Kozhikode • The month-long Malabar Shopping Festival (MSF) in this historic city has no pretensions to the annual shoppers’ fair at Dubai but this is going to be an annual event, with heavy discount sales as at DSF.

The fest offers a rich variety of jewelry, electronic gadgets, home appliances, the latest in four and two-wheelers, ethnic foods such as the Kozhikodan halwa, 25 different types of them, exquisite handloom and handicraft products.

A unique feature of the fest is it’s not confined to a few pavilions in the heart of the city.

The MSF limits extend, with shops and other business establishments sporting the MSF logo and attracting customers with prizes and offers. One of the major attractions at the fair is the Jumbo Circus, which traces its legacy to the town of Thalassery, whose men and women have excelled as circus artistes throughout the country.

MSF harks back to hoary days of spice trade when people from parts of Malabar would descend on the city, sell spices and carry home appliances, provisions, jewelry and garments. The pattern has undergone a change, with the spice trade getting decentralized and consignments reaching the port city of Kochi in bulk.

By boosting trade and commerce through the festival, Kozhikode aspires to be the hub of trade in Malabar. Kozhikode was established as a municipality in 1856 and the 140th year celebrations were the pretext for MSF, inaugurated by Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on December 22.

Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan will open the valedictory, the Malabar Mahotsav, on January 16.