• Kozhikode in Kerala and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh have made it to UNESCO's list of prestigious creative cities for their contribution in the field of literature and music respectively.
• This announcement was made by UNESCO on its official website on 31 October.
• It is noteworthy that Kozhikode was given the tag of Literature City while Gwalior was given the status of City of Music.

 Other major cities included in the list-

• Rio de Janeiro:- Literature
• Bukhara:- Crafts and Folk Arts
• CASABLANCA:- MEDIA ARTS
• Chongqing:- Design
• Kathmandu:- Film

 Main points -

• Recognition of these cities on the global platform of culture and art will boost tourism and economic activities.
• UNESCO newly designated creative cities have been invited to participate in the 2024 UCCN Annual Conference (1-5 July, 2024) in Braga, Portugal.
• The theme of the year 2024 is 'Bringing Youth to the Table for the Next Decade'.

 Gwalior and Music -

• Gwalior is known as the music city across the world.
• Music emperor Tansen-Baiju Bawra has a deep connection with Gwalior.
• It was in this city that Tansen ji, one of the nine gems of Akbar, was born.
• Apart from this, Baiju Bawra was also from Gwalior.

 Kozhikode and literature -

• Kozhikode's inclusion in the UNESCO list has allowed famous foreign writers to come and stay in Kozhikode and translate books.
•   Kozhikode has been given the status of a creative city as Kozhikode is a regular venue for literary festivals and book festivals.
• Over the years the city has also been the venue for literary festivals including the Kerala Literary Festival (KLF).

 Facts useful for examination -

UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN):

• Established in 2004
• The cities included in UCCN represent seven creative sectors-
• Crafts and folk art,
•  Design,
• Movie,
• Gastronomy,
• Literature,
• Media arts and
•   Music .

 UNESCO -

• Established: 1945
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Director General: Audrey Azoulay