Palakkad kerala(about palakkad)

Rivers : Bharathappuzha, Gayathripuzha, Kannadipuzha, Kalpathypuzha, Thuthapuzha

Malampuzha Dam

Location: 10 km from Palakkad town, North Kerala. Attractions: Dam, amusement park, boating facilities, rock garden and ropeway. Malampuzha, a little township on the foothills of the Western Ghats takes its name from the River Malampuzha. Nurtured by this tributary of Kerala's longest river, the Bharathappuzha, Malampuzha is a lush green town is a major tourist attraction for its trekking trails and the large irrigation dam.

 

Around the reservoir of the dam are beautiful gardens and amusement parks. Boating facilities are available on the lake. Other attractions in the Malampuzha garden are the beautiful rock garden, the fish-shaped aquarium, the snake park, the ropeway which takes you on an aerial tour of the park, and the gigantic Yakshi (an enchantress) sculptured by Kanai Kunhiraman, a renowned sculptor of Kerala.

Jain Temple

This shrine is 1,500 years old and was built by two diamond traders from Karnataka. The first Jains - the Shettys, gave the temple its name, 'Jainamedu', a term still in use. The presiding deity is Chandraprabha, the eighth Thirthankara. A notable feature is the statue of tho kshetrapalan, the guardian. Today, the temple is in a state of disrepair. Note: Open for viewing at 5 pm when the daily poo/a takes place.

Lakkidi

Lakkidi is deeply associated with the annals of Malayalam literature, for it was at Killikkurissimangalam near Lakkidi that Kerala’s greatest humourist - poet Kunchan Nambiar was born. As a social critic and satirist of 18th century, he enriched Malayalam literature wiht sharpness and strength through a simple form of poetry called Thullal poems brimming with biting wit and humour. He is the inventor of Thullal, the art form the text if which is the Thullal poems originated by Kunchan Nambiar himself. As a memoir of the literarylegend the Kunchan Smarakam, a non - conventional monument is located here.

Mayiladumpara Sanctuary

About 25 km south of Palakkad, at Nedungathpara, a right turn leads into a wooded terrain, which is peacock country. This extensive forest has been home to the birds for a very long time. Tentative estimates put the number of peacocks at around 200.

Nelliyampathy

Our next destination was Palakkad sdistrict. Teh first place we visited was the cool hills of Nelliyampathy, nestling atop the Western Ghats that offers a breathtaking view of the mist mountains and enchanting valleys interspersed with sprawling tea, coffee, cardamom and orange plantatiosn. It offers a fantastic view of the valley below, a wide - angled vision of one - third of the entire Palakkad area. The Nelliyampathy hills comprise a chain of ridges cut off from one an other by valleys of dense evergreen forests and orange plantations. It has immense potential for trekking and other sports activities like hand gliding and ropeway. Teh bird’s eye of Alamkode village we had from Seethargundu the msot important view point at Nelliyampathy was breathtaking. The other view points at Nelliyampathy are Mampara and Kesavan Para The chilly and breezy night at Nelliyampathy has induced an ecstatic mood in us. Parambikkulam, the greenery at a distance .

Silent Valley

It is said that, silent valley an emerald blanket which nature has spread over wildlife diversity, when discovered in 1847 was phenomenal because of the perceived absence of the music of the beetles and hence the name. However now there is the incessant music of beetles.

Tipu's Fort

Located in the heart of present-day Palakkad, this rather well preserved fort was built by Hyder Ali in 1766 ostensibly to facilitate -communication between both sides of the Western Ghats. In reality however, Hyder Ali and his son, Tipu, wished to establish their suzerainty over Kerala. The fort changed bands when the British captured it, after an 11-day siege, in 1784. Although it was later taken by the troops of the Ko/hikode Zamorin, it was recaptured by the British in 1790. Tipu Sultan, on the other hand, was not one to give up easily, but his repeated encounters with the British cost him his life. The fort then came to be known by his name.

Trithala

Trithala, located about 8 km west of Pattambi on the Pattambi-Kuttipuram road, was chiefly a trading centre. It was also the karma bhumi of the children of Vararuchi, the famous sage. It is in this historical temple town that the sage Agnihotri conducted the 99 yagnas that made even Lord Indra envious. The Agnihotri Ham (ancestral house) attracts a lot of visitors.

Varahamoorthi Kshetram

There is an interesting legend that explains why this ancient temple has been left incomplete. The expert carpenter, Perumthachan, one of the sons of the legendary Vararuchi, is credited with beginning its construction after being asked to build a temple to rival those in heaven. This, so the story goes, made Lord Indra jealous and he set about disrupting the work. Every day, after Perumthachan completed his day's labour, Lord Indra would come down and change some minute measurements, which in turn, would affect work the next day. This went on for months until an exasperated Perumthachan finally gave up, ending his career as a carpenter.