Mananchira

Mananchira is a rectangular, spring-fed pond of about 3.5 acres in the heart of Kozhikode. The Zamorin Mana Vikrama had it dug as a bathing pool around the 14th century, and the laterite taken out was used for two palaces on either side. In the late 19th century the municipal council reserved it for drinking water only, banning bathing and washing, a rule still in force.

The open ground around it was once the Mananchira Maidanam, known for football tournaments. In 1994 it was turned into Mananchira Square, a park with lamp posts, an artificial stream, an open-air theatre and statues of Malayalam writers in dhotis. Entry is free and the park opens in the afternoon. The town hall and art gallery adjoin it, and the Pattala Palli mosque and the sweet-sellers' street Mittayi Theruvu are close by.