Tourist attractions in Palakkad district

Palakkad district has a large number of temples, churches, mosques and other tourist attractions. Palakkad district is situated in the middle of Kerala state in South India. The nearest airports are at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Cochin in Kerala.

Places of interest

Sri Killikkurussi Mahadeva Kshetram Shiva temple of Kiillikkurussimangalam
A small waterfall in the Nelliyampathi mountains.

Temples

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 anywhere 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.

Shekaripuram (sometimes spelt Sekharipuram or Shekharipuram)is a village in the town of Palakkad in Kerala, India. This village consists of five main streets, each containing its own temple. The main temple is situated on "Ratta Theruvu" (translated as Double Street). This is the Lakshminarayan Temple.

Festivals

The Chariot (Theru) Festival occurs during the month of May.

A major Mahakumbabishekam festival in May 2007 was conducted at the Lakshminarayan Temple.

History

The Palakkad Fort is said to have existed from very ancient times, but believed to be constructed in present form in 1766 A.D, but little is known of its early history. The local ruler, Palakkad Achchan, was originally a tributary of the Zamorin, but had become independent before the beginning of the eighteenth century.[1] In 1757 he sent a deputation to Haider Ali seeking help against an invasion threatened by the Zamorin. Haider Ali seized upon the opportunity to gain possession of a strategically important location such as Palghat, and from that time until 1790 the fort was continually in the hands of the Mysore Sultans or the British. It was first taken by the latter in 1768 when Colonel Wood captured it during his raid on Hyder Ali's fortresses, but it was retaken by Haider a few months later. It was recaptured by Colonel Fullarton in 1783, after a siege that lasted eleven days but was abandoned the following year. It later fell into the hands of the Zamorin’s troops. In 1790 it was finally captured by the British under Colonel Stuart. It was renovated and was used as a base for operations that ended with the storming of Srirangapatnam. The fort continued to be garrisoned until the middle of 19th century. In the early 1900s it was converted into a taluk office.[2]

The fort is also known as Tipu's Fort (after Tipu Sultan, the son of Hyder Ali).

References

  1. Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 19, p. 358. http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V19_364.gif
  2. Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 19, p. 359.
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