Palakkad is totally different from Kochi and this contrast in culture fascinates me as a photographer...Palghat and it's surroundings are calling me...


 Above : Women at work in the paddy field


 About Palakkad alias Palghat

In earlier times Palakkad alias Palghat was also known as Palakkattuchery. Some etymologists trace the word "Palakkad" from the word Palai nilam, which means "dry lands". The commonly held belief, however, is that the name is a fusion of two Malayalam/Tamil words, Pala, a tree (Alstonia scholaris) that is found abundantly in Palakkad, and Kadu, which means forest.

The nearest international airport is Coimbatore Airport, which is around 62 km from Palakkad. Coimbatore airport has connecting flights to Singapore, Sharjah, Colombo. Other nearby airports are Kozhikode Airport about 103 km & Kochi Airport which is about 111 km from Palakkad.

There are two railway stations serving Palakkad - Palakkad Junction is a broad gauge railway junction (located at Olavakkode) and Palakkad Town located in the heart of the Palakkad town. Palakkad Junction also houses the office of The Divisional Railway Manager (Palakkad Division). The cities of Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Thiruvananthapuram , Kozhikode and Ernakulam are connected by the broad gauge line.

  • Palakkad Fort – Fort dating from 1766, built by Hyder Ali of Mysore. In 1784, after a siege which lasted eleven days, the British Colonel Fullerton stormed the Fort. Later it fell into the hands of the Zamorin’s troops, but was recaptured by the British in 1790. This well-preserved fort is also known as Tipu's Tipu Sultan, son of Hyder Ali) Fort. Today there is a functioning jail and Hanuman Temple in the fort grounds.
  • Paddy fields in Palakkad
  • Jain Temple of Jainimedu – Situated on the western border of Palakkad town and not far from the railway station, this is an historic Jain Temple. The area around the temple is known as Jainimedu. This is one of the few places in Kerala where vestiges of Jainism in Kerala have survived without substantial damage. The granite walls are devoid of decoration. The temple, 32 feet (9.8 m) long and 20 feet (6.1 m) wide, consists of four divisions with images of Jain Thirthankaras and Yakshinis in three of them. Kumaran Asan wrote his monumental poem Veena Poovu (the fallen flower) at a Jain house here during his brief stay with his master Sri. Narayana Guru.
  • Kalpathi One of the 21 Agraharams of Palakkad District on the banks of the Kalpathy river, famous for its annual Ratholsavam (Temple car Festival) and annual music festival. One of the oldest settlements of Tamil Brahmins in Kerala, it dates back to the 15th century.
  • Malampuzha Dam and Gardens - Situated about 10 km from Palakkad Town, Malapuzha Dam was completed in 1955 and is the largest reservoir in Kerala. The spot is also known for its scenic beauty and sprawling gardens. It is one of the major attractions in this part of Kerala.
  • Dhoni : Dhoni is situated around 15 Kilometers from Palakkad town in Kerala, India. Its famous for Dhoni Waterfalls and the Western Ghat forests. Dhoni is bordered by Western Ghats on north. Its also a popular trekking spot for tourists. The dhoni farm of KLD Board an Indo-Swiss project is situated there and is set amidst a beautiful location and is relatively unknown for its tourist potential.


Comments

R Niranjan Das said…
Thats a lot of useful information. Would love to visit Kalpathy some day.

www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.com
ahmedabadonnet said…
Thanks for sharing the information on palkad...
ahmedabadonnet.com
Unknown said…
Good collection of information....

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Hai Baji said…
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