PALAKKAD SIGHT SEEING PLACES

PALAKKAD:
Heritage Sights:
There is a rich mix of historical, cultural and religious places in and around Palakkad. Visit the old granite Palakkad Fort built by Hyder Ali, and see the fine wood work and stone sculptures in the ancient temple at Thiruvalathoor (10 km). Kottayi (15 km) is home of the doyen of Carnatic music the late Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar. At Kollengode (19km) the Kollengode Palace, the Vishnu Temple and Poet P.Kunhiraman Nair Memorial are a must visit.

Dams:
The beautifully landscaped gardens and dam at Malampuzha (10Km ) is a good outdoors spot. Killikkurissimangalam at Lakkidi (30 km) is the birthplace of poet Kunchan Nambiar and is also famous for its dam. There are other spectacular dams at Kanjirapuzha and Siruvani (48Km).

Wildlife:
The Silent Valley National Park (40 km) is the sole surviving evergreen forest in the Sahya Ranges and has unique flora and fauna. The Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary (110 km) is also home to rare animals and Kannimari, the oldest teak tree in the world. It offers boating and cruising facilities at the Reservoir.

Other Activities:
Malampuzha has an aerial ropeway across the garden, a telescope tower, boating and fishing facilities, a swimming pool, fresh water aquarium and a snake park. Fantasy Park (10 km) is a good spot for children. At Dhoni (15 km) you can go on a 3-hour trek from the base of Dhoni Hills to the waterfall at the reserve forest area.

As you head towards the west coast of India, you cut through the Western Ghats near the Palghat Gap to enter Kerala. Palakkad, the forest (kadu) of sweet scented Alstonia flowers (pala), greets you with its green paddy fields, coconut-lined skies and red earth. With an approximately forty kilometre stretch separating the two folds of the Western Ghats on Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, Palakkad is probably the biggest mountain pass in the world.

Enriched with mountains, forests, valleys and rivers, this land is home to a rich flora and fauna. Historically, it dates back to the Paleolithic period; several megalithic relics have been found here. More recently, the Perumals and then the Utayavars ruled for several hundred years. In 1757, the Raja of Palakkad invited Hyder Ali of Mysore to free the land from the Zamorin. Haider Ali and later his son Tipu Sultan stayed on to rule the region until Tipu ceded all his Malabar territories to the British following his defeat in 1872. Palakkad was part of the Madras Presidency until Independence.