The district of palakkad known as the granary
of kerala, is a land of valleys, hillocks, rivers, forests,
mountain streams, dams and irrigation projects. Situated at
the foot of the western ghats, this is the gateway to kerala
from The north. Palakkad derives its name from the malayalam
words pala (alsteria scholaris) and kadu (forest) which goes
to prove that this place was once a beautiful stretch of forests
covered with the sweet scented flowers of the pala tree. Area
4,480sq km
Population 2,617,072
Best time to Visit September to February
Languages Malayalam, English
STD Code 0491
Location:
Palakkad district is situated in the South West Coast of India.
The district is bounded on the North by Malappuram District,
in the East by Coimbatore district of Tamilnadu, in the south
by Trichur district and in the west by Trichur and Malappuram
districts.
Access:
Air: Nearest Airport Kozhikode (Calicut) (93 Km) .
Rail: Kannur Is An Important Railhead Of The Southern Railways.
Road: An Excellent Road Transport System Connects Kannur To
All The Major Towns Of South India.
History:
There are many views on how Palakkad (or "Palghat"
the anglicised version) got its name. One view is that the
word 'Pala' (barren land) together with 'Kadu' (jungle) gave
the land its name. Yet others believe that it is connected
with the ancient Jain temple in the town: 'Pali' being the
sacred language of the Jains, giving the land its name as
'Palighat', which over the years changed to Palakkad. However,
most believe that Palakkad is derived from 'Pala', an indigenous
tree which once densely occupied the land, and hence Palakkad
or "the forest of Pala trees." .
Climate:
The climate of the district is tropical. The obvious fact
which strikes an observer, according to Logan, is the uniformity
of temperature in the Malabar area. During dry weather, hot
winds blow from the burning plains of Coimbatore through the
Palakkad gap. Palakkad district has uniform rainfall as well.
Wildlife Sancturies :
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary Main attractions:Fauna : Mammals:
Bonnet macaques, lion, tailed macaques, Nilgiri langurs, loris,
tigers, leopards, jungle cats, mongoose, focen, bears, elephants,
gaurs, Nilgiri tahrs, spotted deer, sambar, barking deer,
wild boars, pangolins etc. Reptiles: Crocodiles, varanur pond
terrapins, cane trutiles, geckoes, skunks, chameleons, snakes
like king cobras, spectacled cobras, kraits, vipers, pythons,
green keel backs, rat snakes, vine snakes. Fishes: Arals,
brals, vatudis, thilopias, noovis, mooshus, poochittis, kollotties,
exypriuses, tarals, mahaseer etc. Capped kingfisher, great
Indian bombills, broad billed rollers, and back woodpeckers.
Flora: Neem, nanjanathi, sandal, dendrocalamus and bamboosa
arundinaceous, teak, vengal, muzhukanjiram, maruthu, vaka,
mulluvenga, rosewood, manjakadambu pala, elavu, vembu, aval,
vanteak, A gaint teak, 40 m high and 6.4 m in girth and apthy
named kannimaram the first tree, stands as a monuments of
the past.
Trekking trails :
Dhoni, Seethakundu and Govindamalai hills.
Fairs and Festivals :
Kalpathy Car Festival Kalpathy Viswanatha swamy temple is
the oldest Siva temple in Malabar. It was build around 1425
AD. by Kombi Achan, the then Raja of Palakkad. Kalpathy Car
Festival is based on vedic Tamil Brahmin culture. The main
centre of the festival is Kalpathy Sree Viswanathaswamy temple.
Manappullikavu Vela Manappullikavu Vela is a major festival
held every year at the Manappullikkavu Bhagavathy Temple.
It is believed that the temple is about 1200 years old. It
is different from other Bhagavathy Temples by way of rites
and rituals. Namboodiries, that is, the Kerala Brahmins perform
the daily rituals according to tantric traditions. Both Saiva
and Vaishnava traditions are observed in the poojas.
Nenmara-Vallengi Vela Nenmara-Vallengi Vela is a renowned
festival of Palakkad attracting people from far and wide.
It is held annually on the Pooram day of the Malayalam month
Meenam. The Festival starts with the hoisting the sacred flag.
Chittur Kongan Pada Konganpada is a great festival of historical
importance, celebrated in the Bhagavathy temple at Chittur,
ten kms from Palakkad town. It is held every year on the first
Monday after the new moon night in Kumbhom ( February –
March), to commemorate the victory of nairs of Chittur over
the militia of Konganadu ( Coimbatore) led by the Chola King,
Rajadhi Raja.
Jain Temple Festivals One of the few existing Jain temples
in Kerala is the Jain temple at Jainmedu, near Palakkad town.
According to legend, one sutar (head of the Jains) built this
temple 500 years ago for the Jain sage, Chandranathaswami.
The Jain who came here from Mysore fled from this place during
the invasion of Tipu Sultan. This temple comprises four divisions
and is 32 feet high and 20 feet wide.
Ottappalam Nercha Festival Ottappalam Nercha Festival held
in the month of January - February and is celebrated to commemorate
the death of saint Uthaman Auliya. An important ritual of
this Festival is the distribution of food prepared during
the festival to the poor.
Kunnathurmedu Sri Krishna Temple Kunnathurmedu Sreekrishna
Temple is located at the heart of the Palakkad Town. A beautiful
Vigraha, (idol) depicting Sreekrishna as a child is an attraction
of this temple. The main festival of the temple is Ashtami
Rohini (Sreekrishna Jayanthi). It is the only Sreekrishna
Temple in Palakkad Town.
Places to visit :
Palakkad Fort : The old granite fort situated in the very
heart of Palakkad town is one of the best preserved in Kerala.
It was built by Hyder Ali of Mysore in 1766. The fort was
taken over and modified by the British in 1790. It is now
preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Ottappalam : (35 km from Palakkad): The town is known for
its numerous places of worship and their colourful festivals.
Durga Temple the Pooram at Chenakkathur the Nercha festival
commemorating the Aulia.
Fantasy Park : (1400 - 2100 hrs on week days and 1100 - 2100
hrs on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays). Ph: 815122
815124 Entrance fee: Adults Rs. 20 Children Rs. 10. Separate
charges for rides and computer games. Block tickets: Adults
Rs. 80 Children Rs. 60.
Thrithala : (75 km from Palakkad): This place is noted for
its monuments and historic ruins. The Siva Temple and the
ruins of a mud fort near Thrithala on the Chalissery road
are notable cultural monuments.
Thiruvalathoor : (10 km from Palakkad) : The ancient temple
here has some fine wood work and stone sculptures.
Dhoni : (15 km from Palakkad): It takes a three hour trek
from the base of the Dhoni hills to reach this reserve forest
area with its small, beautiful waterfall.
Kottayi : (15 km via Poodur from Palakkad): This tiny village
is the native place of the late Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar,
the doyen of Carnatic music.
Malampuzha : Malampuzha is the ‘Vrindavan’ of
Kerala. It is 13 kms from Palakkad town. Since the completion
of the dam in 1955, the place has been beautified into a tourist
resort. The dam is located in idyllic surroundings with a
hilly background. The beautiful garden on mughal model below
the dam is the star attraction for the tourists. The small
garden on Japanese style is also very attractive. The gigantic
‘Yakshi’ statue situated in the garden would cause
surprise and wonder to anyone visiting Malampuzha. The fish-shaped
aquarium is an added attraction. The snake park, the rock
garden, the amusement park and the fancy park and the thrilling
rides therein and the garden and fountain are the other attractions.
Kollengode : (19 km south of Palakkad) : Kollengode or the
abode of blacksmiths enshrines the pristine beauty of rural
Palakkad. The Kollengode Palace, the Vishnu Temple and the
poet P. Kunhiraman Nair Memorial are worth visiting. Seethakundu
and Govindamalai hills near Kaachankurichi are ideal for adventurous
trekkers.
Lakkidi : (30 km from Palakkad): Killikkurissimangalam at
Lakkidi is the birthplace of Kunchan Nambiar, the 18th century
satirist and exponent of the Tullal (classical art form).
The poet's house has been preserved as a monument by the State
Government.
Meenkara : (32 km from Palakkad): This picnic spot is the
site of a dam across the river Gayathri which flows into the
Bharathapuzha.
Mangalam Dam : (50 km from Palakkad): This dam is built across
the Cherukunnath River, a tributary of the Mangalam River.
The damsite is a popular picnic spot.
Parambikulam Wild Life sanctuary : Parambikulam in Western
Ghats is about 125 kms from Palakkad. The dam and the wildlife
sanctuary here are renowned. All sorts of animals and birds
are seen here. There is a reservoir also. The place is famous
for teak plantations. The oldest teak tree, ‘Kannimaree’,
stands here. There is a national park here, which is named
after Salim Ali, the famous bird observer.
Thenari : It is believed that the waters of this natural spring,
located in front of the old Sree Rama Temple here, is as sacred
as the waters of the Ganges.
Mayiladumpara : This grove takes its name from the large number
of peacocks found here.
Excursions :
Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary
Nelliyampathy
Mangalam dam (50 km)
thrithala (75 kms)
siruvani (48 kms north of palakkad)
ottappalam (35 kms)
lakkidi (30 kms)
kollengode ( 19 kms).
Rivers :
Bharathappuzha, Gayathripuzha, Kannadipuzha, Kalpathypuzha,
Thuthapuzha |