Author Archives: Om

#Palakkad Fort
Palakkad Fort, also known as Tipu’s Fort among the natives, was constructed by Haider Ali in 1766. This old granite fort located near the centre of Palakkad Town is presently operational as a Taluk Office. The fort is spread over an area of around 60702.84 sq m and is known for its architecture that displays the workmanship of French engineers.
The large ground between the fort and the Palakkad Town Hall, popularly known as the Kota Maidanam, served as a stable for elephants and horses of Tipu Sultan’s army. The garden is presently used for hosting exhibitions, public meetings, competitions and cricket matches. The Rappadi or the open air auditorium in the fort has been preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
This square shaped fort is supported by walls and bastions that are located in the four corners. Earlier a draw bridge was used as the main entrance for the fort. This draw bridge has now been replaced by a strong and permanent bridge. The fort also houses a Hanuman Temple, a sub-jail and a martyr’s column. The Jainmedu Temple, Kumarapuram Temple, Manapullivaku and Vadakkanthara Temple lie in the vicinity of the fort.

#Silent Valley National Park
Silent Valley National Park is situated in the Kundali Hills, along the Western Ghats. This park is surrounded by the Nilgiri Forests in the north and Nilambur Forests in the south. The Palghat Forests and Attappadi Reserve Forests are located on the western and eastern side of the park, respectively.Environmentalists protested on a wide scale and it led to the re-notification of the Silent Valley. Afterwards, it was raised to the status of a National Park in 1984. Later in 1986, the park was included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve as its core area.
This national park is home to 34 species of mammals, more than 150 species of birds and about 200 species of butterflies. Around 1000 species of flowering plants are found in the park, out of which, about 110 species belong to the family of orchids. Over 400 species of moths and 128 species of beetles can be spotted in the forest area.

#Fantansy Park
Fantasy Park, located around 6 km away from Palakkad, is the first amusement park of Kerala. Spread over an area of around 60702.84 sq m, the park is divided into three main areas namely the dry park, the wet park and the planetarium. Situated in the vicinity of Malampuzha, the park serves as an ideal weekend getaway and picnic spot.

The Baby Train Ride, Battery Car Ride and Water Kiddy Ride are some of the rides popular among children. The Oriental Express Train, Go Cart and Pirate Boat can be enjoyed by the whole family. The wet park has the Wave Pool, Malampuzha Falls and Water Blasters rides.The park has recently introduced a digital planetarium as an additional attraction. The main objective behind introduction of this planetarium is to encourage children to think and discuss about astronomy. This planetarium is based on concepts related to space, space exploration and space technology.

#Kalpathy Temple
Kalpathy Temple, also known as the Kalpathy Viswanatha Swamy Shrine, is considered as the oldest existing Shiva temple in the Palakkad region. The annual Chariot Festival and a gala event that lasts for seven days attract many to the temple. The shrine was constructed by Kombi Achan, who was the King of Palakkad in 1425. Influenced by the Vedic Tamil Brahmin culture, the temple organises an annual Kalpathy Car Festival. The last three days of the car festival feature decorated temple chariots that are drawn through the streets of Palakkad. The Tamil Brahmin villages, now declared as World Heritage Sites, are frequented by tourists.

#Kanjirapuzha
Kanjirapuzha is a small town near Palakkad and is renowned for the dam that has been constructed across the nearby River Siruvani. The huge reservoir of the dam is a popular picnic spot.