Palakkad - Places of Interest

Places of Interest

• Palakkad Fort – Fort dating from 1766, built by Hyder Ali of Mysore. In 1784, after a siege which lasted eleven days, the British Colonel Fullerton stormed the Fort. Later it fell into the hands of the Zamorin’s troops, but was recaptured by the British in 1790. This well-preserved fort is also known as Tipu's (Tipu Sultan, son of Hyder Ali) Fort. Today there is a functioning jail and Hanuman Temple in the fort grounds.

• Jain Temple of Jainimedu – Situated on the western border of Palakkad town and not far from the railway station, this is an historic Jain Temple. The area around the temple is known as Jainimedu. This is one of the few places in Kerala where vestiges of Jainism in Kerala have survived without substantial damage. The granite walls are devoid of decoration. The temple, 32 feet (9.8 m) long and 20 feet (6.1 m) wide, consists of four divisions with images of Jain Thirthankaras and Yakshinis in three of them. Kumaran Asan wrote his monumental poem Veena Poovu (the fallen flower) at a Jain house here during his brief stay with his master Sri. Narayana Guru.

• Kalpathi One of the 21 Agraharams of Palakkad District on the banks of the Kalpathy river, famous for its annual Ratholsavam (Temple car Festival) and annual music festival. One of the oldest settlements of Tamil Brahmins in Kerala, it dates back to the 15th century.

• Malampuzha Dam and Gardens - Situated about 8 km from Palakkad Town, Malapuzha Dam was completed in 1955 and is the largest reservoir in Kerala. The spot is also known for its scenic beauty and sprawling gardens. It is one of the major attractions in this part of Kerala. Kava : kava is a beautiful part of Malampuzha Dam where people used to go there for watching the beauty of nature. This place shows a beautiful face of Malampuzha.

• Chembai Gramam: Chembai Gramam (Village) is situated in Kottayi. Chembai is the birthplace of the doyen of carnatic music, the late Sri Chembai Vaidhyanatha Bhagawathar. Known by his village name Chembai, or simply as Bhagavatar, he was born to Anantha Bhagavatar and Parvati Ammal in 1895. Chembai was noted for his powerful voice and majestic style of singing. His first public performance was in 1904, when he was nine. He was a recipient of several titles and honours. He was known for his encouragement of upcoming musicians, and also for his ability to spot new talent. He was responsible for popularizing compositions like Rakshamam, Pavana Guru, among others. The music critic 'Aeolus' describes him as "the musician who has meant the most to Carnatic Music in the first fifty years of the 20th century" Some of his prominent disciples include Yesudas, T. V. Gopalakrishnan, V.V.Subramaniam, P.Leela, among others. Many memorial music festivals are held in his honour annually since his death in 1974, the most important being the annually celebrated Chembai Sangeetholsavam.
• Nemmara : Nenmara is 24Km away from palakkad town, which contains the beauty Nelliyampathy Hills and the carpet of paddy fields. Nenmara known as the Land of Festivals. The annual festival Nenmara Vallangi Vela held here attracts tourists from other countries also. This place is situated on the valley of nelliyampathy hills. Nelliyampathy is 29Km away from Nenmara town. The Pothundi Dam is only 6 km from nenmara on the way of nelliyampathy. Nemmara and Vallanghy the two parts make the town. This is a cultural town in palakkad where people used to celebrate ancient culture of the place. Ayalur vela, Pallavur Aarattu, Cheramangalam Vela, Melargode vela, kaipenchery Vela, koodalur vela, koothanda Vela are some annual festivals celebrated here around 6 km from Nenmara.
• Dhoni : Dhoni is situated around 15 kilometers from Palakkad town in Kerala, India. It is famous for Dhoni Waterfalls and the Western Ghat forests. Dhoni is bordered by Western Ghats on north. It is also a popular trekking spot for tourists. The Dhoni farm of KLD Board an Indo-Swiss project is situated there and is set amidst a beautiful location and is relatively unknown for its tourist potential.