S.M. Street, abbreviation for Sweetmeat Street, also known as Mittai Theruvu, is a shopping street located in
Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second l ...
,
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. The street is a
pedestrian zone
Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town reserved for pedestrian-only use and in whi ...
. It also has a 160 year old
Fire temple amidst shopping places.
History
The history of SM Street dates back to time of the Zamorin when the ruler invited Gujarati sweetmeat makers to set up shop in the city and accommodated their shops just outside the palace walls.
About the Name
SM Street derives its name from the time it was lined with
sweetmeat
Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categorie ...
and
halvah stalls. It is reputedly the busiest street in Kozhikode. Its
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...
name is ''Mittai Theruvu''.
Shops
From sweets to spices, clothes to electronics, or hand looms to textiles the shops at SM street offers everything which caters to your needs. Local handicrafts namely carvings made out of rosewood and buffalo horns, coir products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes, mattresses, and the snake boat toys, are the most popular ones.
Famous Business Establishments
1)Lohi Sports
2)Radha Theatre - a cinema hall.
3)Hotel Arya Bhavan
4)Sankaran Bakery - century old Halwa shop.
5)Maharaja Bakery
6)Peethambar Studio
7)Pacific Stores
8)Hotel Topform
9)Kalanthans Cool Bar - iconic juice shop
10)Jayasree Stores
11)Hotel Vasntha Bhavan
12)Wheat House
13)Teekay
14)NB Vittal Rao
15)Max Footwear
16)Apex Footwear
17)Schoolbazar
18) MasterCraft87
19) WITCO
Renovation of SM Street
In May 2017, As part of Phase 1 S.M. Street beautification project an amount of 3.64 crore was allocated. As part of renovation overhead power supply lines was removed and lamp posts was placed across the sides of street. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan formally opened the renovated S.M. Street in Kozhikode on Saturday, 23 December 2017.
In popular culture
S. M. Street is the subject of the
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award is given each year, since 1958, by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy), to Malayalam writers for their outstanding books of literary merit. The awards are given in various categories. -winning book ''
Oru Theruvinte Katha'' by
S. K. Pottekkatt
Sankarankutty Kunjiraman Pottekkatt (14 March 1913 – 6 August 1982) was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature and a politician from Kerala, India. He was also a great traveller among the Keralites, who wrote many travelogues for the peopl ...
.The statue of S.K. Pottekkatt, stands facing the street.
References
Shopping districts and streets in India
Roads in Kozhikode
{{India-road-stub