Palakkad, formerly known as Palghat is known as the land of palmyrahs and paddy fields. Reffered to as the ‘Gateway of Kerala’, this town houses a number of monuments:
Palakkad Fort
Palakkad Fort, also known as Tipu Sultan’s fort, is located on a small hillock in around 15 acres of a ground, which is called Kotta maidan. One of the most beautiful forts in Kerala, it was commissioned in 1766 by Hyder Ali of Mysore and later by his son Tipu Sultan. This square-shaped fort has had a vivid history and has tales of courage to tell. Protected by the Archeological Survey of India, the British East India Company redefined it in 1790. The entrance of the fort has a temple, Kota ambalam or the fort temple, dedicated to Lord Hanuman.
Martyr’s Column, an open air auditorium, lying inside the fort is known as ‘Rappadi’. It has been named after a bird that sings here during the night. There is a jail also inside the fort that is one of the best preserved forts in the state.
Kalpathy Temple
Kalpathy Viswanatha Swamy temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva was constructed in 1425 AD. Probably the oldest Shiva temple in the southern part of Kerala, this temple becomes the venue of Ratholsavam, the biggest festival of Palakad, held in November. This 15th century temple is one of the 18 Agraharams of Palakkad District. The highlight of this 7-day festival is a Rath Yatra or a chariot procession.
Jain Temple
Jainimedu Jain Temple of Palakkad is placed in the western suburbs of the town, quite close to the railway station. Built around 500-yr ago by Jain head, Inchanna Satur, for the Jain sage Chandranathaswamy, this temple is 32 feet long and 20 feet wide. This granite temple consists of images of the Jain Thirthankaras and Yakshinis. Located on the southern bank of the Kalpathy River, this temple has the idol of Chandranthan on the 1st division of the temple, Vijayalakshmi and Jwalamohini on the 2nd , Rish Abha Nathan on the 3rd , and Parswa Nathan and Padmavathi on the 4th.
Yakshi Statue
The Malampuzha Gardens is a well-known tourist attraction, in the picnic town of Malampuzha, which is around 10 km from Palakkad. This garden houses the Yakshi Statue that is set beautifully in the lush greenery surroundings. This huge rock sculpture of Yakshi was sculpted by the well-known sculptor Kanai Kanhiraman. It is believed that she was as an enchantress, which later became a piece of art.
