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.

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.

Dhoni, Seethakundu and Govindamalai hills.

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.

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