Palakkad district General information
Palakkad is the land of Palmyras and Paddy fields. It is the chief granary of Kerala, often called the Gateway of Kerala. Palakkad lies at the foot of the gigantic Western ghats on the border of Kerala. This district with mountains, forests and fertile valleys, rivers and mountains streams are rich in flora and fauna. Palakkad is known for its historical background and the remnants of Tippu Sulthan’s Fort are still maintained. The famous tourist spot of Malampuzha is situated just 8km away from Palakkad Town.
Origin of Name
In earlier times Palakkad was also known as Palakkattussery. Some etymologists trace the word "Palakkad" from the word Palanilam, which means "dry lands". The commonly held belief, however, is that the name is a fusion of two Malayalam words, Pala, a tree (Alstonia scholaris) that is found abundantly in Palakkad, and Kadu, which means forest.
History
Palakkad was a part of the Malabar District of Madras Presidency (during the Raj, until 1947), then came under the princely state of Cochin and Madras state (from 1947 to 1956). It was made a separate district of Kerala when the state was formed in 1956.
Geography
To the east lies the Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu. It is a predominantly rural district. Palakkad is the gateway to Kerala due to the presence of the Palakkad Gap, in the Western Ghats. The total area of the district is 4480 km² which is 11.5% of the state's area. Out of the total area of 4480 km², about 1360 km² of land is covered by forests. Most parts of the district fall in the midland region (elevation 75-250 m), except the Nelliampathy-Parambikulam area in the Chittur taluk in the south and Attappadi-Malampuzha area in the north, which are hilly and fall in the highland region (elevation >250 m). Some of the notable peaks in the district are Anginda (2325 m), Karimala (1998 m), Nellikotta or Padagiri (1585 m) and Karimala Gopuram (1439 m).
The climate is hot and humid for most part of the year. Palakkad is one of the hottest places in Kerala. There is sufficient rainfall. The district is blessed with many small and medium rivers, which are tributaries of the Bharathapuzha River. A number of dams have been built across these rivers, the largest being Malampuzha dam. The largest in volume capacity is the Parambikulam Dam
Demography
The main religion is Hinduism, with many castes represented: Nair (including Menons and Panickers), Pisharody (Malayali Vaishnavite ambalavasi), Hindu Vaisya Castes (Moothan, Guptan, Mannadiar and Tharakan), Ezhava, Ezhuthachan, Namboothiri (Malayali Brahmin), Iyer (Tamil Brahmin), Chettiar (equivalent to telugu Naidu), as well as artisan communities such as carpenters (Asari), goldsmiths (Thattan), blacksmiths (Kollan) and potters (Kusavan). There are some tribal peoples living in the forest areas within the Palakkad district. Nair's were traditionally the warrior caste. They are now actively involved in many professional fields within India and also abroad. The Late Sri M. G. Ramachandran was from a Nair family in Palakkad district. Namboothiris work as temple priests. Once upon a time they were highly influential landlords. A few Namboothiri families were also known for their knowledge in astrology and medicine. Ezhavas and Ezhuthachans were mostly farmers, the educated among them are into all fields of work now.
Malayalam is widely spoken. As Palakkad district is very close to Tamil Nadu, a significant percentage of the population (nearly 25%) speak Tamil . There is also a significant community of Telugu speakers, descended from the members of an invading army who decided to settle in the area.
Tamil Brahmins of Palakkad (Palakkad Iyers) are people who settled in Palakkad district after migrating from the Tanjore district in the State of Tamil Nadu.
Economy
Agriculture is the main occupation. The most prominent crop is rice. Palakkad is known as the Rice Bowl of Kerala. But in recent times, rice cultivation has become unremunerative due to high wages and low prices. Hence, farmers have turned to other crops and the area under rice cultivation has decreased drastically. In the areas bordering Tamil Nadu, crops such as sugar cane, groundnut, tomato, jasmine etc. are cultivated. Rubber is the main crop in the hilly regions. Vegetables like pumpkin, ash gourd, bitter gourd, brinjal, etc. are now cultivated extensively. Tamarind, Neem, Mango and Palm trees are seen in abundance in Palakkad, as in Tamil Nadu. The district is a major centre of export for mangoes and tamarind. Jaggery, which is unrefined sugar, is made from sugarcane in Chittur Taluk.
There are no large cities in Palakkad district. Even the district Headquarters is a medium sized town. There are no big shopping malls or large hospitals. People usually go to Coimbatore for these needs. But recently, all the major jewellers of Kerala have opened their showrooms in Palakkad town.
Industry
There are various industries in the district. The Public Sector companies and Instrumentation Limited have plants in Kanjikode, 12 km from Palakkad town. Other large companies are the BPL group, Coca Cola and Pepsi. There is an Industrial Area in Kanjikode with a number of medium industries.
Established in 1976, the Palakkad unit of ITI Limited manufactures large digital switches and digital trunk exchanges in collaboration with M/s Alcatel of France. A highly productive plant by virtue of its structure, it has a modern facility for PCB manufacture (including multi-layer boards) assembly and automated testing facilities with SMT line and environmental test lab. ITI Palakkad is accredited with ISO 9000 (Manufacturing) and ISO 14000 (Environmental Management System) quality standards.
Transport
Palakkad Junction is an important station on the Southern Railway. Places like Pollachi, Dindigul and Madurai are connected by the meter gauge track beginning here. The trains on the meter gauge are the lifeline for the people of the district, bringing vegetables, fish and dairy products. The office of the Palakkad Division of the Southern Railway is situated near Palghat Junction Railway Station. The trains coming from Tamil Nadu are diverted to north and south Kerala from Shoranur station in Palakkad District. From here there is train sevice to Calicut, Ernakulam, Trivandrum, Shoranur and Nilambur.
Palakkad has a medium grade network of roads. The Salem-Kanyakumari National Highway 47 and the Palakkad-Kozhikode National Highway 213 pass through the district. Another important road is the Palakkad - Ponnani road which connects NH 47 and NH 17.
The nearest Airport is at Coimbatore which is 60 km from the town. It offers connections to all parts of India. Air Deccan, SpiceJet, JetLite, Kingfisher airlines, Goair, Paramount airways, Indian Airlines and Air India are the major operators.
Tourist Place
Palakkad Fort: The old granite fort situated in the very heart of Palakkad town was built by Hyder Ali of Mysore in 1766.
Fantasy Park: (10km from Palakkad) (1400 – 2100 hrs on weekdays and 1100 –2100 hrs on Saturdays, Sundays and National holidays) Attractions: Rides and computer games.
Malampuzha Garden: (10km from Palakkad) This famous picnic spot which comprises a dam and beautifully landscaped gardens.
Thiruvalathoor: (10km from Palakkad) The ancient temple here exhibits some fine wood work and stone sculptures.
Dhoni: (15km from Palakkad) It is a 3 hour trek from the base on the Dhoni Hills to this reserve forest area with its small, beautiful waterfall.
Kottayi: (15km from Palakkad via Poodur) This village is the native place of the late Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, the doyen of Carnatic music.
Kollengode: (19km from Palakkad) The Kollengode Palace, the Vishnu Temple and the Poet P.Kunhiraman Nair Memorial are worth visiting.
Lakkidi: (30km from Palakkad) Killikkurissimangalam at Lakkidi is the birthplace of Kunchan Nambiar,. The poet’s house is preserved as a monument by the State Govt.
Siruvani: (48km from Palakkad) The gateways on either side of the rod across the dam are typical of the Kerala and Tamil architectural styles .
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary: (110km from Palakkad) Sprawled across 285 sq.km. this Sanctuary is home to rare fauna. The oldest teak tree, Kannimari stands tall here. Boating/cruising facilities are available at the Reservoir .
Nelliyampathy: (40km from Palakkad) At least 10 hair pin bends have to be negotiated on the Ghat Road through the evergreen forest . This hill station 467 m to 1572 m above sea level.
Silent Valley National Park: (40km from Palakkad) The 89.52 sq.km national park is believed to be the sole surviving bit of evergreen forest in the Sahya Ranges.
Chittur Garumadam: This memorial to Thunchath Ezhuthachan the author of Adhyatma Ramayana is located on the banks of the river Sokanasini.