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Palakkad district

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Palakkad District
പാലക്കാട്
District
Malampuzha Dam Gardens
Malampuzha Dam Gardens
Location in Kerala
Location in Kerala
Country India
StateKerala
HeadquartersPalakkad
Government
 • CollectorMary Kutty IAS
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
2,810,892[1]
 • Density627/km2 (1,620/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialMalayalam
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
ISO 3166 codeIN-KL-PKD
Vehicle registrationPalakkad KL-09,Alathur KL-49,Mannarkkad KL-50,Ottappalam KL-51,Pattambi KL-52,Chittur KL-70
Literacy89.32%[1]
Websitewww.palakkad.nic.in
Shiva Temple, Dhoni

Palakkad District is one of the 14 districts of the Indian state of Kerala. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram District, on the southwest by the Thrissur District and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The district is 24.4% urbanised according to the census of 2011.The district is nicknamed "the granary of Kerala" and "Rice bowl of Kerala".[2]

Name

Topography - Palakkad (Palghat)

In earlier times, Palakkad was also known as Palakkattussery.[3]

Palakkad is the gateway to Kerala due to the presence of the Palakkad Gap, in the Western Ghats. The total area of the district is 4,480 km2 (1,730 sq mi) which is 11.5% of the state's area. Out of the total area of 4,480 km2 (1,730 sq mi), about 1,360 km2 (530 sq mi) of land is covered by forests. Most parts of the district fall in the midland region (elevation 75–250 m or 246–820 ft), except the Nelliampathy-Parambikulam area in the Chittur taluk in the south and Attappadi-Malampuzha area in the north, which are hilly and fall in the highland region (elevation > 250 m or 820 ft).

The climate is pleasant for most part of the year,exception is on the summer months.There is sufficient rainfall and it receives more rainfall than the extreme southern districts of kerala. The district is blessed with many small and medium rivers, which are tributaries of the Bharathapuzha River. A number of dams have been built across these rivers, the largest being Malampuzha dam. The largest in volume capacity is the Parambikulam Dam[4]

Administration

Main article: Political Divisions of Palakkad District

Taluks

There are six Tehsils or Taluks in Palakkad district

Palakkad Taluk which consists of Palakkad city and neighbouring areas is having the highest population in the district

Alathur 453425

Chittur 446778

Mannarkkad 418535

Ottappalam 443167

Palakkad 621622

Pattambi 423400

Parliament Constituencies

  • Alathur
  • Palakkad

Members of Parliament

District Panchayat

Under the amended Indian Constitution, decentralised planning has been implemented in the state. The headquarters of the District Panchayat is at Palakkad Municipal town. The District Panchayat office building is near the Civil Station.

Economy

IIT Palakkad for Kerala started oprations in its temporary camus at Kanjikode, Palakkad from 3 August 2015. Many industries are located in the Kanjikode Industrial Area,which is termed as the second biggest industrial area in Kerala,many central government institutions are located in this area

Palakkad is the first paperless revenue district by computerizing the collectorate, five taluks and 156 village offices. It became the first computerized collectorate in the country implemented under the ‘DC Suit’ system and the first district where all the five taluk offices are computerized under the ‘Taluk Suit’ and connected with the Collectorate.[5][6]

Industry

There are various industries in the district. The Public Sector companies[7] and Instrumentation Limited have plants in Kanjikode, 12 km from Palakkad town. Other large companies are the BPL group, Coca Cola and Pepsi. There is an Industrial Area in Kanjikode with a number of medium industries.

Agriculture

Palakkad is the one of the most agrarian districts in Kerala. Palakkad is particularly known for paddy cultivation. Paddy is cultivated in around 83,998 Hectares in the district and occupies the first position in the production of rice in the state. Palakkad also occupies the first position in the state for the production of groundnut, tamarind, turmeric, tuber, vegetables, pulses, mango, banana, plantain and cotton. Rubber, Coconut, Areca nut, Black pepper etc. are also cultivated extensively like other parts of Kerala.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Palakkad district has a population of 2,810,892,[1] roughly equal to the nation of Jamaica[8] or the US state of Utah.[9] This gives it a ranking of 138th in India (out of a total of 640).[1] The district has a population density of 627 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,620/sq mi) .[1] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 7.39%.[1] Palakkad has a sex ratio of 1067 females for every 1000 males,[1] and a literacy rate of 89.32%.Palakkad city has a literacy rate of 94.20 %[1]

Sri Killikkurussi Mahadeva Kshetram (Shiva temple of Killikkurussimangalam).

Languages

The official language Malayalam is predominantly and widely spoken in the district, while Tamil forms the main language of over 6 % of the district's population.

Noted Personalities

Literary Personalities

Art, Dance, Drama, Music and Film Personalities

Social, Political and Administrative Personalities

Transport

Palakkad town consists of two railway stations namely Palakkad Town railway station and Palakkad Junction Railway station. Palakkad Junction is an important station on the Southern Railway.The office of the Palakkad Division of the Southern Railway is situated near Palghat Junction Railway Station. The trains coming from Other parts of India are diverted to north and south Kerala from Shoranur Junction in Palakkad District. From here there is train service to Calicut, Ernakulam, Trivandrum, Shoranur and Nilambur. Shoranur Junction also has rail connections to Mangalore and the Konkan Railway, enabling travel towards Goa and Bombay.

Palakkad has a medium grade network of roads. The Salem-Kanyakumari National Highway 47 and the Palakkad-Kozhikode National Highway 213 run through the district. Another important road is the Palakkad – Ponnani road which connects NH 47 and NH 17.

The nearest Airport is at Coimbatore (Coimbatore International Airport) which is 60 km from the City.The Calicut International Airport is 103 kilometers from Palakkad City,and Cochin International Airport is 111 Kilometers from the city, It offers connections to all parts of India and a few international destinations. Air India, SpiceJet, JetLite (now Jet Konnect), Kingfisher Airlines (suspended as of Oct 2012), Goair, Paramount airways, Air Arabia and Air India are the major operators.

Hospitals

  • Ottapalam Eyecare Hospital[10]
  • Thangam Hospital[11]
  • Ahalia Eye Hospital[12]
  • Lakshmi Hospital[13]
  • Paalana Hospital
  • Meditrina-Welcare Hospital
  • Sai Hospital
  • Athani Hospital
  • Sri Balaji Hospital
  • PK Das Institute of Medical science

Festivals

Navaratri, the festival of nine nights is the most popular festival, celebrated throughout India with varied customs and traditions. Though, this Navaratri Festival is celebrated all over India, different part of it makes a different way of celebration as it symbolizes different things in different regions. They celebrate this festival in a unique way of their own as the people in the Agraharam of Kodunthirapully Palakkad do. Nestling in small beautiful landscape about 3 km west of Palakkad town limit, the Agraharam boasts with the collection of Vaishnavates 'Jaiminiya Samavedi Thalavakara Guru' sakha Tamil Brahmins in about 100 uniform row houses, arranged properly on both sides of the streets facing north and south directions. The Agraharam retain much of their original character and housed only Brahmins. The Agraharam may not attract devotees from far and wide to its precincts daily, yet it has its own unique features which could not be seen any where else. Apart from other usual Agraharam festivals the most important festivals of the Village is Navaratri festival, which is conducted for nine days. It is celebrated once every year during the end of September month and in the beginning of the month of October. It starts from bright fortnight day just after the Mahalayapaksha Ammavasa.

Schools and Colleges

National Institute of Repute: Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad started operations from 3 August 2015 at its temporary campus. There are a number of schools and colleges, including:

Places of interest

View from outside the northern wall of Palakkad fort.
  • Palakkad Fort – Situated in the heart of town, this is the most beautiful and best preserved fort in Kerala, recalling many old tales of valour and courage. The Fort, which dates back to 1766, was built by Hyder Ali of Mysore. In 1784, after a siege which lasted for eleven days, British Col. William Fullarton (1754–1808) 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 Fort, after Tipu Sultan the son of Hyder Ali. It is under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India.
  • Malampuzha dam garden – A large irrigation dam on the Bharatapuzha river, on the valley of Western Ghats. There is a beautiful gardens, an amusement park for children and a boating facility on the reservoir.
  • Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, sprawling over 285 km²., is 135 km from Palakkad and adjacent to the Indira Gandhi National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. Besides being an abode of elephants, wild boar, sambar, bison, guar, crocodiles, and a few tigers and panthers, it has a rich assortment of semi-tropical plants and trees. Trekking in the forest is allowed with prior permission. Boating can be done at the lake. The Cannimare Teak Tree, which is said to be Asia’s largest, is here near Thunakadavu.
  • Silent Valley National Park – A thick rain forest, with many rare species, it has been declared a National Park. It is 80 km. from Palakkad. It is popularly known as the "Evergreen Forest" and noted for its eerie silence because of the lack of cicadas, which are common elsewhere. It is an important biosphere reserve in the Western Ghats and the home of tribal people. The valley is a habitat for the rare Lion-Tailed Macaque. The park is also a protected area for tigers.
  • Killikkurussimangalam – The birthplace of Kunchan Nambiar, the great Malayalam satirical poet and creator of the Ottamthullal art form. There is a library dedicated to him in the village. The very famous and old Killikkurussi Siva temple is situated here. The home of abhinaya (acting) authority, Natyacharya Vidushakaratnam Padma Shri Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar (who took Koodiyattam to new heights), is also a special cultural attraction of the village. The Mani Madhava Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam, a school devoted to the teaching of Koodiyattam, is located at the same site.
Sri Killikkurussi Mahadeva Kshetram Shiva temple of Kiillikkurussimangalam
A small waterfall in the Nelliyampathi mountains.
A small waterfall in the Nelliyampathi mountains.
  • Nelliyampathi – Known as the Ooty of Kerala, about 80 km from Palakkad. It is a hill station in the forest between a series of ridges cut off from one another by valleys of dark evergreen forests
  • Sholayar – Highest peak in the district, with coffee and tea plantations.
  • Attappady – About 38 km. northeast of Mannarkkad. It is a place of great interest to anthropologists, as many Irulas and Mudugars live here. These Adivasis worship the mountain peak Malleswaran as a gigantic Shiva Lingam. This peak and the River Bhavani are of great mythological significance to the tribes.
  • Pothundi Dam - It is the second earth dam (Dam built using mud, not using cement) in India. This dam is in the valley of Nelliyampathy hills. There is a beautiful garden and the view of nelliyampathy hills are interesting.
  • Walayar Dam – It is around 25 km from Palakkad town, on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is an easily accessible location. There is also a deer park located 3 km from Walayar.
  • Chulanur – A peacock sanctuary.
  • Sholayar Forest – Highest peak in the district, with coffee and tea plantations and Sholayar dam bordering Valparai and Athirapally Waterfalls near Chalakkudy.
  • Dhoni – A reserve forest area about 15 km. from Palakkad. This forest has many interesting sights including a small but splendid waterfall. The site can be reached after a fairly long climb of three hours from the base of the Dhoni hills.
  • Jainimedu Jain temple of Jainimedu – Situated on the western border of Palakkad town, not far from the Railway station, is a historic Jain temple. The place around the temple is known as Jainimedu. This is one of the few places in Kerala where the vestiges of Jainism in Kerala have survived. The granite walls are devoid of decoration. The 32 × 20 ft. temple consists of four divisions with images of tirthankaras and yakshinis in three of them. Kumaran Asan wrote his monumental poem Veena Poovu "The Fallen Flower" at a house here during a brief stay with his master Narayana Guru.
  • Meenvallam Water Falls. Situated near Kalladikode is a famous water fall. Water fall is divided into number of smaller ones on top of other.It was a famous Hiking destination before the Hydro electric power Station proposed.
  • Kanjirapuzha Dam and garden.about 37.4 km from Palakkad town. kanjirapuzha dam built for large area irrigation purpose, very beautiful place comfortable for visiting with family. And also available fresh water fish from Dam .
  • Thrissur Road
    Thrissur Road

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "District Census 2011". Census2011.co.in. 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  2. ^ "'Rice bowl' will loose 30,000 hectares if conversion legalised". The Hindu. 20 July 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  3. ^ "Ittipangi Achan passes away". The New Indian Express. 31 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  4. ^ Fact sheet on Indian dams at Diehardindian.com
  5. ^ http://www.keralait.org/blog/2011/02/04/palakkad-to-become-e-revenue-district/
  6. ^ http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/palakkad-to-become-first-erevenue-district/article1242658.ece
  7. ^ ITI Limited
  8. ^ US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Retrieved 1 October 2011. Jamaica 2,868,380 July 2011 est {{cite web}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 8 (help)
  9. ^ "2010 Resident Population Data". U. S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 30 September 2011. Utah 2,763,885 {{cite web}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 5 (help)
  10. ^ "Ottapalam Welfare Trust". Owelt.org.in. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  11. ^ "Thangam PMRC Hospital Palakkad Kerala". Thangampmrc.com. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  12. ^ "It works!!". Ahaliafoundationeyehospital.org. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  13. ^ "lakshmihospitalpalakkad.com". lakshmihospitalpalakkad.com. Retrieved 29 December 2013.

Satellite Images

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Palakkad (district).
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Palakkad District.
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