7 months ago
First International Spice Routes Conference in Kerala
A big meeting called the International Spice Routes Conference happened in Kerala, India.
It was the first time such a meeting was held.
People from all over India and 22 other countries came to talk about how spices were traded a long time ago.
They talked about how this trade affected culture, language, food, and more.
The meeting was held in a historic palace and included discussions and photo exhibitions.
The goal was to learn from the past and think about how to use this history for tourism and culture today.
The first International Spice Routes Conference was held at Bolgatty Palace in Kochi, Kerala.
Participants included historians, researchers, and cultural practitioners from India and 22 countries.
The conference aimed to explore the impact of ancient spice trade on culture, language, and culinary traditions.
Kerala Tourism Minister PA Mohammed Riyas inaugurated the event, emphasizing the cultural and material commonalities brought by the spice trade.
The conference featured panel discussions and photography exhibitions on various aspects of the spice trade and its legacy.
- Who
- Historians, researchers, archaeologists, policy makers, tourism stakeholders, and cultural practitioners from India and 22 countries
- What
- First International Spice Routes Conference
- Where
- Bolgatty Palace, Kochi, Kerala
- When
- January 6-8
- Why
- To revisit the past and envision a shared future through the lens of ancient spice trade networks and social histories
Key facts
- Location
- Bolgatty Palace, Kochi, Kerala
- Date
- January 6-8
- Organizers
- Muziris Heritage Project and Kerala Tourism Department
- Participants
- Historians, researchers, archaeologists, policy makers, tourism stakeholders, and cultural practitioners from India and 22 countries
- Duration
- Three days
- Key Speaker
- Kerala Tourism Minister PA Mohammed Riyas
- Chief Guest
- Manal Ataya, Director General, Sharjah Museums Authority
- Exhibitions
- Chavittu Nadakam (KR Sunil), Seeing is Believing (Biju Ibrahim), and Migrant Dreams (archival photographs)
Timeline
Tribeca 2026 sparks global cultural planning.
Biennale 2026's scope inspires Kerala conference.
Kochi's Biennale prep seeds Spice Routes meet.
Kochi's Jan 6 event triggers first conference.
23 nations unite for historic spice trade talk.
Quotes
Sikha Surendran
Kerala Tourism Director
“From this coast, spices carried the scent of Kerala to distant lands, while ideas returned, transforming societies, cultures and ways of life. In an age of rapid change and renewed global movement, they remind us that heritage is not static.”
theprint.in
Pius Malekandathil
Former professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University
“In Germany, pepper was commonly used as a medicine in the 14th and 15th centuries. The city of Cologne had 45 shops selling 91,342 pounds of pepper, 45,354.5 pounds of dried ginger and 800.5 pounds of green ginger between 1452 and 1459.”
theprint.in
Sources
Spice routes made Kerala global trading hub: Experts
Scent of history: Kerala launches a new spice route network to connect cultures
The first International Spice Routes Conference in Kerala tells the story of spices through ancient trade networks and social histories
Kerala scales up heritage tourism with 33 'Spice Journey' trails
