Palakkad, also called Palghat in English, is one Kerala’s most picturesque districts, being home to thick heavy forests, mountains & valleys, dams and reservoirs and extensive green paddy fields. Palakkad has several tourist attractions including hill stations, lakes, wild life sanctuaries and historical monuments that draw thousands of tourists annually.  It is called the gateway of Kerala as it gives rest of India access to the state. Palghat is home to the biggest mountain pass in the world (30- 40 kms) separating the two folds of the Western Ghats on the border of Kerala with Tamil Nadu.

Hotels / Resorts / Homestays in Palakkad, Kerala

Palakkad Photos, Kerala

Attractions

Palakkad- Rice Bowl of Kerala

Palakkad has vast expanse of paddy fields and accounts for the major production of rice in the state of Kerala. Apart from rice, groundnut, black gram, coconut, cotton, ragi, pepper, banana, cashew, sugarcane and pea are also grown abundantly in the district. Palakkad is rightfully called the granary of Kerala and boasts of having over 64% of its geographical area under cultivation.
Palakkad derives its name from two words: the “pala” (Alsteria scholaris) tree and “kadu” (forest). It is believed that the place once had an abundant growth of the sweet-scented flowers of the Pala tree.

Palakkad- Geographical Location

Located  between north latitude 10° 46 and 10° 59 and East longitude 76° 28and 76° 39, Palakkad  is bordered by Malappuram district on the North West, Trissur district on the south west and Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) on the eastern side. Palakkad is one of the few districts in Kerala that does not have shoreline.

Rivers- Backbone of Agriculture in Palakkad

Palakkad district is blessed with several rivers, the major ones being Bharathapuzha (Nila), Kollengode, Kannadi, Kalpathy, Chitturpuzha, Bhavani, Shiruvani, Thuthapuzha and Gayatri. The waters of the dam are used to irrigate large tracts of agricultural land and this account for the substantial production of agricultural crops in the district. The district, beside, has the highest number of dams in the state. The district also is home to the highest concentration of distilleries and breweries in the state including such major players as United Breweries Ltd and Shaw Wallace & co Ltd.

ACCESSIBILITY

Palakkad is accessible by rail and road. The nearest airport being at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu

Rail: Palakkad Junction (5 kms from the city) is a major railhead of the Southern Railways. Most of the trains arriving from the southern parts of the state and heading for major North Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta  etc pass through Palakkad.

Road: Palakkad is connected by an excellent network of roads to all the major cities in Kerala and India. Government buses and private buses offer excellent transportation facilities. Taxis, geeps and auto rickshaws are also available.

Air: The nearest airport is at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu (55 kms)

Must See Tourist Destinations in Palakkad

Tipu Sultan Fort
Malampuzha Dam
Parambikkulam Wild Life Sanctuary
Nelliampathy Hill Station
Silent Valley National Park

Palakkad Fact File

Area: 4480 sq. km
Population: 2,382,235 (2001 census)
Altitude: plains10- 80 meters above sea level; high lands- 1000- 2000 meters above sea level
Telephone access code+91-491
Climate Tropical – hot and humid
Altitude- plains
Best Time of the year -September to May
Nick Name -Granary of Kerala

Distance to Major Kerala Tourist Destinations

Thekkady    293 kms
Munnar       225 kms
Cochin       159 kms
Kovalam     398 kms