Palakkad

The Palakkad gap, as it is known, is a 40 kilometre broad break- north to south-in an otherwise unbroken wall of high mountains, 960 kilomtres long. For those in the peninsula, it provided access to the coast, and vice versa, in the process of becoming a significant pathway. It was through this passage that, time and again, conquests and trade took place. For people in the hinterland, Palakkad was a gateway into Kerala; this is a district with a history of migrants. It also became a melting pot of culture and emerged with a fusion that is now distinctive of Palakkad.

Best time to visit

Palakkad can get very hot in summer, almost like Chennai, but come monsoons and its cool breeze and pleasant weather. You can make a tour to Palakkad anytime except the summer months of March to May when the mercury soars high.

Getting There

By Air
The nearest airport is Coimbatore Airport that is 60 km away.

By Rail
The nearest railhead is Palakkad station, which is well connected to all cities.

By Road
Palakkad Kerala in is on NH 47 that links Salem to Kanyakumari via coimbatore. The KSRTC station is on the Shoranur Road and has buses connecting to all major towns in the state.

Sights and Attractions

Tipu’s Fort

When on a tour to Palakkad a must visit place is Tipu’s Fort. Also known as Palakkad Fort, it stands in the heart of the town. Built by Hyder Ali in 1766, supposedly to facilitate communication between both sides of the Western Ghats; closer to the truth would be that Ali and his son-Tipu Sultan wanted to establish their suzerainty over Kerala. It was after coming to Palakkad that the duo seized parts of Malabar. The fort changed hands when the British captured it. Tipu was not to give up on his property easily but his repeated encounters with the British cost him his life. When he died in 1799 at Srirangapatana in an encounter, the fort came to be known by his name.

Nelliyampathy

Have you been to Nelliyampathy, is a question you often hear. It’s even better than Munnar, is the next statement. The people of Palakkad are justly proud of their hills. At a height of 467 to 1, 572 metres above sea level, this captivating hill station, with its hill pin road bends, is a destination for those seeking to commune with nature. When on a tour to Palakkad, passing through the breathtaking evergreen forests of the Sahyadri ranges is a thrilling activity; this is a great place for trekkers. At a point called Seetharkundu ranges, you even get a panoramic view of almost the whole of Palakkad Kerala. The Kachamkurichi Temple, famous for its murals, is also located here.

Mayiladumpara Sanctuary

If you are a tour to Palakkad never miss a chance to make a visit to Mayiladumpara Sanctuary. About 40 kms east of Cheruthuruthy, at Nedungathpara, a right turn leads into the woodlands. This extensive forest has been home to peacocks since ages. You can hear the loud squeals often enough. However, according to the people in the few scattered settlements inside the sanctuary, the birds can be sighted often at dawn and dusk. Not bound by any fences and gates, the sanctuary allows free access.

Thiruvalathur Bhagavathi Temple

One of the 108 Durga temples in the country, Thiruvalathur has an interesting story behind it. It is believed that an army of gods constructed the outer wall of the temple. Using stones from the Nila River, they worked through the night at a feverish pitch. But at dawn the work remained incomplete. Not wanting to be seen by human beings, the gods left, leaving the construction incomplete at several points. Despite efforts much later on by humans, the work could not be carried out. The walls remain unfinished, as it is believed that mortals cannot complete this work.

The Thiruvalathur festival is a 10 day long one, held in January. The best thing to see when on a tour to Palakkad? The 4,000 stone lamps fixed on the wall, lit up at night.

Sanctuary

Silent Valley National Park

Located along the western corner of the Nilgiris Silent valley National Park is one of the last vestiges of an undisturbed tropical evergreen rainforest. With an unbroken ecological history, which has been continuously evolving for millions of years, this is a unique region. This Eden is one place where you can experience what it might have been like on this planet before man arrived on the scene. Environmentalists term it an ecological island, one that contains immense biological and genetic wealth.

It is called Silent Valley, yet it throbs with the sounds of the forests. Today, the Silent Valley National Park forms a part of the core area of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The park has more than 960 species of flora, of which some are so exclusive to the park that they have been named after the area. The Valley has 25 species of mammals, 12 species of fish, 35 species of reptiles, 95 species of butterflies and 255 species of moths.

Trekking Options

If you intend to go trekking in Kerala forests, you will have to prove your credentials and intentions as nature-lovers. The Conservative of Forests, who is based at Palakkad, grants permission on close scrutiny of papers. With this permission, you can choose from several trekking routes. Silent Valley abounds in numerous trials, ranging from day-long to three-day treks over difficult terrain. Trekking in Kerala through Silent Valley is arduous, definitely not meant for the faint hearted.

Activities

What to buy

Palakkad’s Valiya Angadi (big bazaar) is a full of shops that sells traditional metal ware, like the villakku or the brass lamp in various designs, such as the peacock lamp or the hanging lamp. There is an also old utensil of curio value like kindi or the ashtamangalyam. Also look out for Mannadiar Handicrafts or Antique Warehouse. Do not forget to check out Nedungadi Saree Paradise on Court Road range of neriyathu mundu or settu sari in cream and gold.

Where to eat

When on a tour to Palakkad try the deliciously crisp and burnished a molten gold; its banana chips that are famous here. What’s so different about them? Nothing you can put your finger on, except perhaps the air that brings a certain quality to the raw produce, resulting in these addictive chips.

Presumably it’s this excellence in the bananas, which has also given rise to the vast number of pazham pori (sweet bananas fried in batter) one is confronted with. Available at all chayakadas, it is most fulfilling when had fresh, with a hot cup of tea. And let’s not forget toddy. Sweet and non heady, when you visit a kallu shaap here, you known you’re getting the right deal.

Things to do

• Breakfast at Saraswathy tea stall in Ramassery
• A sabbatical at the Kalari Kovilakom Palace in Kollengode
• Trekking in Silent valley.