A snapshot of Palakkad
Palakkad has long been a gateway to Kerala from the north. For centuries, the Pallakad Gap – a 32km wide pass through the Western Ghats,- and the widest pass in the world, was a way in for traders, merchants, conquerors, laborers, and the lost.
Legend has it that the Prince of Kochi was banished from his hometown for falling in love with a tribal girl, and was welcomed into Palakkad. The story goes that the Palakkad Kings invited the Brahmins living across the border to officiate at the wedding ceremony because the Namboodri Brahmins had left, refusing to participate in rituals for a banished prince. The Tamil Brahmins who arrived paved the way for Tamil Agraharams in the district.
Here, mornings translate into women with dripping wet hair drawing ‘kolams’ in their front yards. Budding vocalists practice early morning Carnatic songs while the ‘Suprabhatham’ drifts in from homes along with crispy scents of dosa, and Nadaswaram notes waft in from nearby temples.
The Agraharams are now heritage sites. Owners are forbidden from modernizing their homes should they share a common wall with another.
Palakkad offers a mixture of Tamil and Kerala culture. Some of the finest Carnatic musicians hail from this region, which continues to be a largely agrarian society. It’s considered the storeroom of Kerala, a vast stretch of lush plains sprinkled with rivers, hills, forests, and mountain streams. This beautiful stretch of forest was once covered with sweet-scented flowers of the Pala tree – hence its name.
Places to Explore
Silent Valley National Park
This dense forest shuts down sound. In the deep silence of the night, not even the screech of crickets can be heard! Silent Valley spreads over an area of about 90 sq. km. It takes 22 km to get to the main valley from the point of entry; this stretch, planted on all sides with a variety of vegetation, serves as a buffer zone.
Silent Valley’s forest was known as the Sailendhri in the Mahabharata. During their exile, the Pandavas and their mother Kunti found refuge in its dense foliage. In 1958, a plan to construct a dam in Silent Valley was foiled by protests from locals. Later, when Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi visited, he found the forested area so peaceful that he christened it Silent Valley and declared it would become a protected area and national park.
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary
Parambikulam never disappoints when it comes to spotting wildlife. If not the king of jungles or herds of elephants, you are sure to spot a gaur, a sloth bear, a bison, or a leopard. And if this, combined with the most exotic line-up of birds (almost 268 species), does not excite, then there is an award-winning tree to be sought. The Kannimara Teak bestowed on the Mahavriksha Puraskar is believed to be roughly 370 years old with a girth of 6.5 meters. It takes five adult men holding hands to circle this tree. Trek to the highest peak, the Karimala Gopuram, or try an easier Vengoli peak to catch a cursory glimpse of the sanctuary and forest from above. Or take a boat ride down the Parambian River for a visual treat to watch egrets (a large white bird with long legs) and crocodiles basking on the banks.
Nelliyampathy
According to mythology, several of the Palakkad hill stations have served as strategic hiding points for the characters from the Mahabharata. Sita, Ram, and Lakshman sought refuge in Nelliyampathy on their way back from Lanka. Seethakundu, named after goddess Sita, is a peak that offers a panoramic view of about one-third of Palakkad. This fascinating hill station which is about 467 to 1,572 m above sea level, has orchards of citrus, coffee, and gooseberry trees from which Nelliyampathy got its name. Take a moment to pick some raw berries or some bottles of homemade squash while you are here.
Another breathtaking vantage point at Nelliyampathy is Mampara which you can reach by jeep or by trekking there – the best option. In between, Palagapandy Estate offers a beautiful view of tea, cardamom, and coffee plantations. And, if you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of wildlife – leopards, gaurs, giant squirrels, or elephants.
Malampuzha
Twenty-five minutes from Palakkad, Malampuzha is a famous picnic spot at the foothills of the Western Ghats. Various activities bring in tourists all year round. The Malampuzha Dam located here includes a fantasy park, a rock garden, a fish-shaped aquarium, a snake park, a ropeway that takes you on an aerial tour of the park, and the famed Yakshi (an enchantress) sculpture by Kanai Kunhiraman, a renowned sculptor from Kerala. Visit Malampuzha to bask in the scenic beauty of this picture-perfect hill town.
Muppuzha Village
The village sits on a remote hillock around 45 km from Palakkad. Megalithic monuments unearthed from Muppuzha Village during 1999–2000 have attracted students of anthropology and history to study its treasures. Among the monuments are 200 nannangadies (clay jars), 103 muniyaras (rock-cut chambers), five caves, and wells. Other discoveries included the Kudakkallu (the umbrella stone), the Thoppikkalau (the cap stone), and Kallara (the dolenoid stone). The nannangadies are earthen vessels used for burying the dead bodies of the heads of families or chieftains along with their material belongings. The umbrella stone and capstone were placed on the grave as tomb stones.
Temples tell Stories
Jainmedu Jain Temple (3 km from the center of Palakkad, on the southern bank of the Kalpathy River) is situated in the western suburbs of Palakkad Town, not far from the railway station. This historic 32-foot-long, 20-foot-wide granite temple displays images of the Jain Tirthankaras and Yakshinis, indicating that Jainism has survived around the temple.
 In Manapullikaavu temple, the idol is swayambu (self-created). The main idol in the sanctum sanctorum was installed later. The Vela Festival in February or March is the main celebration here.
Eight kilometers from Palakkad lies the ancient temple of Thiruvalathoor which has some fine woodwork and stone sculptures. At night, the light from 4,000 stone lamps fixed on the wall, illuminates the site. There is an interesting story associated with the construction of the temple. It is believed that an army of gods built the outer wall of the temple. They worked at it all night but left by dawn as they did not want to be seen by humans. The work remains unfinished, and it is believed that humans cannot complete it.