Palakkad district

Palakkad District ( :പാലക്കാട് ) or Palghat is one of the 14 districts of state in South. The city of is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the and on the southwest by the. To the east lies the of. It is a predominantly district. is the gateway to Kerala due to the presence of, in the. The total area of the district is 4480 which is 11.5% of the state's area. The district is nicknamed as the granary of Kerala.

In the earlier times Palakkad was also known as Palakkattussery. Some s trace the word "Palakkad" to be from the word Palanilam which means "dry lands". The commonly held belief however is that, it is the fusion of the two Malayalam words, Pala a tree which is found abundantly in Palakkad and Kadu which means forest.

The district is 13.62% urbanised.

History
Palakkad was a part of of  during the  rule. After independence, it came under the. It was made a separate district of Kerala when the state was formed in 1956.

Geography
Palakkad is the largest district in Kerala. Out of the total area of 4480 km², about 1360 km² of land is covered by forests. Most part of the district fall in the midland region (elevation 75-250 m), except the - area in the taluk in the south and - 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 (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. A number of dams have been built across these rivers, the largest being dam. The largest in volume capacity is the built in.

Administration
The present Palakkad district, as an administrative unit, was formed on the first of January 1957, comprising of Palakkad, Perinthalmanna, Ponnani, Ottappalam, Alathur and Chittur. When the Malappuram district was formed on the 16th June 1969, Ponnani taluk excluding Thrithala firka and the villages of Vadakkekad, Punnayur and Punnayurkulam and Perinthalmanna taluk consisting of Mankada firka and Perinthalmanna firka excluding Karkidamkunnu and Chethalloor amsoms were transferred to Malappuram district. A new taluk, namely Mannarghat, was formed by grouping 19 villages of the erstwile Perinthalmanna taluk. While retaining the Trithala firka with Ottappalam taluk, the villages of Vadakkekad, Punnayur and Punnayurkulam were brought under Chowghat taluk of Thrissur district. The Paradur village of Tirur taluk was added to Ottappalam taluk. Recently some portions of Karavarakund village of Malappuram district were also added to Palakkad. At present the Palakkad district consists of two revenue divisions, five taluks and 163 villages. The revenue divisions are Palakkad and Ottappalam. Palakkad, Alathur and Chittur taluks form the Palakkad revenue division and Ottappalam and Mannarghat taluks form the Ottappalam revenue division. There are 13 development blocks and 90 panchayats in the district. The total area of the district is 4480 km².

District Panchayat
Under the amended, Decentralised planning was implemented in the state. The headquarters of District Panchayat is at Palakkad Municipal town. The District Panchayat office building was constructed near to Civil Station.

Basic Statistics

 * Taluks - 5
 * C.D Block - 13
 * Municipalities - 4
 * Corporations - Nil
 * Panchayats - 90
 * Revenue Villages - 163
 * Parliamentary Constituencies - 2
 * Assembly Constituencies - 11
 * District Panchayats - 1
 * District Panchayats Constituencies - 26
 * Block Panchayats - 13
 * Block Panchayats Constituencies - 141
 * Grama Panchayats - 90
 * Grama Panchayats Constituencies - 1178
 * Municipal Councils - 4
 * Municipal Constituencies - 130
 * Total Population 2617072 (2001 Census)

Economy
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 like, , , etc are cultivated. is the main crop in the hilly regions in the different parts of the district. Vegetables like pumpkin, ash gourd, bitter gourd, brinjal, pea etc. are now cultivated all over the district. ,, and  trees are seen in abundance in the Palakkad, like 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.

Industry


There are various industries in the district. The Public Sector companies ITI Limited and Instrumentation Limited have plants in Kanjikode, 12 km from Palakkad town. Other big companies are, and. There is an Industrial Area in Kanjikode with a number of medium industries.

Established in 1976, Palakkad unit of ITI Limited manufactures large digital switches and digital trunk exchanges in collaboration with M/s Alcatel of France. A lean and highly productive plant by virtue of its structure, it has 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)

Demographics


The main religion is, with many castes - (includes 's, Panickker's),  (Malayali Vaishnavaite ), , Ezhuthachan,  (Malayali Shaivaite ),  (Tamil Brahmin), Chettiar (equivalent to telugu ),trader , Gupthans, artisan community like carpenter (Asari), goldsmith (Thattan), blacksmith (Kollan) and potter (Kusavan). There are some tribals living in the forest areas within the Palakkad district. Nair's were traditionally the warrior caste. They are now actively involved in all fields of expertise (Science, Technology, Medicine, Legal Practices,...) within India and also abroad. The Late Sri 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.

The Tamil Brahmins of Palakkad require special mention. They migrated from of Tamil Nadu centuries back, on the invitation of the then ruler. They were settled in 96 villages called in different parts of the district. They are also basically priests. They brought along their rich cultural heritage, and  dance among them. , Palakkad Mani Iyer, M.D. Ramanathan are some of the prominent names in the field of Carnatic music.

are in majority in the areas bordering Malappuram district. Here almost every family has male members in the Gulf region. Due to the remittances from these people, the area has substantially improved economically in the recent years.

The earliest in the district were from Thrissur district, who settled at Melarcode (R C Kambolam) around 1550 CE as traders of coconut oil and spices to near by districts. Later on, Christians from and  districts migrated to Palakkad and made the hilly terrains of the district their homes.

The language spoken by the majority is, with a distinct flavour. Also, the accent differs according the community of the speaker. Tamil is spoken in the areas bordering Tamil Nadu, by Tamil Brahmins and some Muslims who have roots in Tamil Nadu. There are some speaking people also, who are believed to have migrated to Kerala centuries ago as part of an invading army.

There are no large cities in Palakkad district. Even the district Head Quarter (HQ) is a medium sized town. There are no big shopping malls or large hospitals. People usually go to for these needs. But recently, all the major jewellers of Kerala have opened their showrooms in Palakkad town.

Transport


Palakkad Junction is a very important station of Southern Railway. Places like Pollachi, and  are connected by the meter gauge track starting from here. The trains on the meter gauge are like lifelines for the people of the district, bringing vegetables, fish and dairy products. The office of the Palakkad Division of is situated near Palghat Junction Railway Station. The trains coming from Tamil Nadu take diversion to north and South Kerala from station in Palakkad District.

Palakkad has a fairly good network of roads. The - National Highway 47 and the Palakkad- 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 which is 60 km from the town. is well connected to All parts of India. Air deccan, Spicejet, jetlite, Kingfisher airlines, Goair, Paramount airlines, Indian and AirIndia are the major Operators.

Festivals


In the months of March and April, after the harvests, festivals called Vela are celebrated in many villages. These festivals consist of parade of caparisoned elephants, traditional orchestra of percussion instruments (called, , etc) and fireworks. These festivals are very popular; people from neighbouring districts and Tamil Nadu come to witness them.  and Chinakkathur Pooram of are the prominent among them. The vela season comes to an end with Mangalam vela, which usually happens in the month of May.

Another important festival is the Kalpathi Ratholsavam. This is festival of the Tamil Brahmins. The deities of the various temples are taken out on a procession in chariots. It is believed that the God goes out to see his people on these days.

The Anjumoorthy temple at Anjumoorthy Managalam, a village in Palakkad, is a unique temple in the district. The temple is considered to be the only temple in India where Sudharshana Chakram, a sharp spinning wheel carried by Lord Vishnu, is the primary deity. The belief is that Sudarshana Chakram self-manifested () in the area where the temple now stands.

The Navrathri Festival celebrated annually in Kodunthirapully Village is also famous. This village has the unique distinction of being two theoretical parts that celebrate the same festival on Ashtami and Navami, often with a lot of competitive edge. The festival although celebrated for every one of the night days culminates on Ashtami and Navami with caprisoned elephants, panchavadyam, a fireworks finale and musical stage shows.

- Celebrated in and nearby areas on the second Sunday of February in remembrance of Aloor valiya pookoya thangal.

Another very famous festival is the "Puthur Vela". It is the annual festival held during the month of April of the puthur "Sree Thirupuraykal Bhagavathy kshethram" where 15 elephants unite for the famous "kudamattom".The "thayambaka" and "panchavadhyam" is a special treat for music lovers.

The annual Ultsavam at the Mahakshetram is a large attraction to devotees.

The annual sivarathri festival in of palakkad municipality has a divine touch.

Other festivals

 * at, ,
 * Ayyappan Festival at West Village
 * at, ,
 * Ayyappan Festival at West Village
 * at, ,
 * Ayyappan Festival at West Village
 * at, ,
 * Ayyappan Festival at West Village

Places of worship

 * The Kaikkottu Bagavathy temple is very famous."Kumbabishekam" is celebrated annually in the month of April.
 * Vishu vela of Thumbalamkad is the one most entertaining festivals in Palakkad. This is celebrated on the Vishu day April 14th or Chingam onnu.
 * The Anjaneya (Lord )  inside attracts good number of devotees.
 * - Devi temple.
 * - Devi temple.
 * - a Devi temple. The annual pooram festival starts at pudussery in the month called.
 * - a Temple located 20 km from.
 * Temple situated in village, 25 km from Palakkad town.
 * Temple situated in, 2.5 km from Palakkad town.
 * at Killikkurussimangalam around 8 km from city.
 * Nellikkurissi, Mulanjoor,Ottappalam.
 * Karakurissi.
 * Ottappalam.
 * Sakthi Nagar Melamuri Palakkad.
 * Athipotta, Palakkad
 * Nurani sasthapreethi
 * Sri Puliilla Bhagavathy Temple, Karingarapully,during the month of December,annually.

There are a number of schools and colleges including engineering colleges. Government Victoria College (3) is a more-than-a-century- old institution which has many eminent persons as its former students. They include (late communist leader), former Chief Election Commissioner, the architect of Konkan Railway and Delhi Metro , writers (the late) and  and cartoonist Ravi Shankar.

The NSS College of Engineering (4) is an institution founded in 1960 by Nair Service Society. The undergraduate admission into this engineering college is based on merit ranking in Kerala engineering entrance exam. A sizeable number of seats are also reserved for students belonging to socially backward caste and religious minorties like muslims. The major engineering departments are Electrical and Electronics, Mechanical, Industrial, Electronics and Civil. Situated in the valley of the beautiful mountain ridges, it has produced some of the best engineering minds the country has to offer.

The Chembai Memorial Music College, Government College Chittur, NSS College are some of the old colleges of Palakkad.

Places of interest

 * - Situated in the very heart of the town, this is the most beautiful and the best preserved fort of . The sober silence of the walls reminds us of old tales of valour and courage. Fort which dates back to 1766, built by  of . In 1784 after a siege which lasted for eleven days, the British Colonel Fullerton stormed the Fort. Later it fell into the hands of the Zamorin’s troops, but was recaptured by the British in 1790. This  well-preserved Fort is also known as Tipu's ( son of ) Fort. The fort is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.


 * - A large irrigation dam built on the river, Bharathapuzha at the base of the hills of the Western Ghats. The beautiful gardens, the amusement Park for the children, the boating facility on the reservoir etc. make Malampuzha a paradise for the tourists. This important tourist spot is easily accessible from Palakkad.


 * , sprawling over 285 km²., is 135 km from Palakkad and adjacent to the in .   Besides being an abode of elephants, wild boar, sambar, bison, guar, crocodiles, and a few tigers and panthers, it has rich diversity of flora and fauna. Treking in the forest is allowed with prior permission. Boating can be done at the lake. The Cannimare Teak Tree, which is said to be Asia’s largest, is here near Thunakadavu.


 * - Thick rain forest, habitat of rare species. Declared National Park. This National Park is 80 km. from Palakkad. It is popularly known as the evergreen forest and noted for its eerie silence because of the lack of . It is an important biosphere reserve in the Western Ghats and Home of the tribal people. The Valley known for the rare . This National Park is a protected area for tigers also
 * - Birth place of and home of . The very famous and old Killikkurussi  temple is situated here. This cultural village has a memorial and library dedicated to the great  satire poet and founder of  art form . The home of authority of abhinaya (acting); legendary Natyacharya Vidushakaratnam  Guru, who took  to new heights; is also a special cultural attraction of the village. Mani Madhava Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam a school devoted to teach  (founded by late Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar) also situated in the same place.


 * - Known as Ooty of Kerala. Nelliampathy, about 80 km from Palakkad, is a hill station in the Nelliampathy forest ranges. This forest range constitutes a series of ridges cut off from one another by valleys of dark evergreen forests


 * - Highest peak in the district. Coffee, tea, plantations.


 * - About 38 km. northeast of Mannarkkad. Above everything else, one will be awe-struck by the grandiloquence of the divine architect who created this loveliness of forests, rivers and mountains. It is also a place of great interest to anthropologists as many Irulas and Mudugas inhabit here. These Adivasis worship the mountain peak 'Malleswaran' as a gigantic Siv-Ling. This peak and the River Bhavani exert tremendous influence on the lives of the tribal.

- The Punarjani Guha is a natural tunnel 15 meters long in the rocky cliff. It is situated 2 km from the Thiruvilwamala Temple and the chief presiding deity is Sri Rama. The idol is believed to be ‘swayamboo’ ie. born on its own. It is believed that by performing ‘noozhal’ or crawling through the tunnel from one end to the other will wash away all of one’s sins and thus attain rebirth. Only men are allowed to do the ‘noozhal’ and women can only visit the cave. This ritual is practised only one day in a year on Guruvayur Ekadashi.
 * (This comes under Trissur district and may be omitted)
 * - Peacock sanctuary.


 * Dhoni - Dhoni a reserve forest area is about 15 km. from Palakkad. This forest has among other capivating sights a small but splendid waterfall. The site can be reached after a fairly long climb of three hours from the base of the Dhoni hills.


 * Temple of Jainimedu - Situated on the western border of Palakkad town and not far from the Railway station, is a historic Jain Temple. The place around the temple is known as Jainimedu. This is one of the few places in Kerala where the vestiges of have survived without substantial damages.  The granite walls are devoid of decoration. The 32 feet long 20 feet broad temple consists of four divisions with images of Jain Thirthankaras and Yakshinis in three of them. Kumaran Asan wrote his monumental poem 'Veena Poovu' (the fallen flower) at a Jain house here during his brief stay with his master Sri. Narayana Guru.


 * and.