This ancient commercial city on the coast of Kerala once played host to a flourishing Parsi community, but all that is now left is a lone family struggling to keep the community’s legacy alive.
Known in history as the land of fabulous King Zamorin, from time immemorial Kozhikode had attracted Arabs and Westerners in search of spices.
The city earned a lasting name in modern history with Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landing at nearby Kappad in 1498, heralding the era of Western colonisation of the Indian subcontinent.
A bubbling commercial centre, the city also attracted members of the Parsi community, who came to set up their business and settled down in the amiable social milieu, where Hindus and Muslims had lived in perfect harmony for centuries.