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Why is Palakkad a gateway to Kerala?
What is Palakkad Gap?
Why is Palakkad pass important?
What role did the Palakkad Gap play in facilitating trade between Kerala and Tamil Nadu?
The Palakkad Pass played a significant role in military campaigns and was considered a key gateway between the east and west coasts of South India. Timeline. Prehistoric Times: The Palakkad Gap began to form as a result of geological processes involving shearing and erosion.
Topography map-Palakkad (Palghat) Palakkad is the gateway to Kerala due to the presence of the Palakkad Gap in the Western Ghats. The city is in central Kerala. Malayalam is the official language in Palakkad. Two main tributaries of Bharathapuzha, Kalpathi River and Kannadi River flows through the city.
- Palakkad, Kerala, My Home-Town
- The Link Between Palakkad and Distant Madagascar
- The Palakkad Gap Now
- The Significance of The Palakkad Gap
- Why The Name Palakkad
- The History of Palakkad
- Some of The Interesting Festivals
- When to Visit Palakkad
- Getting to Palakkad
- Palakkad – The Extraordinary in The Ordinary
Palakkad (or Palghat as it was called earlier) is a small town in Kerala state of Southern India. It is a non-descript town with no pretensions to grandeur or historical significance. Naturally beautiful and simple, it boasts of a quiet, simple, laid-back life. It is my home town. And I love it. My village is a small one in this district. I hadn’t ...
The technicalities
Gunnel and Harbor wrote on this subject and published in the Journal of the Geological Society of India (2008). The article by the way, is titled “Structural Underprint and Tectonic Overprint in the Angavo (Madagascar) and Western Ghats (India) – Implications for Understanding Scarp Evolution at Passive Margins”. Did you understand the title? I didn’t, though it seems like English… Not surprisingly, I didn’t understand most of the technicalities in the full article either. I will spare you th...
The breaking apart of Madagascar from India
There is a small gap in the Western Ghats between the Nilgiris and Anamalai ranges. This is between the towns of Coimbatore and Palakkad. This gap is called the Palakkad Gap. This piece of coast and the Eastern coast of Madagascar were once apparently one mass of land. The Angavo Entrapment in Madagascar and the Palakkad Gap fit perfectly! That’s around 5000 kms away! Madagascar remained attached to India as part of the Dharwar Craton rocks. And then a major underwater volcanic eruption happe...
This is a low mountain pass and the gateway to Kerala from Tamil Nadu. It connects the towns of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Palakkad in Kerala. It has an elevation of around 150 meters and a width of 25-30 kilometers. By the way, the check post that controls movement of vehicles here is called Walayar – perennially crowded and a perpetual pain for...
In history and trade
This Gap has played a big role in the politics and population of the state of Kerala. From the 3rd century BC to the 13thcentury AD, this Gap is how human migration happened from other parts of South India. The Cheras ruled this region from Karur in Tamil Nadu because of this Gap. This is also the route the Tamil brahmins took when they came in from Tamil Nadu and made the cultural fabric of Palakkad different from the rest of Kerala – even the language… It is a vital cog in the wheel of trad...
In weather
The Palakkad Gap impacts even the weather of South India. This is the gap through which the South-west monsoon winds pass into the state of Tamil Nadu, bringing the much-needed rains and cooling the place down. On the other hand, it allows the warm winds from Tamil Nadu to make the eastern part of Kerala warmer than the rest (and hence the impact on agriculture). This also allows access to the cyclone winds from the Bay of Bengal bearing rain.
The granary of Kerala
Due to this cross ventilation in a sense, the climate is pleasant for most of the year. The summers can be unbearable due to the heat though. But, lots of rainfall, many rivers (as many as eight of them) and dams. And hence, this is fantastic for agriculture. That is why Palakkad is the largest producer of rice in Kerala and hence is called the granary of Kerala. It has close to 150,000 hectares of forest land including the famous Silent Valley.
There is a lot of debate and disagreement on this. Some say it is because this was once a land with lots of ‘Pala’ (Alsteria Scholaris) trees. So much so that it was a forest of these trees. Hence it was once called ‘Palakattussery’ and then ‘Palakkad’ meaning ‘Pala tree forest’ in Malayalam (the local language). There is another reason that is att...
Not much is known about the history of Palakkad. Archeological findings in the region suggest that it was inhabited during the Paleolithic age. The Perumal dynasty ruled Palakkad in the 1st century AD. Then came the small chieftains – the Valluvakonathiri, the Kollengodu Rajas and the Sekhari Varma Rajas of the regions of Valluvanad, Vengunad and P...
And just in case you are in time for any of the below festivals, try and attend… The pomp and gaiety on display here is altogether something else … 1. Kalpathy Rathotsavam, the Chariot procession at the Vishwanatha temple in November 2. Vela at Manappulli Kavu, the Bhagavathy temple, in March 3. Nenmara Vallengy Vela, the harvest festival in the Ne...
Avoid the summers – the heat can be unbearable. You can go during the monsoons (June to August) if you like the fresh, green beauty. September to February is possibly the best time to visit…
This is fairly easy. The nearest airport is Coimbatore, about 60 kms away. Regular flights connect Coimbatore with most other cities in India. Palakkad has two train stations. This is the entry point into Kerala. Hence, there are train services to almost all parts of India. The road access is fantastic in this region. Regular bus and taxi services ...
Palakkad camouflages the extraordinary beneath a facade of ordinariness don’t you think? It hides a treasure trove of fascinating stories, legends and places. So do most forgotten, small, non-descript towns. Fascinated by this back-story about a less-visited and easily-forgotten town like Palakkad in Kerala? Think about any other such town that you...
This town serves as a key gateway to Kerala via the 40 km long Palakkad Gap, linking it to Coimbatore. Strategically located at Kerala's heart, Palakkad shares borders with Thrissur to the southwest, Coimbatore to the east & Malappuram to the northwest. It is celebrated as the “Rice Bowl of Kerala” thanks to its extensive fertile paddy fields.
Sep 1, 2017 · Palakkad: Gateway to Kerala. Thanks to the Palakkad Gap, a 32km wide pass through the Western Ghats, Palakkad is known as the Gateway to Kerala. The Palakkad Town is also known as...
The presence of Palakkad Gap in the Western Ghats makes Palakkad the gateway to Kerala. A large portion of this district is covered by forests and there are hills and peaks also. Some of the main peaks in this district include Anginda, Karimala, Nellikotta etc.
Jan 1, 2007 · The gateway to Kerala from the north, a 40 kilometre break in the mountains known as the Palakkad Gap gives access to this land situated at the foot of the Western Ghats. The pass acts as a corridor between Kerala and the neighbouring Tamil Nadu and played a key role in the trade relations between the east and west coasts of peninsular India.
