Palakkad: Granary of Kerala

Palakkad is a gateway to Kerala from the north. The land of valleys, rivers, hillocks, mountain streams, dams, and other natural beauty is situated at the foothills of Western Ghats. Palakkad has beautiful stretch of forests and vegetation belt across it. It is popularly known as the granary of Kerala. The forests of this tourist spot is known for the famous scented flowers which spread a strong fragrance of Pala tree flowers around the atmosphere to welcome all visitors.

Palakkad is considered one of the picturesque districts of Kerala with vast forest cover and large areas of paddy fields. Due to its large production of rice which is the staple diet of Kerala, Palakkad is called the granary of Kerala. The biggest mountain pass of India with a stretch of nearly 40 kilometres lies on the mountains of Palakkad on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Being a melting pot of various cultures it has enriched life with great zeal of art and culture.

Tourist Attractions in Palakkad

Palakkad Fort: This is one of the best preserved forts in Kerala. It is situated close to Fort Maidan and was constructed by the famous fighter of Mysore called Hyder Ali. This form is also known as Tippu Sultan's Fort. The square shaped fort has walls of immense thickness with strong bastions on all the four corners and one in the middle. The fort dates back to 1766.

Malampuzha Gardens: A big tourist attraction in Palakkad. This is popularly called the Vrindavan of Kerala and it draws millions of tourists to this place because of its variety of flowers and ever blooming garden. The lush green lawn, glittering pools, flowerbeds, lightning fountains are enhanced more by fresh water aquarium, children's park (toy train) and Snake Park adjacent to it.

Udankhatola: This is South India's only passenger ropeway. It flies above 60 feet to have the best panoramic view of the beautiful gardens and Blue Mountains. This ropeway is unique in nature, extremely safe and economical too. The twenty minutes drive in Palakkad would be a memorable experience of your life.

Silent Valley National Park: The very famous National Park of Kerala is known for the echoes of wildlife and arboreal animals. The tropical forest is the home of rare animals, birds, and variety of common flock of animals like deer, tigers, elephants, and others. No other forest gives you such a wide range of wildlife like the Silent Valley. The mesmerizing species of butterflies over the flowers, leaves and trees of the forest and more than 400 species of moths make it a heaven for insect collectors. More than that, there are 11 species of snakes, nine species of Lizards, and 19 species of amphibians in the national park.

Festivals of Palakkad

Palakkad being a place of temples and mosques is also a place of different festivals. The temples have also carved their own art and culture in this region.

Kalpathy Ratholsavam festival is based on the Vedic Tamil Brahmin Culture which is celebrated every year in the famous Kalpathy Viswanatha swamy temple a very old Shiva temple built around 1425 AD.

Manappullikavu Vela is another major festival held at Palakkad. The festival is held in the premises of Manappullikkavu Bhagavathy Temple. This is nearly 1200 years old temple and a place for different rites and rituals.

Nenmara-Vallengi Vela is held annually on the Pooram day of Malayalam month of Meenam. This festival attracts people and tourists from far and wide. The festival starts with the hoisting of a sacred flag by the prime priest of the temple.