PALAKKAD

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."


Not much is known about Palakkad's ancient history. It dates back to the Paleolithic period, and several megalithic relics have been found in the region. At the turn of the first millenium AD, for several hundred years the Perumals ruled the land. Later their governors called Utayavars took possession of this land and divided it among themselves. William Logan, the Scottish author of the celebrated Malabar Manual, suggests that one of the hubs of the Pallavas of Kanchi who invaded Malabar in the second and third centuries was Palakkad.

One of the earliest records about Palakkad has a chronicle of a war victory in A.D 988 when the king of Palakkad, Nedumpurayur Nadudayavar, stopped an invasion by the forces of the King of Kongunadu at Chittur. Even today, a festival is celebrated in memory of this victory at Chittur. The Nedumpurayur royal family was later known as Tarur Swaroopam and finally as Palakkad Raja Swaroopam.

In 1757, to check the invasion of the Zamorin of Calicut, the Raja of Palakkad sought the help of Hyder Ali of Mysore, who freed all parts of Palakkad invaded by the Zamorin. Eventually, Haider helped himself to Palakkad and later his son Tipu Sultan was the unquestioned ruler of this region. But after his defeat to the British, Tipu ceded all his Malabar territories to the British following the treaty with the English East India Company in 1872. Palakkad formed part of the Malabar District of the Madras Presidency thereafter.





Area 4,480sq km

Population (2001 census) 2,617,072
Male Population 1,265,794
Female Population 1,351,278

Language Malayalam. English

Religion Hinduism, Christianity, Islam

Rainfall (Annual) 240 cm

Time GMT + 5:30

Currency Indian Rupees

Climate Tropical

Std Code 0491

ISD Code + 91

Tourist Season September to February

Located between north latitude 10° 46' and 10° 59' and East longitude 76° 28'and 76° 39', Palakkad district shares borders with Malappuram district in the North and Northwest, Trichur in the South and Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu in the East. Sprawling over the midland-plains and mountainous highlands, the district does not have a coastline. The midland plains are at an altitude of 10 m to 80 m above sea level and highlands are 914 m to 2133 m above sea level. The 32 to 40 km wide Palakkad pass in the 960 km long Western Ghats is of immense geographic importance. On either side of this natural gap are the vast Nilgiri Hills and the colossal Anamalai ranges. Dense reserve forests are found in the Palakkad and Chittur taluks of the district. Palakkad division is further divided into Mannarkkad East Range, Mannarkkad West Range, Olavakkode Range and Palakkad Range. The highest peak is the 2386.14 m high Anjinad. The other major peaks include Karimala, Karimala Gopuram, Kalladikkode, Nellikkotta or Padagiri and Vellachimudi.

The major rivers are Bharathapuzha (Nila), Kollengode, Kannadi, Kalpathy, Chitturpuzha, Bhavani, Shiruvani, Thuthapuzha and Gayatri. The district has some key irrigation projects and dams at Malampuzha, Walayar, Mangalam, Gayatri, Chittur, Meenkara, Pothundi and Kanhirapuzha. Malampuzha Dam irrigates over 20,000 hectares of farming land while Chittur Irrigation Project covers over 18,000 hectares and Kanhirapuzha project waters over 10,000 hectares.

Palakkad, branded as the rice-bowl of Kerala, has fertile plains where substantial quantities of rice are produced by scientific cultivation methods. Groundnut, black gram, coconut, cotton, ragi, pepper, banana, cashew, sugarcane and pea add in to the roll of other major crops. Sugar Cane is grown extensively in the Chittur taluk. Around 284 lakh hectares of the district (64 % of geographical area) is used for farming and some key agricultural institutions of Kerala including Regional Agricultural Research Station, Soil Testing Laboratory, Fertilizer Quality Control Laboratory, Mushroom Laboratory and Agricultural Engineering Workshop are located at Palakkad.


There are many tourist spots to visit in and around Palakkad. The natural green surroundings add to the beauty of the tourist spots.

Palakkad Fort
Chittur Gurumadam
Attappady
Dhoni
Kalapathy Temple
Mangalam Dam
Nelliyam Pathy
Pattambi Nercha
Silent Valley
Thrithala
Other Tourist Places

Festivals

Palakkad has a vivid cultural tradition. Thunjathu Ramanujam Ezhuthachan, widely accepted as the father of Malayalam literature spent his last days at Chittur in this district. Kunjan Nambiar the most famous of all Malayalm poets and the founder of thullal , a purely Kerala art form, was born in a small village in this district. Many other noted exponents of varied art forms like Chakkiar Koothu, Kathakali, Thullal etc.. which are intrinsically Kerala art forms, found encouragement and inspiration at Palakkad. Most noted of all perhaps is the exponent of Carnatic Music late Sri Chembai vaidyanatha Bhagawathar. Likewise Palakkad Mani Iyer was known the world over for his mastery over the mridangam, the drum so central to Carnatic music. Kalpathy Car Festival (Kalpathy Ratholsavam)
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
Tradition says that one 'Singamanan' the ruler of Ramapattinam Zamin, West of Pollachi, waged war on Chittur on the pretension that the people of Chittur and Pattanchery had stolen like silver, muslin etc .from Tamil merchants. In the war, people of Chittur who were not familiar with the warfare were faced with defeat and finally with the help of the Bhagavathy, the female deity of the place, were able to inflict a crushing defeat. The leader of the Kongu army was slain in the battle. As a gratitude to the Bhagavathy, the people decided to celebrate the victorious day every year in the name at this temple and the festival was born. 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.
Palappuram Chinakkathoor Kavupooram

Pooram at Sree Chenakkathoor Bhagavathy temple. Grand procession of caparisoned elephants. Panchavadyam, lot of village folk forms - Poothan, Thira, Andivedan, Kumbhamkali, Kavadiyattom etc.- are performed. Kuthiravela and Kaalavela - processions of decorated motifs of Kuthira (horse) and Kaala (bull) by devotees and brought to the temple ceremoniously - are also be held. Magnificent fire works in the evening and mid-night is another attraction. Tholppavakoothu, the shadow puppet play is presented here as a ritual on everyday for seventeen days preceding to the festival. At Palappurum, 5kms from Ottappalam in Palakkad district.

Thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavathy Kshethram Pooram

The main event of this festivals is Aarattu. The same is performed 21 times, in a sequence of one in the morning and one in the evening, for ten days and the final Aarattu on the eleventh day. Tenth day (26th) night is Pallivetta. On the pooram day mid night there is a ceremonial meeting between Valluvakkonathiri, the king of the earst while kingdom, and Malayankutty, the head of Pana community who comes to the pooram ground on a palanquin. It is known as Panante Varavu. This commemorates the religious harmony and the help rendered by the tribal headman to the Raja in by gone days. The twelfth day, from morning to evening there will be a performance of folk from chavittukali. Ottanthullal, Paadhakom, Chakyarkouth, Nagyarkouth, Kathakali, Thayambaka, Melam, cultural programmes etc. are performed during the festival days. Kalamezhuthum Pattum a ritual folk from of drawing Badrakali using natural colours accompanied by songs, is offered by the devotees every day till pooram being. Located at Angadippuram on Kozhikode - Palakkad highway and very near to Perinthalmanna. From Shornur Nilambur local train stops at Angadippuram railway station. 27kms from Pattambi railway station.


Hospitals Name

Phone Numbers (0491)

Palakkad District Hospital
2534524

Fort Hospital
2520171

Lakshmi Nursing Home
2539999

Palakkad Medical and Research Center
2521751

Palakkad Poly Clinic
2534192

Palat Memorial Hospital
2533869

Sai Nursing Home
2555525

Venkatesa Hospital
2535797

Assisi Hospital
2536379

Karuna Hospital
2538320

Balaji Hospital
2522879

City Hospital
2520235

Ayurvedic Resorts and Health Care Centre
Care Resort international
2367346


Kodumbu Santhigiri Health
Care Centre
2523874

Clinical Laboratories
Dane Diagnostics
2539366

Early Cancer Detection Centre
2566124

Kamala Clinical Laboratories
2535274

Modern Clinical Laboratory
2533891

Sudharma Clinical Laboratory
2536484

X- Ray and CT Scan Centres
Juno X-Ray & Lab
2535057

Kerala X-Ray Institute
2533159

Neo-Modern X-Ray Lab
2534310

PMRC Diagnostics Centre
2522297

Vithayathil X-Ray & ECG Lab
2539698

Pharmacies
Adithya Medicals
2555543

Aiswarya Medicals
2534046

Ananad Medicals
2533311

Koilath Medicals
2538192

Kumar Drug House
2533263

Pharma Trade
2534762

Yenyes Key Pharma
2533979

Parasuram
2539319

Pee Vee Aar Agencies
2539357

Ayyappa Agencies
2534751

Ayyappa Enterprises
2535237

D.T.Associates
2532133

Nedson Agencies
2533441

V.J.Associates
2536344

Pechiyappa Medical Agencies
2534073

Dorai Agencies
2539138

Pharma Agencies
2532961




Phone Numbers (0491)
Dr.U.Ramesh Menon MBBS, DLO, DNB (ENT)
Consultant ENT Surgeon

Thangam Hospital Of PMRC,
West Yakkara,
Palakkad, Kerala, India
14/462 A R Nair Colony,
Kunnathurmedu
Palakkad, Kerala, India

2515717 to 2515726
Fax : (0491) 2539269

Dr.P.Venkateswaralu MBBS,
MD, PDCC
Consultant Anaesthesiologist

Thangam Hospital Of PMRC,
West Yakkara,
Palakkad, Kerala, India

2515717 to 215726
Fax : (0491) 2539269

Dr.V.Veeraraghavan MBBS, MD
General Medicine

Thangam Hospital Of PMRC,
West Yakkara,
Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2515717 to 2515726
Fax : (0491) 2539269

Dr.P.Raghavan MBBS, M.S
Consultant Surgeon

Thangam Hospital Of PMRC,
West Yakkara,
Palakkad, Kerala, India

2515717 to 2515726
Fax : (0491) 2539269

Dr.K.G.Kamath B.Sc., MBBS. DGO
Civil Surgeon & Gynecologist

Fort Hospital Ltd,
NH 47, West Yakkara,
Palakkad, Kerala, India

15/86, Ganesh Kripa,
Court Road, Sulthanpet,
Palakkad, Kerala, India

(H) : 0491 - 2520171
(R) : 0491 -2539629

Dr.Anantha Babu P.S MS(General Surgeon), M.Ch.(Neuro), (SCTIMST)
Consultant Neuro Surgeon

Fort Hospital Ltd,
NH 47, West Yakkara
Palakkad, Kerala, India

2528200/ 2528201
Mobile: 98470 67263

Dr.Denny Anto M.D., D.M. Neuro(AIIMS)
Consultant Neurologist

Fort Hospital Ltd,
NH 47, West Yakkara
Palakkad, Kerala, India

( 2520171
(R) 2537111/2534067

Dr.P.Rajagopalan Nair MBBS,D.O,M.S
Consultant Ophthalmologist

Thangam Hospital Of PMRC,
West Yakkara,
Palakkad, Kerala, India

(H) 2515717 to 2515726
Fax : (0491) 2539269

Dr. S.Prakash Nayar (Retd.SURG.LT.CDR)
MBBS, MS (Ortho), DNB (Ortho),MNAMS
Consultant Orthopaedic & Spine Surgeon

Thangam Hospital Of PMRC,
West Yakkara,
Palakkad, Kerala, India
Srivalsam
East Vennakkara,
Nurani P.O,
Palakkad, Kerala, India

2515718 to 2515720
(R) 2520983
Fax : (0491) 2539269

Dr.C.R.Ramaswamy MBBS, DCH
Consultant Paediatrician

Thangam Hospital Of PMRC,
West Yakkara,
Palakkad, Kerala, India

(H)2515717 to 2515726
Fax : (0491) 2539269

Dr.V.Vijayalakshmi MBBS DMCW.DCH (London) DCH(Dublin)
Consultant Paediatrician

Sree Vijay, Parmesh Nagar,
Olavakkot, Palakkad, Kerala, India

2555353 /2555063

Dr.K.E.Mammen, MBBS,M.S,MCH
Visiting Consultant Paediatric Surgeon

Thangam Hospital Of PMRC,
West Yakkara,
Palakkad, Kerala, India

(H) 2515717 to 2515726
Fax : (0491) 2539269

Dr.N.Reju Royce MBBS, MD
(General Medicine)
Consultant Physician

Fort Hospital Ltd,
NH 47, West Yakkara
Palakkad, Kerala, India

2520171

Dr.A.K.Sreedharan MBBS, M.S, FICS (USA), FRSH (London)

Vijaya Mandir,
College Road,
Palakkad, Kerala, India

(H) : 0491 - 2528200/2528201/2528202
(R) : 0491 - 2533666/2535666/2500555
Dr.M.Sivathanupillai, MBBS,DPM
Visiting Consultant Psychiatrist

Thangam Hospital Of PMRC,
West Yakkara,
Palakkad, Kerala, India

(H) 2515717 to 2515726
Fax : (0491) 2539269


Kairali Ayurvedic Resort

Kodumbu, Kerala India

0492-322553

Food  and  Accomodation

Sree Chakra International

Chandrannagar, Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2570901 /02/03
Hotel Indraprastha,

English Church Road, Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2534641
Valayar Motels (P) Ltd

Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2566101
Fort Palace

West Fort , Kerala, India

0491 - 2534621
East Fort Resort

Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2532507
Hotel Rajadhani

Shornur Road,Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2521314
Marhaba Residency

Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2525262
Hotel Green Park

Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2540912
Champion Luxury Annex

Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2539791
Surya Tourist Home

Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2538338
Hotel Hilux

Opp. KSRTC Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2539433
ATS Residency

Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2537477
Hotel Ambady

Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2531244
K.P.M. International

Press Club Road. Palakkad,
Kerala, India

0491 - 2534601
Rajah Healthy Acres

Koottanad,Kerala, India

0492 - 256305
Hotel Rajaprastham

Pattambi,Kerala, India

0492 - 2613537
Gazala Inn

Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2529344
Hotel Chanakya

Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2537573
Royal Tourist Home

College Road ,Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2527093
Hotel Kairali,

Shornur Road, Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2534611
Ashok Tourist Home

G.B.Road Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2500661
Kalpaka Hotel & Tourist Home

G.B.Road Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2534631
Hotel Tripenta Malampuzha, Palakkad, Kerala, India 0491 - 2815210 / 20,
My Tourist Home

Palakkad, Kerala, India

0491 - 2531803


Media

Phone Numbers (0491)
Press Club

2536821
Chandrika

2535165
Daily Thanthi

2534178
Deepika

2535246
Indian Express

2538612
Kerala Koumudi

2535146
Madhyamam

2538074
Malayala Manorama

2538808
Mangalam

2521679
Mathrubhumi

2534446
The Hindu

2534070
UNI

2537700
All India Radio

2537700
Television
Asianet

2525273
Surya TV

2523548

Banks

Address

Phone Numbers (0491)
Andhra Bank

Market Road Palakkad Kerala, India

2535081
Bank of Baroda

VH Road Palakkad Kerala, India

2527102
Canara Bank,

Sultanpet ,Palakkad Kerala, India

2535197
Catholic Syrian Bank

GB Road Palakkad Kerala, India

2535406
Dhanalakshmi Bank Ltd

Big Bazar Palakkad Kerala, India

2522653
Indian Bank

Court Road,Palakkad Kerala, India

2522709
Indian Overseas Bank

GB Road Palakkad Kerala, India

2527631
State Bank of India

GB Road Palakkad Kerala, India

2522809
State Bank of Travancore

TB Road Palakkad Kerala, India

2527728