Eventually, they reached a most remote port where they had dropped in earlier. Here, they were surprised to find their three jars intact and the gold coins untouched. Impressed by the honesty of the inhabitants, the Arab princes dropped anchor. That port, which came to be known across the seas as the Harbour of Honesty, was Kozhikode.

Is the story myth or fact? Perhaps you would ponder over it before you visit the lovely city, before you trip over the aroma of sweetmeats in Mithai Theruvu, or spot the playful dolphins in the sea off Dolphin Point. But once here, it’s impossible to dwell too much on sieving fact from fiction. For, there are a thousand flavours to relish, not the least the delectable Kozhikodan halwa, as many heady fragrances to inhale, and memories to savour over time, perhaps in another place, another year.

Here, the whiff of history is too powerful to ignore, and in fact, it would be rather unwise to discount it. After all, it’s only in Kozhikode that the beach will pull back to reveal a tale about Vasco da Gama’s famous voyage from Lisbon. He reached Kappad in 1498, and his meeting with the Samuthiri (Zamorins, the rulers of Kozhikode) is something that film dialogues are made of. Gama was surprised to discover that the unquestionably rich king was a simple man, dressed only in a mundu and shawl. The explorer, resplendent in his admiral attire, is said to have exclaimed: “Is this the famous Zamorin, the ruler of a great land?”

It’s likely that you’ll marvel along similar lines while walking around today’s Kozhikode. There are the shopping complexes and the gigantic hoardings of movies that seek to move you to tears, and gleaming concrete houses congenially sharing breathing space with red-roofed old homes. There is very little to suggest that this land was once a major trading centre, that the scent of its spices drew people from across the globe, including the chroniclers of that time — Al-Barooni, Abdur Razaq, Ibn Batuta. Their records say that in the ‘Kulifa’ or ‘Kalikoot’ of yore, as many as 200 yachts could be found moored in the harbour at one time.

Over time, all that changed. The Samuthiri fell out with the Portuguese, prompting a violent sea battle in which the latter sided with the Kochi king. Then came the Dutch, the French and the British, all of whom fought over the prize catch that was Kozhikode.

Thankfully, the only invaders now are those hoping to catch a glimpse of Kozhikode’s past, and they do find it, even if it’s juxtaposed against the sometimes chaotic present. The ancient bridge standing next to the sea defines Kozhikode remarkably well. There it stands, dilapidated, somewhat forlorn, not a brick harking back to its past as a welcoming motif for seafarers. There are no dazzling yachts moored in the harbour, but glancing at the pretty fishing boats bobbing in the waves, it’s impossible to imagine that something is missing.