Kappad - the place that changed the course of history

The landing of Vasco da Gama, the Potuguese sailor at the port city of Kozhikode (Calicut) in Kerala, South India was a momentous event, which changed the very course of Indian history by eventually bringing India under the rule of Western powers.

The beach Vasco da Gama landed at is the Kappad beach, referred to as Kappakadavu by the local people. A monument has been erected there to mark the event. The city of Calicut, called Kozhikkode in Malayalam, is in the Kozhikode district of North Kerala.

The site is today a tourist destination; because of its historical importance as well as its natural beauty. A temple dating back to more than 800 years is situated near the beach on a rock jutting out to the sea. The Arabian Sea port or Calicut was earlier a center of bustling trade between the local people and many Middle East countries.