International Spice Routes Conference to Begin on Jan 6

KOCHI:
Revisiting the fabled Spice Route that marked Kerala as a hub of global maritime trade and cross-cultural encounters, the three-day International Spice Routes Conference will get underway here from January 6.

Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas will inaugurate the event at the historic Bolgatty Palace at 10 am.

The conference is organized by Muziris Heritage Projects in collaboration with Kerala Tourism Department. India’s first such event, the conference is conceived as an intellectual and cultural platform that reconnects the ancient Spice Route with contemporary global discourse.

K. N. Unnikrishnan, MLA, will preside over the inaugural ceremony where Manal Ataya, Director General, Sharjah Museums Authority, will be the chief guest.

Hibi Eden, MP; MLAs V. R. Sunil Kumar, E. T. Taison Master, P. P. Chitharanjan and H. Salam, will be the guests of honour on the occasion.

The inaugural ceremony will also have the presence of Kerala Tourism Secretary Biju K and Sikha Surendran, Director, Kerala Tourism, who will deliver the welcome address.

The inaugural ceremony will also feature declaration of the Spice Routes Heritage Network, announcement of the Map My Heritage competition and the release of brochures Signature Trails and Heritage Walks.

Sreedhanya Suresh, Additional Director (General), Kerala Tourism; D. Jagadees, Additional Secretary, Kerala Tourism; Sangeetha Viswanathan, Chairperson, Spices Board of India; Dinesan Vadakkini, Director, Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR); E. Dinesan, Director, Department of Archaeology, Govt. of Kerala; Manoj Kini, MD, KTIL; Shijin P, MD, BRDC; Rupeshkumar K, CEO, Responsible Tourism Mission Society; Jose Pradeep, President, Kerala Travel Mart Society (KTM); S. Swaminathan, Secretary, KTM; Prof. M. H. Ilias, Conference Academic Curator; and Riyas Komu, Azhi Archives, will also attend.

Sharon Veettil, MD, Muziris Heritage Projects Limited, will propose the vote of thanks.

Besides thematic presentations, the January 6-8 conference will feature riveting technical sessions on topics including ‘Governing and Sustaining Transnational Heritage Corridors’; ‘Heritage Tourism: Question of Sustainability’; ‘Reimagining Spice Routes for Tourism’; ‘Digital Spice Routes’; ‘Muziris Re-imagined’ and ‘Knowledge Tradition in the Region’.

The event will explore new pathways to strengthen cultural and heritage tourism among a host of countries across continents that lay in the ambit of the famed global trade corridor.

Long before modern trade networks and political borders began to shape, ports along the Malabar Coast, especially the legendary port of Muziris, functioned as vibrant hubs linking Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

The Conference seeks to position Kerala not merely as a destination but as a living crossroad of global heritage and maritime civilizations. It has been designed with multiple sites of academic and artistic expressions such as paper presentations, conversations, poster displays, art shows, film screening, performances, site visits etc.

Complementing the thematic sessions, the event will offer delegates a deeply immersive cultural journey into Kerala’s living heritage. These include ‘The Muziris Experience’ -curated heritage trails across key Muziris sites, combined with a traditional sea voyage echoing ancient maritime routes; ‘Contemporary Art Engagement’ – a special visit to Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025–26; ‘Performing Traditions’ – renditions of Kerala Jewish songs and a compelling performance of Chavittu Nadakam, Kerala’s unique Latin-Christian classical dance-drama. These will together turn the event from a scholarly forum into a sensory and experiential encounter with history.

Muziris Heritage Projects partners with the Kochi-based art collective Aazhi Archives, led by Riyas Komu, internationally renowned multimedia artist, for holding photographic exhibitions and art shows at various sites in Kochi. Prof. M H Ilias of Mahatma Gandhi University associates with the Conference as academic consultant, designing academic sessions.

Three photographic exhibitions, Chavittunatakam (K R Sunil), Seeing is Believing (Biju Ibrahim) and Migrant Dreams (Aazhi Archives), will be held at the main venue of the conference in association with Aazhi Archives. Two performances, Kaarkuzhali (songs of Jewess of Kochi) by Reshmi Sateesh, prominent Malayalam playback singer and Chavittunatakam by Thampi Asan of Gothuruth and team, will also be staged.

The event will see 38 international delegates from 22 countries apart from national participants engaging in absorbing conversations. It will feature a remarkable cross-section of attendees, including academicians and historians, archaeologists, diplomats, policy- makers and tourism stakeholders, artists, cultural practitioners and performers.

The speakers will explore the Spice Route not as a single trade corridor, but as a vast, interconnected cultural ecosystem that shaped societies across continents. Moving beyond the economics, the conference will delve into the human narratives embedded in maritime history.

The conference also signals Kerala’s intent to tap into the growing global demand for high-value, experiential and culturally immersive travel.

For more details, visit: https://www.keralatourism.org/muziris