PALAKKAD

GENERAL INFORMATION

District Area	4480 sq. km.
District Population	2,376,160
Climate	Tropical, hot season (March to May), plenty of rainfall during monsoons June-September and December -February
Altitude	Midland 7.62m. to 76.2m.above sea level
Temperature	Mean Max.- 38.68 deg. C Mean Min. - 21.15 deg. C
Rainfall	240cm. (annual average)
Tourist Season	September to February

Palakkad,is among the more fertile and thickly forested districts of Kerala. Palakkad is supposed to have derived its name from the Pala (Alsteria Scholaris) tree and kadu (forest). The whole area is said to have been once covered by 'pala' trees. Palakkad district has got its own characteristics in many fields. Its geographical position, historical background, rural nature, educational status, tourist attractions and above all developmental activities are vivid and varied. Palakkad district provides, for the rest of India, an inlet to the State through a 32 to 40 m. wide natural gap. In the 960 kms. long Western Ghats, this gap is perhaps the most influential factor in the unique characteristics of the district. It has also contributed to the commercial as well as cultural exchanges between the State and the rest of the country.

The district, which lies at the foot of the colossal Western Ghats, has only midland and highland areas. Much of the area is made up of plains, scattered with a few hillocks. The plains are so fertile and productive that the district is considered the "Granary of Kerala". Along with Idukki, Palghat is the other district in Kerala, which has the rare distinguishing characteristic of not having a seacoast. Kerala's longest river Bharathapuzha flows through the district. During the hot season, its wide sandy bed is dry, except for some miles from its origin. Being too shallow and rocky for water transport, the Bharathapuzha has little commercial significance but holds a special place in the cultural psyche of the State.

Palakkad witnessed invasions of historical importance that have left indelible impressions on the history of Kerala. The gap in the Western Ghats in Palakkad district provided easy access to all invaders. Historically Palakkad district has got its own peculiar characteristics. The Fort of Hyder Ali tells us the story of Mysore invasions and the advent of the British to this part of the country. When the Zamorin of Calicut invaded Palakkad in 1757, the Raja of Palakkad sought the help of Hyder Ali of Mysore. Hyder Ali's help forced the Zamorin to retreat. Later Hyder Ali conquered all territories in Palakkad which were under the possession of Zamorin. Thus the whole dominion possessed by the Raja of Palakkad passed into the hands of the Mysore rulers, Hyder Ali and his son Tipu. The war between Tipu and the East India Company ended with the Treaty of 1872 and all the possessions of Tipu in Malabar were ceded to the British. Gradually these formed part of the Malabar district of the Madras Presidency. The present Palakkad district, as an administrative unit, was formed on the first of January 1957. 

HOW TO GET THERE:

Air	The nearest airport is Coimbatore, 55 kms. away. To the south is Cochin Airport, 160 kms. away.
Road	Palakkad is connected by good motorable roads to all the major towns of Kerala and neighboring Tamil Nadu.

PLACES OF INTEREST:

Attappadi (Mountain Valley)

An extensive mountain valley above the crest of the Ghat ranges with numerous rivulets of the Bhavani river, Attapadi is populated mainly by tribes and some settlers from Tamil Nadu. Hardly affected by 'development' work, Attapadi offers forests in their elemental grandeur. 

Fort

ln the heart of Palakkad town, there is a well-preserved Fort which dates back to 1766 A.D. It was built by Haider Ali of Mysore, supposedly to facilitate communication between Coimbatore and the West Coast. In 1784 after a siege lasting eleven days, the British Colonel, Fullerton stormed the Fort. It later fell into the hands of the Zamorin's troops but was recaptured by the British in 1790.

Jain Temple

One of the few existing Jain temples in Kerala is the  temple at Jainamedu in the Vadakkanthara village on the Western border. With granite walls, devoid of any decorations, this temple, having four divisions, is 32 feet high and 20 feet wide. Legend has it that the temple was built about 500 years ago by a Jain head named Inchanna Satur for the Jain sage, Chandranatha Swamy.

Malampuzha

Malampuzha, a major tourist attraction, is in the site of a large irrigation dam built across the Bharathapuzha. The town is set at the base of the hills of the Western Ghats, and around the large reservoir are beautiful rose gardens and amusement parks for children as well as facilities for boat cruises on the reservoir. The famous work 'Yakshi' done by Kerala's famous sculptor, Kanai Kunjiraman, is another attraction of this garden.

Mangalam Dam

Located in picturesque surroundings, the dam is constructed across Cherukunnapuzha, a tributary of Mangalam river. The reservoir fringes on the forest area, where there are deer, wild elephants and a variety of birds. There are beautiful parks and lawns, adorned with statues.

Nelliampathy (Forest Range)

Nelliampathy, a forest range area, 75 km from Palghat, has a chain of ridges, cut off from one another by valleys of dark evergreen forests in which can be found very valuable teak of extraordinary height and girth. The highest peak is Nellikota or Padagiri, 15,232 metres above sea level. A hill station with cool climate, Nelliampathy is accessible from Palghat. On the way,  there is a dam and a park at Pothundi.

Ottappalam

Ottappalam was the centre of political as well as tenant movements in the South Malabar of the erstwhile Malabar province of Madras Presidency. The important Hindu festival of Ottappalam is celebrated at Chathan Kandar Kavu in Varode Desam. The legend goes that the temple was built by the local Kanjoor Namboodiri family at a place where a Harijan called Chathan found a stone bleeding while he was sharpening his knife on it. The deity of this temple is Durga. The annual festival is Thalapoli, which is celebrated on Avitam day in Meenam (March-April).

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary

The Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, part of the neighboring Annamalai Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, is one of the best in Kerala. Sprawling over 285 sq. km., it has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It has a large population of gaur (bison), sambar and spotted deer, Nilgiri Langur, Jungle Cat, lion tailed macaque, sloth bear along with some tigers and leopards. The Cannimare Teak Tree, said to be Asia's largest, stands about 5km from Thunakadavu, the headquarters of Parambikulam. Boating can be done at the lake in Parambikulam. Trekking in the sanctuary is possible with the permission of forest officials.

Silent Valley National Park

Spread over 90 sq. km., Silent Valley National Park is perhaps the closest to a virgin forest in the entire Western Ghats. It contains India's last substantial stretch of tropical evergreen rain forests and a large number of wild animals.