Calicut, or Kozhikode, is situated on the southwestern coast of India. The diocesan territory of 12, 505 square kilometers is bounded on the north by Kannur, on the east by Wayanad, on the south by Malappuram and on the west by the Arabian Sea.
Calicut diocese came into existence on June 12, 1923, when Pope Pius XI created it with territory taken from the dioceses of Mangalore and Mysore. It covers six northern districts of Kerala, extending from Shoranur to Kasargod. Besides local people, the faith community it served comprised the descendants of Portuguese, Dutch, French and British settlers, Anglo- Indians, Konkani-speaking settlers from Goa and Mangalore to the north, Tamils who came east seeking job opportunities, tribals who were converted to Christianity, Dalit (people from the lowest castes, once known as "untouchables"), Orthodox Christians accepted into the Catholic fold, Marthomites, Protestants and Latin Catholics who came from various other dioceses. In the ensuing years, Syrian-rite Catholics from Travancore came and settled along the high ranges of the Western Ghats and the vallies of the Malabar area. The Diocese of Calicut welcomed and looked after them until Tellicherry Diocese (now Archdiocese) was established in 1954.
Calicut diocese is one of the sufragan dioceses of Verapoly Archdiocese.
Calicut is the anglicized form of Kalikut, the Arabicized form of the Malayalam name Kozhikode. According to the historians, the name derives from koyil (palace) and kodu (fortified). From ancient times, the city attracted travelers with its charming physical features and prosperity.
However, the political history of Kozhikode is intertwined with treacherous and ill conceived conspiracies hatched by Western powers. Vasco da Gama landed at Kappad (16 kilometers north of Kozhikkod) in May 1498 as the leader of a trade mission from Portugal and was received by the local potentate himself.
This marked the beginning of foreign domination in the East. By that time, more than 200 years as the pre-eminent port for the trade of pepper and other spices had made Kozhikode India's emporium of international trade. Since it offered freedom and security, Arab and the Chinese merchants preferred it to other places.
Malayalam, English, Tamil and Konkani
The area has a humid climate with a hot season extending from March to May. The Southwest Monsoon brings the main rainy season, from the beginning of June to September. The Northeast Monsoon extends from the second half of October through November. The average annual rainfall is 3,266 mm.
From December to March, practically no rain falls, and from October onward the temperature gradually increases to a peak in May of about 36° C.