Beypore,Kerala

Long, long ago, there thrived a port which was also famous for its ship building industry,in the North western coast of Kerala.Beypore as this place is known today, had trade connections with the middle east as early as the medieval ages. In a way, Beypore played a teeny-weeny role in establishing the “gulf connection” that Kerala boasts o today.

Today,Beypore is merely a small fishing town by the mouth of the Chaliar river in the suburbs of Calicut (approx 10 kms North).But many are unaware that the legacy of ship building still continues in Beypire,thanks to the big money that flows from the interest groups in the middle east .

The ships are called Uru in Malayalam and Dhow in Arabic.These were trading vessels of the Arabs that are today used either to enthrall tourists in the Gulf or for fishing purposes.

The boat building happens in a place near the Chaliyam lighthouse and this can either be accessed by road or by boat from the Beypore port.There are no boat service as such but sweet talking the fishermen there can get you to the other side. An expert sweet talker can get the fisherman to take them all the way to the place where the Chaliyar river meets the Arabian sea.

To watch the boat being made,prior permission needs to be sought from the members of the community.Anyway on this bank of the river,the light house and the beach are worth a visit.