Kochi, Jan 8 (PTI) The “first International Spice Routes Conference” concluded on Thursday after three days of in-depth discussions on the fabled maritime corridor that established Kerala as a global hub
of the spice trade and cross-cultural exchanges for centuries.
Organised by the State Tourism Department in collaboration with the Muziris Heritage Project, the conference laid out a roadmap to leverage this legacy to foster intercultural relations.
Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas inaugurated the event on Tuesday, during which the International Spice Routes Heritage Network was launched as a collaborative platform to promote history, culture, creativity, and tourism across nations.
The event also unveiled a unique initiative titled ‘Spice Journeys’, inviting travellers to experience 33 heritage trails across Kerala, stretching from Kasaragod to Kollam.
The three-day conference—the first such initiative in India—featured sessions on themes including Governing and Sustaining Transnational Heritage Corridors, Heritage Tourism: Questions of Sustainability, Reimagining Spice Routes for Tourism, Digital Spice Routes, Muziris Re-imagined and Knowledge Traditions in the Region.
Muziris Projects Ltd Managing Director Sharon V said the discussions had provided a major impetus to heritage tourism and collaborative academic programmes in Kerala, with Muziris as a focal point. She added that participating scholars had assured continued support to take the initiative forward.
The conference brought together academics, performers, curators, policymakers and tourism stakeholders from India and abroad, who made presentations revisiting the Spice Routes and their continuing relevance in contemporary global discourse and intercultural relations.
More than 1,000 delegates from 22 countries, including around 55 speakers from diverse fields, participated in the event.
A heritage expo organised alongside the conference offered visitors insights into Kerala’s rich history and cultural diversity as a meeting ground of civilisations, with the Spice Routes at its core.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Mahatma Gandhi University and Muziris Projects Ltd to promote collaborative academic programmes, research and outreach initiatives in heritage conservation and allied fields.
During a session on Knowledge Traditions in the Region on the concluding day, Dr Arun Asokan of ETH Zurich traced the historical formation of pre-modern mathematical knowledge related to wood measurement in Malabar.
Prof Roy Wagner of ETH Zurich, speaking via video conferencing, discussed the gap between mathematics and its practical application in ancient times. Dr Selvakumar of Tamil University, Thanjavur, and Dr Senthil Babu of the French Institute, Puducherry, also shared their perspectives.
The conference featured various cultural performances, including Chavittunatakam, a traditional theatre form.
An experiential tour covering Muziris heritage sites was also organised for delegates and guests from Kochi to the historic town of Kodungallur, where the conference concluded on a positive note.
The Muziris Heritage Project is one of the largest conservation initiatives, bringing together the state and central governments, with support from UNESCO, to preserve a cultural legacy dating back over 3,000 years, according to the tourism department website. PTI TGB SSK
