General Information
District : Palakkad
Distance : 154 kms, north east of Kochi, Kerala
Best Time To Visit : September to April
Location
Palakkad Fort is located in the district of Palakkad, on the Western Ghats,
in the state of Kerala. The place shares its borders with the state of Tamil
Nadu and lies close to Coimbatore, a popular region in the latter state. The
distance from Palakkad to Coimbatore is mere 47 kms. Palakkad is bounded by
Malappuram in the north west, Thrissur in the south west and Tamil Nadu in
the east. In the Kerala map the place lies in the lower half or south east
of Kerala.
History
Palakkad Fort was built by Hyder Ali, the mighty ruler of Mysore, in the
year 1766 A.D. The fort was primarily built to speed up the communication
between Coimbatore and the West Coast. The region, during those days had a
great strategic importance. The fort however fell into the hands of British
Empire in the year 1784 after a siege that lasted 11 days. With the
Zamorin's capture of the fort, the dispute and the battle was not meant to
end there. The British recaptured the fort in the year 1790 A.D. and with
that established their stronghold in the region. Palakkad Fort, at present,
is looked after by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Attractions
Palakkad Fort is a witness to some bloody fights between the local kings
and the British Empire, during the last decades of eighteenth century A.D.
This very fact attributes a great historical significance to the fort. It is
the legacy left behind by the father of great Tipu Sultan. Apart from that
the fort is considered as the best preserved and maintained fort in India.
he rich granite works have hardly been eaten away by two centuries or more.
The rich architecture and style depicts the glory of princely states and the
excellence in military command ship of the modern Indian empires.
Besides Palakkad Fort, there are a number of popular places located in its
vicinity. Some famous temples and worshipping places around the fort include
Jainmedu, Vadakkanthara Temple, Manapullivaku and Kumarapuram Temple.
Where to Stay
There are few deluxe hotels located at Palakkad that provide good places
for staying in the region. The hotels that provide for the accommodation in
the region include Hotel Indraprastha, Hotel Sri Chakra International, Hotel
KPM International, Fort Palace Hotel and Hotel Gazala.
How To Reach
One can reach Palakkad either by bus or train. For long distance travel
there is KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation) bus stand with the
buses plying from Palakkad to Thrissur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Coimbatore and
Bangalore. The return services provides means of accessing the region. The
Palghat Station serves for the long distance travel by train. One can reach
the place via train from Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and the nearby
districts. The nearest airport to Palakkad is located at Coimbatore and
called Peelamedu Airport. The airport is about 60 kms from the place with
flights available from Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Colombo, Goa, Kolkata,
Lucknow and Mumbai.
