[oman-l] Uru

Tue, 14 Jul 1998 10:54:47 +0400

Hi,

Beypur is a place in Calicut(Kozhikode), Kerala, India.  It is famous

for Business during olden days, even now.  Heard from ansisters that

most of the Arabs businessmen were visiting and doing business with people

from Calicut. =20

I am from Kerala, 100kms far from Beypore. We call "URU" for these types

of boats,  may be a word in Malayalam(local language in Kerala). Or may be

a word from Arabic/Urdu. Please find few details about Calicut/URU below.

                  KOZHIKODE (Calicut)

The legendary traveller Marco Polo described in 1320 A.D. as "the great=20

province of Malabar".The great traveller Ibn Batuta, who visited Kozhikode=
=20

at least six times in the mid-13th c. wrote ofthe prosperity he saw:=20

"The greater part of the Mohammadan merchants are so wealthy

that one of them can purchase the whole freightage of such

vessels as put in here and fit out others like them".=20

Kozhikode's commercial glory was also praised by the Arab traveller Abdur=20

Razzak in 1443 A.D.:=20

"Kozhikode is a perfectly secured harbour, which, like that

of Ormuz, brings together merchants from every city and from

every country"

After the 13th c. Kozhikode grew in importance as a port and the capital=20

of the powerful kingdom of the Samoothiris or the Zamorins, as they were=20

called by the Portugese. Some historians say that Kozhikode derives its=20

name from the fortified palace (`koyil kotta', /kOyilkOTTaa/) built by a=20

Samoothiri ruler. while the others argue that the city derived its name

from the word "Koyi kodu" which means a place for trade.=20

Kozhikode was also Vasco da Gama's first halt in India. He set foot on the=
=20

sands of Kappad(/kAppAd/) beach, north of today's city, on 27 May 1498 A.D.,=
=20

a landing commerated by a small stone monument at the beach. This event=
 marked=20

the beginning of a new epoch in world history and specifically in the=
 history of Kerala. Against the backdrop of bitter rivalries between local=
 rulers began a=20

period of unbroken strife among foreign powers for the domination of the=
 trade in Malabar.=20

Today, Kozhikode is an important trading centre for timber and tiles, and=
 hunting ground for that famous delicacy Kozhikodan-halwa. Interestingly,=
 Kozhikode has=20

lent its English name, Calicut, to `Calico', the fine variety of handwoven=
 cotton=20

cloth said to have originated from this place.=20

Just 15 minutes from the city centre is a place called Dolphin's Point,where=
=20

one can see dolphins playing in the sea of an early morning. The long=
 tree-lined

beach, about 2 km away, is popular with the local people because of the=
 Lions Club Park, the lighthouse, and two piers - and of course, the=
 opportunity to soak=20

in the evening breeze.=20

Located at East Hill, the Pazhassiraja (/pazhasshirAja/) Museum, run by the=
 State

Archaelogical Department, displays ancient murals, antique bronzes and old=
 coins, as well as models of temples, megalithic monuments like dolminoid=
 cysts and umbrella stones. Timings are 10 am to 5 pm. (Closed on Mondays)=
=20

Situated next to the Pazhassiraja Museum, the Art Gallery contains paintings=
 of Raja Ravi Varma and Raja Raja Varma. The Krishna Menon Museum has a=
 section in honour of the

great Indian leader V.K. Krishna Menon, whose personal belongings and=
 souvenirs gifted by world leaders are exhibited here. Timings are 10 am to=
 5 pm. (Closed on Mondays and

Wednesday forenoons) Mananchirai is the heart of the city and sites=
 important institutions like the Town Hall and the Public Library. One of=
 Kozhikode's oldest institutions, the Commonwealth Trust's office is located=
 here. The large pond and park are well-known landmarks.=20

Kallai (/kallaai/),about6kmawaywas once the bustling nerve-centre of=
 Kozhikode's=20

timber trade, said to have been the largest such trading centre in Asia.=
 Today,=20

though some business does take place, hard times have fallen on the timber=
 trade=20

and Kallai is just a shadow of its busy past.=20

Beypore (/beypooR/), 11 km from Kozhikode, is a small coastal town famous=
 for=20

centuries as a ship-building centre and still is known today for its country=
 crafts called uru (/uRu/) built by traditional shipbuilders known as=
 khalasis (/khalashIs/). Beypore is still a favoured destination for Arabs=
 shopping for large boats.=20

A commercial centre also famous for the ancient Kerala style of martial=
 arts, Kalaripayattu (/kaLaripayatt~/), is also the birthplace of Tacholi=
 Othenan, whose heroic deeds have been immortalised in the ballads of North=
 Malabar (the Vadakkan-paattukal or `northern songs').=20

Tellicherry (/thelisshEri/) and Sulthanbatheri (/sulthAnbathEri/, previously=
 known as Sultan's Battery), 98 km away, are important trading centres of=
 Kozhikode. The road from Kozhikode to Sultan Battery, though full of steep=
 climbs and hairpin bends, offers a breathtakingly scenic drive. From Sultan=
 Battery, it is only six hours to Bangalore. Kozhikode has an airport, at=
 Karipur only 22 km away from the heart of the city.

FACT SHEET

     Area :=20

     District: 2,345 sq. km (as per Mal. Manorama, 1994)=20

     City : 30.61 sq. km=20

     Population=20

     District : 2,612,897 (as per Mal. Manorama, 1994)=20

     City : 419, 531=20

     Climate : Tropical=20

     Temperature : Mean Max. Mean Min. (Celsius)=20

     Summer : 35 22.5=20

     Winter : 32 22=20

     Altitude : 0 ft. (Sea level)=20

     Rainfall : 254 cm. (ann.)=20

     Clothing : Tropical cottons=20

     Tourist season : September to May=20

SOME DISTANCES (in km)

     Bangalore : 354=20

     Guruvayoor : 129=20

     Kanyakumari : 534=20

     Kasargod : 208=20

     Kochi : 224=20

     Kottakal : 48=20

     Mananthavady : 110=20

     Mangalore : 74=20

     Silent Valley : 138=20

     Sultanbatheri : 98=20

     Thekkady : 356=20

     Trivandrum : 445=20

At 10:48 AM 15/07/98 +0200, you wrote:

>Dear Oman Maillist-members:

>

>I have a question upon an special kind of wooden boat, which is used in the

>indian ocean and which I know under the Name "Uru". I don's know much more,

>except of the facts that these boats are produced in the indian town of

>beypur and that these boats are still used in the Persian gulf. Could be,

>that the name "uru" is not arabic, but indian?

>

>Does somebody maybe know something upon these "uru"-boats? Could somebody

>maybe describe it? I don't mean Dhows in common, although the

>"uru" is probably also a boat which can be called under this

>collective-word.

>

>Maybe how the "uru" looks? How big it is? How much load it can carry? How

>many people it needs to be sailed? Where is it still used? How many poles

>does it have?

>Between which countries does it sail? Something typical? Or something

>extraordinary? Is it still built in the old, handmade way (I know some

>things about the arabian boats commonly all called Dhow)?

>

>Could somebody give me an idea, in which book I could find more=
 informations

>about the "uru" (it would be nice, to get this book in german university

>libarary)?=20

>

>Or does somebody know someone who could know more??

>

>Many questions, as you see.... but inshallah there'll come some light in

>these strange Uru....

>

>Thanks a lot in advance

>K. Kabasci

>

>

>..........................................................................

>Kirstin Kabasci

>Am Zuckerberg 3

>Germany

>50668 Koeln

>Tel. und Fax: 0221/725751

>E.Mail: a2219328@smail.uni-koeln.de

>

>

>____________________________________________________

>

>Peter Franzisky, Hamburger Str. 19, 50668 K=F6ln, Germany

>Tel. 0221-9130920, Fax 0221-9130921

>

_____________________________________________________

<bold><bigger>Sudeep.A.K

<color><param>8080,8080,8080</param><bigger>Omnes</bigger></color></bigger><=
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( A Schlumberger / Cable & Wireless Company )=20

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Phone : (968) 563105 Ext. 249 ( 570549 Direct )=20

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