District Handbooksof Kerala

Department of Information & Public RelationsGovernment of KeralaThe Silent Valley

District Handbooks of Kerala

PALAKKAD

PALAKKAD

DISTRICT HANDBOOKSOF KERALA

PALAKKAD

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION & PUBLIC RELATIONSGOVERNMENT OF KERALA

District Handbooks of KeralaPALAKKAD

Department of Information and Public RelationsFebruary 2003

Editor - in - ChiefDr. Venu V . I A S.(Director)

Compiled byDistrict Information Officer, Palakkad.

EditorK. Santhosh Kumar(Information Officer)

AssistantsN.Radhakrishna PillaiAjitha Das(Translators)

Type setting and layoutKarma

Pub l i shed by the D i r ec to r , Depa r tmen t o f In fo rma t ion and Pub l i c Re la t i ons , Gove rnmen t o f Ke ra l a .

Printed at : KSAVRC Press, ThiruvananthapuramCopies : 15,000Price : Rs.10Every care has been taken to ensure the authenticity of the information in thishand book. However, the Information and Public Relation Department, Government ofKerala should not be held responsible for error , if any.

Contents

1. Introduction ..............................................................................5

2. History .......................................................................................6

3. Physical Features ......................................................................7

4. Socio-Economic Conditions ..................................................11

5. Administration .........................................................................13

6. Agriculture ...............................................................................19

7. Co-operation ...........................................................................22

8. Industry ...................................................................................23

9. Water resources .......................................................................26

10. Important Festivals ................................................................29

11. Places of Interest ...................................................................32

12.Barefacts .................................................................................41

INTRODUCTION

alakkad is one of the fourteen revenue districts of Kerala. Its geo-graphical position, historical background, rural natural, educational

status, tourist attractions and above all, the developmental activities thatare carried out, are wide and varied.

This district, situated almost in the centre of State, has no coastalline. The district opens the State to the rest of the country through thePalakkad gap. This 32 to 40 kms. wide natural gap in the 960 kms. longWestern Ghats is perhaps the most influential factor for the unique char-acteristics of the district such as climate, commercial as well as culturalexchanges between the State and the rest of the country. Palakkad wit-nessed invasions of historical importance that have left indelible impres-sions on the history of Kerala. Bharathappuzha, the longest river in Kerala,originates from the highlands and flows through the entire district.

The district is one of the main granaries of Kerala and its economyis primarily agricultural. Agriculture engages more than 65 per cent of theworkers and 88.9 per cent of the district's population is rural in nature.The proximity and easy approach to Tamil Nadu have caused the admix-ture of Malayalam and Tamil culture, here.

The district is perhaps the foremost in fostering Carnatic music.Great musicians like Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar and Palakkad

FOREWORD

Reference books have always been in great demand in Keralaand the educated public approach the Information and Public RelationsDepartment, Government of Kerala, for authentic information on our Stateand districts. It is in this context that District Handbooks used to be pub-lished. To be abreast of the times, the Department has launched a website,www.prd.kerala.gov.in and maintains the State Government web portalwww.kerala.gov.in. It has been our sincere endeavour to update theseon a day-to-day basis and popularise the use of computers through outthe State to enable information and services to reach the needy. How-ever, the Department feels that the time is not ripe for a complete switchover from the print media and hence a new series of District Handbooksis now published.

I hope that this book would cater to the requirements of the tour-ists as well as the general public who seek a handy booklet containingrelevant information about the district. Suggestions for improvement ofthe publication/the contents of the website/portals are welcome.

Dr.Venu.V, I.A.S.Director of Information and Public Relations

Thiruvananthapuram,27th January 2003.

P

5

Mani Iyer, who have enriched Carnatic music by their contributions, hailedfrom this district.

Forests, numerous streams, several dams and the gardens in themhave made this district a tourist paradise.

Palakkad is part of the erstwhile Malabar district of Madras Presi-dency. The district accounts for about 11.5 per cent of the total land areaof Kerala, with the share of population is 8.22 per cent. The district hasgot two types of climates. Ottappalam, Alathur and Mannarkkad Taluksare having a climate similar to that of other districts of Kerala, whereasPalakkad and Chittur are having rather a dry climate similar to TamilNadu.However the average rainfall is good for cultivation. There are five taluks,163 villages , four Municipal towns and ninety Panchayaths in the district.The district is divided into 13 community Development Blocks for theeffective implementation of various development activities.

HISTORY

Palakkad is the land of Palmyrahs and Paddy fields. Along withKuttanadu, Palakkad is major paddy growing area of the State. It is oftencalled as the "gateway of Kerala". The Sahya Ranges bordering theregion and the 32 to 40 km. long gap in the mountains exert a dominantinfluence on the climate of the region. This gap is known as 'PalakkadGap'. In the past, this land was known as Palkkattussery. Etymologiststrace the word Palakkad from Palanilam meaning the dry area. Palakkadhas a long history dating back to the paleolithic period which was substan-tiated by a number of megalithic relics discovered from this region. It alsohoused the Capitals of two kingdoms such as Palakkad and Kollengode,which were in prominence till a century back.

The ancient history of Palakkad is shrouded. According to Will-iam Logan, the author of "Malabar Manual" the Pallava Dynasty of Kochimight have invaded Malabar in the second or third century. One of theirheadquarters was Palakkad, which could be the present Palakkad. For

many centuries the Malabarregion was ruled by Perumals.Malabar had been invadedby many of the ancient SouthIndian Rulers. After this theMalabar was divided amongtheir Utayavars. The famousamong them were the"Valluvakonathiri" (Rulerof Valluvanad) Kollengode Raja (Ruler of Vengunad) and Sekhari varma(Raja of Palakkad) of Palakkattussery. The Palakkad Region was cameunder the control of Kollengode Raja and Sekhari Varma Raja of Palakkad.

When the Kozhikode Samoothiri invaded Palakkad in 1757, thePalakkad Raja sought the help of Hyder Ali of Mysore. His help forcedthe Samoothiri for retreat. Later Hyder Ali subjugated all territories inPalakkad which were under the possession of Kozhikode Samoothiri. Thuswhole dominion of Palakkad passed into the control of Mysore SulthanHyder Ali Khan and his son Tippu Sulthan. The war between East IndiaCompany and Tippu Sulthan ended with the treaty of 1792 and all thepossession of Tippu in Malabar area ceded to the East India Companyand it formed the Malabar District of the Madras Presidency.

PHYSICAL FEATURES

LocationPalakkad district is situated in the South West Coast of India,

bounded on the North by Malappuram in the East by Coimbatore ofTamilnadu, in the South by Thrissur and in the West by Thrissur andMalappuram districts. It lies between 10'21 and 11'14 North latitude and76'02 and 76'54 East longitude. The total geographical area of the districtis 4480 sq.k.m representing 11.53 per cent of the State's geographicalarea. The forest land per cent covers 136257 hectares.

Palakkad Fort

6 7

Topographically the district can be divided into two regions.

Based on the physical features, the district is divided into two natu-ral divisions - midland and highland. The midland region consists of val-leys and plains. It leads up to the highland which consists of high mountainpeaks, long spurs, extensive ravines, dense forests and tangled jungles.Midland is thick with coconut, arecanut, cashew, pepper, rubber and paddycultivation.The soil is laterite in the hill and mid land regions. Ottappalamtaluk lies completely in the midland and highland regions. The road andrail links between Kerala and Tamil Nadu pass through the Palakkad gap.

The Western Ghats has an average altitude of 5000 ft. except fortwo peaks of more than 6000 ft. The important peaks above an altitude of4000 ft. are Anginda (7628 ft.), Karimala (6556 ft.), Nellikotta or Padagiri(5200 ft.) and Karimala Gopuram (4721 ft.)

PopulationAccording to the 2001 census the population of the district is

2617072. The density of the population is 584 per Sq. km. Decadal growthrate for the period 1991-2001 is 9.86 per cent in comparison with theState figures of + 9.42 per cent. The sex ratio of the district is 1068females for 1000 males. The District has achieved 84.31 per cent lit-eracy in 2001 calculated on the basis of population above the age of 7years.

ClimateThe district has a humid climate with a very hot season extending

from March to June in the Western Part of the district whereas it is lesshumid in the Eastern sector. The most important rainy season is duringSouth West Monsoon which sets the second week of June and extendsupto September. About 75 per cent of the annual rain is received duringthe south west monsoon period. During the period December to May,practically no rain is received. The temperature of the district ranges from20'C to 45'C. The maximum temperature recorded at Palakkad was 43'C.

Soil

The soil of Palakkad district is mainly of four types, namely, peaty(kari), laterite, forest and black . Peaty soil is found only in Thrithala firkaof Ottappalam taluk. Laterite is seen in the major portions of all taluks.Forest soil is confined to Mannarghat and Ottappalam taluks, the narrowstrip of land along the western boundaries of Palakkad and Alathur taluksand along the southern boundary of Chittur taluk. Black soil is seen mostlyin the eastern sector of Chittur taluk and a small portion of Palakkadtaluk.

Minerals

Low grade iron ore (magnetite) is found at Kollengode, Mannarghatand Muthalamada. Limestone deposits are found in the Chittur andKozhinjampara firkas. Muscovita mica is reported to be present in theSholayar villages. A large quantity of limestone deposit is found in Walayarforest area where the government has started a cement factory.

Rivers

Bharathappuzha, with her tributaries, sprawls across the entire dis-trict. The river takes its origin from Anamalai hills and flows through thedistricts of Palakkad, Malappuram and Thrissur before emptying into theArabian sea at Ponnani. Its four main tributaries are Gayatrippuzha,Kannadippuzha, Kalpathyppuzha and Thuthappuzha.

Gayatrippuzha

This river originates from Anamala hills and after traversingthrough Kollengode, Nenmara, Alathur, Wadakkanchery and Pazhayannur,joins Bharathapuzha at Mayannur. This tributary has five main sub-tributaries;Mangalam river, Ayalurpuzha, Vandazhippuzha, Meenkarappuzha and Chulliyar.

8 9

KannadippuzhaIt is also known as Chitturpuzha or Amaravathippuzha. This river,

which also starts from the Anamala hills, flows through Thathamangalamand Chittur and joins the main river at Parli. There Palar, Aliyar and Upparstreams combine to this river .

KalpathyppuzhaAlso known as Korayar this river starts from the place called

Chenthamarakulam in the hills, north of Walayar. Kalpathypuzha is formedby four streams, viz., Korayar, Varattar, Walayar and Malampuzha.

ThuthappuzhaThuthappuzha, otherwise known as Pilanthol river, starts from the

Silent Valley hills and joins the main river about two kms off Pallipuramrailway station. The important streams which feed this tributary areKunthippuzha, Kanjirappuzha, Ambankadavu and Thuppanadippuzha.

The length of Bharathappuzha is 374.40 kms and its catchmentarea is 6186 sq.kms.

BhavaniThe Bhavani river originates from the Kunda mountains in the Nilgiris,

makes a circuitous course through the Attappady valley and returns to theshadow of Nilgiri mountains. The catchment area of the Bhavani riverwithin Kerala is 220 sq. miles yielding an annual run off of 27,000 millioncubic feet of water. Of the rivers of Kerala, Bhavani river is one amongthe three which prefers Bay of Bengal to the Arabian sea.

Flora and Fauna

The flora of Palakkad district is characteristically tropical, owing tothe seasonal rainfall, moderate temperature and the mountainous easternborder. Major portion of the district comes under the midland region and

is under cultivation. Some of the dominant trees in the region are Eppothi(Macaranga Indica), Mavu (Mangifera) Parangimavu (AncardiumOccidentale),Pilavu (Atocarpus Integriofolia), Elavu (Cieba Pentandra),Ezhilampala (Astomia Scholoris), Urakkam Thoongi (EnterolobiumSaman), Mullumurikku (Erythrina Indica) and Aranamaram (PolyalthiaLongifolia). Intermingled with these are other trees like Osboekia Ostandra,Lantana Sculeata, etc. Rubber and teak plantations are common in thehills. The midland region gradually merges with the hilly forests.

No animal can be mentioned peculiar to this district. Elephants arecommon in almost all parts of the forest. Tiger, leopard, gaur, etc., are sometimes found in the thick forests. Sambar and spotted deer are seen inlarge numbers.

Nilgiri langur, bonnet monkey, slender loris, jungle cat, different typesof mangoose, jackals, squirrels, hares, etc. are found in the forest. Birdsfound in the jungle are crow, kingcrow, mynah, woodpeckers, sunbird,king fishers, skylark, paradise fly catchers, parrots, peacocks,pigeons etc. Poisonous and non-poisonous snakes are common in thedistrict.

The Silent Valley area, 40 kms. from Mannarghat town, has thedistinction of being a rain forest, very rare in the world. It is spread overan area of about 9000 hectares. This thick forest is rich in some of therare species of plants and animals.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

As in any other part of the State, the social and economic status ofthe people in the district is undergoing changes. The breaking up of thejoint family system and the increasing partition of old tharavads have ledto the disappearance of the importance of high-caste Hindus in the soci-ety. A survey of the social and economic scene shows that the values

10 11

based on caste and land have been replaced in recent times by those ofeducation, employment, trade, commerce and industry.

Religion and customHinduism is the predominant religion in the district. Nearly 76 per-

cent of the population belongs to the Hindu community. All the subcastesof Hindu community are well represented in the district. The Vellodis andNedungadis, two sections of the Nair community, peculiar to Malabararea, are represented in this district also. Sections of the Hindu commu-nity, peculiar to this district are Muthuvan, Mannadiar, Guptan andTharakan .

Vishnu and Siva are popularly worshipped. Kshethrams andAmbalams are dedicated to these major deities. The Kavus and Kovilsare dedicated to deities like Ayyappan, Subrahmonyan, Bhadrakali,Hanuman and even malignant demons. Snake worship has been widelyprevalent in these part. The worship of ancestors is also practised byHindus. Offerings are made to departed souls on new moon Sankranthidays.

The Muslim is the second largest community . A particular sectionof the Muslim community whose mother tongue is Tamil, are known asRavuthars. These people came here as traders and soldiers. They belongto the Hanafi sect of Islam. Most of them reside in Alathur, Chittur, andPalakkad taluks.The way of life of this particular section is much influ-enced by the Tamil culture, especially in marriage customs and food habits.

There is another sect of Muslims known as Pattanis. They arealso called Decanese. They came from Decan with the Mysore rulersand settled here. Traditionally, they are well-trained horsemen. Their in-fluence in Palakkad can be seen from the fact that a street is named afterthem as Pattani street. They also belong to 'Hanafi' sect of Muslims. Therest of the Muslim community is known as Moppilas.

The ceremonies connected with, birth, marriage and death differfrom one community to another. The restrictions based on caste and reli-gion are obeservd generally by all communities Irular, Kurumbar,Mudugar, Eravalas, Malamalasar, Malasar, Kadar, Malayar, etc. arethe tribals living in these forests. Attappady is an important centre of tribalpeople. The beliefs, customs and ways of life of these tribal people aredistinct; each class having its own traditional customs and ways of life.

ADMINISTRATION

The present Palakkad district, as an administrative unit, was formedon the first of January 1957, comprising of Palakkad, Perinthalmanna,Ponnani, Ottappalam, Alathur and Chittur.

When the Malappuram district was formed on the 16th June 1969,Ponnani taluk excluding Thrithala firka and the villages of Vadakkekad,Punnayur and Punnayurkulam and Perinthalmanna taluk consisting ofMankada firka and Perinthalmanna firka excluding Karkidamkunnu andChethalloor amsoms were transferred to Malappuram district. A newtaluk, namely Mannarghat, was formed by grouping 19 villages of theerstwile Perinthalmanna taluk. While retaining the Trithala firka withOttappalam taluk, the villages of Vadakkekad, Punnayur andPunnayurkulam were brought under Chowghat taluk of Thrissur district.The Paradur village of Tirur taluk was added to Ottappalam taluk. Re-cently some portions of Karavarakund village of Malappuram district werealso added to Palakkad.

At present the Palakkad district consists of two revenue divisions,five taluks and 163 villages. The revenue divisions are Palakkad andOttappalam. Palakkad, Alathur and Chittur taluks form the Palakkad rev-enue division and Ottappalam and Mannarghat taluks form the Ottappalamrevenue division. There are 13 development blocks and 90 panchayats inthe district. The total area of the district is 4480 sq.kms.

12 13

DISTRICT PANCHAYAT

As per the amendment of Indian Constitution, Decentralised plan-ning was implemented in the state. The headquarters of District Panchayatis at Palakkad Municipal town. The District Panchayat office buildingwas constructed near to Civil Station.

Basic Statistics1. Taluks 5

2. C.D Block 133. Municipalities 4

4. Corporations --

5. Panchayats 90

6. Revenue Villages 163

7. Parliamentary Constituencies 28. Assembly Constituencies 11

9. District Panchayats 1

10. District Panchayats Constituencies 26

11. Block Panchayats 13

12. Block Panchayats Constituencies 14113. Grama Panchayats 90

14. Grama Panchayats Constituencies 1178

15. Municipal Councils 4

16. Municipal Constituencies 130

17. Corporations18. Persons in the Electoral Roll

19. Total Population 2617072 (2001 Census)

Male 1265794

Female 1351278

REVENUE DIVISIONS AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCKS

Taluk Block Area (in sq.kms.)

Alathur Alathur 312Kuzhalmannam 315

Mannarghat Attappady 827Mannarghat 359

Chittoor Chittoor 290Kollengode 328Nenmara 640

Ottappalam Ottappalam 220Pattambi 224Srikrishnapuram 219Trithala 172

Palakkad Palakkad 723Malampuzha -

AlathurThe block is situated in the south central part of the district. It

covers an area of 312 sq.kms. Paddy is, by far, the most important crop.Canals irrigate a net area of 7470 hectars.

AttappadyAttappady is the largest block in the district and is situated on the

north east side over an area of 827 sq.kms. It is covered by hilly highlandregion endowed with the tributaries of the river Cauvery. Eventhoughagriculture is the main activity, the net area sown is only about 12 per centof the total land.

ChittoorChittoor block has an area of 290 sq.kms. and is situated in the

south of the district. It has 19 villages, six panchayats and one town.About 75 per cent of the people depend on agriculture for their livelihood.Industry employs less than 8 per cent and the remaining find their employ-

14 15

ment in the tertiary sector. The block has a geographical area of 29,000hectares. There is hardly any forest in the block. It is endowed with goodirrigation facility from the Chittoorpuzha project.

KollengodeThe block, located in the south central part of the district, covers an

area of 328 sq.kms., with 13 villages, consisting of five panchayats.Agriculture is the main source of livelihood and employment for the ma-jority. Paddy is the main crop, followed by groundnut and coconut. Nearly70 per cent of the workers are employed in the primary sector, whereasthe secondary sector accounts for 15 per cent. Dairying is a significantsubsidiary occupation.

KuzhalmannamKuzhalmannam block covers an area of 315 sq.kms. It contains 17

villages and eight panchayats. The population primarily depends on agri-culture for livelihood. Paddy is the most important crop covering a grossarea of 21,500 hectares. The main source of irrigation is canals and itaccounts for 27,600 hectares.

MalampuzhaThe Malampuzha

block is carved out ofKuzhalmannam, Palakkadand Kollengode blocks. Itcomprises of eight pancha-yats. Most of the peopleare agricultural labourers.

A large number ofindustrial establishmentslike the Indian Telephone Industries, Instrumentation Ltd., Fluid ControlCentres, Malabar Cements etc., are situated in this block. A large numberof other SSI units are also springing up in Kanjikode area. The famous

Malampuzha Gardens is situated here. Paddy is the major crop of theblock which sustains the majority.

MannarghatMannarghat block has one town, 16 villages and eight panchayats,

covering 359 sq.kms. The block is traversed by a network of rivers andrivulets. Thuthappuzha and its tributaries are a source of irrigation. Culti-vable waste land constitutes more than 20 per cent of the area. Rice iscultivated in 11,540 hectares followed by rubber (2,840 htrs) and cashewnut (2,270 hectares). Industrially the block is backward.

NenmaraThe block, on the south of the district, covers an area of 640 sq.kms.

The block consists of hill ranges and hence the density of population isvery low. The area available for cultivation is limited due to the undulatingsurface of the hills, There is scope for development of dairying. Nelliam-pathy range is said to be ideal for rearing exotic breed of milch animals.

OttapalamThe block, on the west of the district, covers an area of 220 sq.kms.

It consists of nine villages and six panchayats. Agriculture continues tobe a major economic activity. Paddy is the leading crop followed by tapi-oca, coconut and cashewnuts. Irrigated area is only 1,016 hectares; riverscontributing over 50 per cent followed by wells and tanks.

PalakkadPalakkad ranks second only to Attappady in area and covers 723

sq.kms. The block, with two towns, 20 villages and constituting 12 pan-chayats. Economic activities are sustained by a labour force which forms34 per cent of the population. Agriculture occupies the foremost positioninproviding employment and as a source of livelihood. The net area sownis 17,200 htrs. whereas forests cover 4,500 hectares. and cultivable land(waste) 7500 hectares. Paddy occupies the foremost place in terms of

16 17

Malampuzha Gardens

cropped area accounting for 11,219 acres. Irrigation is available fromcanals for 17,656 acres, from wells, 531 acres and from other sources,168 acres.

PattambiPattambi is one among the small blocks of the district and has an

area of 224 sq.kms., comprising of 11 panchayats, !3 villages and twotowns. Agricultural sector continues to be the main source of employ-ment. Apart from paddy, coconut occupies a very important place fromthe income point of view. It covers an area of over 2,800 hectares; ofwhich only 106 hectares are brought under irrigation.

SrikrishnapuramSrikrishnapuram covers an area of 219 sq.kms. with ten villages

and six panchayats. Paddy is the important crop, followed by tapioca,cashewnut, vegetable and coconut.

TrithalaTrithala lies to the east of the district and is the smallest among all

the blocks. Having an area of 172 sq.kms, it comprises of eight villagesand seven panchayats. Agriculture is the major economic activity and isalso a source of employment. The net area sown is over 44 per cent ofthe geographical area. Paddy is the major crop in the block. The nextimportant crop is arecanut. Presently, irrigation is available to more than4,400 hectares. Industrially the block is backward.

AGRICULTURE"Rice bowl of Kerala" is the synonym for Palakkad. The net culti-

vated area of the district is 284 lakh hectares, ie., 64 per cent of thegeographical area. Major portion of the cultivable land is used for raisingfood crops. All food crops together account for about 80 per cent of thegross cropped area and paddy alone accounts for about 60 per cent of it.Coconut, groundnut, cotton, sugarcane, pepper, banana and cashewnutare some of the major cash crops raised.

Major Agricultural Products

Products Area under Production in tonnecultivation (ha.)

Rice 120809 262494

Sugarcane 2488 18137

Pepper 4231 518

Ginger 1198 4243

Cardamom 2949 190

Cashewnut 5750 2069

Tapioca 7272 148991

Coconut 48929 237 millionArecanut 3623 2854

Tea 829 2293

Coffee 4650 2050

Rubber 28125 28076

(Source : Farm Guide 2000)

There are a number of agricultural institutions like the RegionalAgricultural Research Station, Soil Testing Laboratory, Fertilizer QualityControl Laboratory, Mushroom Laboratory and Agricultural EngineeringWorkshop.

Seeds of different paddy varieties are produced and distributedthrough the five state seed farms in the district situated at Alathur,Anangandi, Kongad, Kannanur and Muthalamada. At the 325 hectarefarm at Nelliyampathy orange, coffee, cardamom, mango and vegetablesare cultivated. The fruit processing unit in this farm is popular for itssquashes, jams and jellies. The Integrated Seed Development Farm atEruthiampathy is mainly intended for multiplication of green manure, seeds,sugarcane, cotton and groundnut. The Central Orchard, Pattambi andHorticultural Development Farm, Malampuzha are some of the other im-

18 19

portant institutions where coconut, vegetables, mangoes are cultivated.Training centres such as RATTC, Malampuzha and F.T.C, Alathur startedfunctioning for imparting training to agricultural officers and farmers re-spectively.

ANIMAL HUSBANDRYThere are a number of animal husbandry institutions to take care of

livestock and poultry. The district has one District Veterinary Centre, fourveterinary poly clinics, fifteen veterinary hospitals, seventy seven veteri-nary dispensaries, three mobile farm aid units and one mobile veterinarydispensary. There is a Regional Poultry Farm at Malampuzha to rearchicks for the plan schemes, a Government Goat Farm at Naikerpady inAttappady with a capacity to rear 150 goats and two artificial insemina-tion centres; one each at Vaniamkulam and Irumbakamchola. In addition,there are 72 KDP subcentres, two Regional Artificial Insemination Cen-tres, one at Palakkad and other at Shornur. The state headquarters of theRinderpest Eradication Programme is situated at Palakkad. Eight bordercheckposts are installed to protect cattle from this disease.

Live stock Population (1996 Census)

Cattle Buffaloes Goats Sheep Pigs

363338 35693 162488 490 2239

DAIRY DEVELOPMENTThe Department of Dairy Development is undertaking programmes

aimed at increasing milk production. The dairy farmers are assisted withnecessary inputs under various programmes.

Dairy farm instructors and block level dairy development officersconduct house visits and advise farmers about the various aspects ofdairying. Farmer's contact programmes and indigenous milk productsmanufacture demonstrations are held to benefit dairy farmers and ruralconsumers. Assistance is provided for setting up model dairy farm units.

Cattle shows at block and district levels are organised to provide motiva-tion for the farmers. They are also assisted in the construction of modelcattle sheds and supplied with clean milk production kit for hygienic milkproduction. Mineral and vitamin supplements are distributed to deservingfarmers at subsidised prices.

Incentives for fodder cultivation on commercial scale is provided toindividual farmers and dairy co-operatives.

Around 140 dairy co-operatives are functioning in the district. Thedairy co-operatives are assisted in the purchase of modern milk testingequipments, milk cans, chemicals for testing and sanitation, setting up ofcattle feed mixing units, building for small collection cum office rooms,purchase of furniture, working capital, managerial subsidy for secretaries,purchase and sale of fodder etc.

Practically oriented training for scientific cattle rearing practices,milk product manufacture, quality control, fodder production, dairy co-operative managements, etc. are imparted to the farmers at the DairyTraining Centre at Alathur.

The Malabar Regional Co-operative Milk Producers Union runs a40,000 litre capacity dairy at Kalleppully and 10,000 litre capacity chillingplant at Agali. The 100 tonne capacity livestock and poultry feed factoryat Malampuzha is under the management of the Kerala Co-operative MilkMarketing Federation. There is bull station and fodder farm at Dhoni,running well, under the control of Kerala Livestock Development Board.

CO-OPERATIONCo-operative movement plays an important role in the socio-

economic sphere of the district. It has flourished in all walks of life.

A District Co-operative Bank, acting as the financing bank toprimary co-operative institutions, five Co-operative Agricultural and Ru-ral Development Banks, intended for financing agricultural and allied activi-

20 21

ties and eight Co-operative Urban Banks for meeting the financial needsof urban population, are working in the district. There are 86 Service Co-operative Banks and three multipurpose co-operative societies to financeand serve the agriculturist.

Sixty five Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Co-Operative Societ-ies serve the SC/ST class in the big way. Three Joint Farming Co-Opera-tive Societies also work in the district.

The 47 Employees Co-operative Societies help the employees ofinstitutions to a great extent. There are 16 co-opeative marketing societ-ies which undertake marketing activities to protect the farmers from theexploitation of middlemen. The 42 Primary Co-operative Consumer storeshelp hold the price line to a great extent. There are 24 Housing Co-opera-tive Societies to help people in acquiring housing plots and in constructinghouses at reasonable rates. People can get inexpensive medical treat-ment through the four Co-operative Hospitals in the district.

Two hundred and thirty two school co-operative stores and sevencollege co-operative stores provide educational supplies and other con-sumer articles to the students at reasonable rates.

The three motor transport co-operative societies, one AutorikshawDrivers Co-operative Society and one Taxi Drivers' Co-operative Societyprovide employment to a good number of unemployed people. There are23 women's co-operative societies, which provide employmentopportunities to the women folk of rural areas. Five co-operative educa-tional institutions help thousands of students who are unable to get admis-sion to regular colleges, to study up to post graduate level and hundreds ofeducated persons to get employment with reasonable remuneration. Oneprinting press is also there in the co-operative sector. All together, a totalnumber of 591 co-operative institutions play an important role in the socioeconomic development of the district.

INDUSTRY

The Department of Industries and Commerce has identified theKanjikode belt, connecting Palakkad and Coimbatore, as an area for in-dustrial development. The excellent infrastructure facilities like N.H.47,trunk railway line, nearby airport at Kochi, Kozhikode and Coimbatore,cheap availability of land labour, power water etc. are the main attrac-tions to industrialists.

The Industries Department acquired about 130 acres in PudusseryWest village in the '60s for an industrial development area. The I.T.I, Tataphone, Hendez Electronics, Carborandum, 66 K.V. sub station etc. aresituated here. Later, the department acquired about 500 odd acres of landin Pudussery Central village for a new I.D.A. About 120 acres wereallotted to KSEB for a 220KV sub station and wind farm and the remain-ing land was allotted to prospective industrialists like KAMCO, MARICOIndustries, Rabfila International, Prima Industries, Patodia Syntex and anumber of S.S.I units.

Profile of major industries

In Palakkad district, Olavakkode area has been having an industrialestate since 1957. More than 15 industrial units are engaged in engineer-ing and rubber goods, wooden furniture, electronic equipments, aluminiumalloy utensils, stainless steel tableware, manufacture of splints and ve-neers, tiles, metal fabrication etc.

At Edathara, there are units engaged in the manufacturing agricul-tural implements and the biggest among them manufacture 2500 tonnesof implements per year and markets all over India. Ottappalam in Palakkaddistrict is the centre of match and veener industry. Shornur has a Govern-ment press and an industrial estate. Established in 1996, the industrialestate has units making agricultural implements, iron castings, householdarticles, pharmaceuticals, cutlery, cycle tyres and tubes, vaccum pumps etc.

22 23

Chittur is yet another centre busy with industrial activity. The ChitturCo-operative Sugar Mills and Bhagavathy Textiles are prominent indus-trial units. The first wind farm in the State for generating electricity fromwind has been installed in Kanjikode.

ROAD & RAIL

The district is networked in 1704.28 kms. of roads; sixty sevenkms. of National Highway, 431.04 kms. of State Highway, 1230.94 kms.of district roads and 42.30 kms. of village roads. It has about 150 kms. ofrailway lines of which, 122 kms. are in the broad gauge and 27 kms. are inthe metre gauge.

WATER RESOURCES ANDIRRIGATION

Palakkad district is blessed with irrigation facilities. Dams havebeen constructed across almost all the important tributaries of theBharathapuzha to provide irrigation facilities to the district. Completedirrigation projects in Palakkad district are Walayar, Malampuzha, Cheerakuzhi, Gayathri (Meenkara, Chulliar), Mangalam and Pothundy. The totalayacaut of all these completed projects is 77,306 hectares. In addition tothis, the construction of two major irrigation projects, viz., Chitturpuzhaand Kanhirappuzha are in progress. The total ayacut of these projects is54,200 hectares.

Walayar damThis dam is constructed across the river Walayar, a tributary of

Bharathappuzha. The ayacut is 6476 hectares. This project was started in1953, partially commissioned in 1956 and completed in 1964.

Malampuzha damThe Malampuzha dam is a 6,066 ft. masonry structure built across

Malampuzha, a tributary of Bharathappuzha, with a net-work of canal

systems. It has an ayacut of 42,090 hectares. The dam and reservoir arelocated about eight kms. from Olavakode railway station and 13 kms.from Palakkad town. The project was started in 1949 and commissionedin 1955. Having a catchment area of 145 sq.kms., the reservoir has acapacity of 8000 m.e.ft. of water. There are two canal systems. The leftbank canal traverses a distance of 32 kms. to irrigate cultivable areas inthe taluks of Palakkad, Chittur and Alathur. The right bank canal with alength of 32 kms. irrigates areas in Palakkad taluk. The reservoir alsoprovides drinking water to Palakkad town.

Gayathri Project (Meenkara-Chulliar dams)

This project consists of two storage reservoirs; Meenkara damacross the Meenakara river and Chulliar dam across Chulliar river. Boththese rivers are tributaries of Bharathappuzha. There is a net-work ofcanal systems with a total ayacut of 10,930 hectares of land in Chitturtaluk. The first stage of the project, viz., dam across Meenkara river withcanals, was sanctioned in 1956 and opened for irrigation in 1960. The totalcost of the project is Rs.220 lakhs.

Mangalam damThis dam is constructed across the Cherukunnappuzha, a tributary

of Mangalam river. There is a canal system with an aycaut of 6,880 hect-ares, in Alathur taluk. The project and left bank canal were completedand opened in 1956. Further extension of the right bank canal was contin-ued and the project was fully completed in 1966.

Pothundy damThis dam is constructed across the tributaries of the Ayalur river

(sub-tributary of Bharathappuzha), namely, Meenchadyppuzha and Padipuzha. It has an ayacut of 10,930 hectares in Chittur and Alathur taluks.The Project started in 1958, has been completed and commissioned.

24 25

context. The district has become blessed with the birth of ChembaiVaidyanadha Bhagavather, the exponent of Carnatic Music and PalakkadMoni Iyer, the inimitable master of Mridangam. C.Sankaran Nair, the firstMalayali President of Indian National Congress belongs to Mankara isalso in this district. The great modern poet of Malayalam literature,Mahakavi Kumaranasan wrote his famous poetry "Veena Poovu" atPalakkad. The life and growth of modern literary men P. KunhiramanNair, Olappamanna Subrahmanian Namboothirippad, M.T. VasudevanNair and O.V. Vijayan are intimately connected with Palakkad.

The eminent personalities of the district are late K.P.S. Menonand K.P. Kesava Menon. Swadesabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai spent hislife in exile at Vadakkenthara near Palakkad town. The former ChiefElection Commissioner T.N. Seshan also belongs to Thirunellavi Villageof Palakkad Town. The former President of India Sri. K.R. Narayananwas first from Ottappalam Parliament Constituency of Palakkad district.The first Communist Chief Minister E.M. Sankaran Nampoothiripad be-longs to Elamkulathu Mana in Palakkad District. Similarly a number ofpoliticians are from this district gave their services to the nation.

IMPORTANT FESTIVALS

Chittoor KonganpadaKonganpada is a grand festival of historical importance, celebrated

in the Bhagavathy temple at Chittoor, 10 Kms. from Palakkad town. It isheld every year on the first Monday after the new moon night in Kumbhom(February-March), to commemorate the victory of Nair's of Chittoor overthe militia of Konganadu (Coimbatore) led by the Chola King, RajadhiRaja.

The festival starts with 'Chilambu' on Sivarathi in Kumbhom whichreminds Kongan's (Chola Kings) declaration of war and the frightenedpeople worshipping Bhagavathy and beseeching her help.

26 27

Chittoorpuzha projectThe Chittoorpuzha project envisages extension of irrigation facili-

ties to an additional area of 9,200 hectares by remodelling and recon-structing, whenever necessary, of the four ayacuts in Chitturpuzha andthe existing canal system. The ayacuts are at Moolathara, Thembaramadakku, Kunnakattupathy and Narnee. The total ayacut will be 32,400hectares.

Kanhirappuzha projectThis project on completion will provide irrigation facilities to an area

of 9,720 hectares. This beingconstructed across Kanhira-ppuzha, a sub-tributary ofBharathappuzha. An expan-sion programme of thescheme by constructing areservoir across the Thuppana-dupuzha is also on the anvil.This will benefit an additionalarea of 4700 hectares inOttappalam taluk. The totalayacut of the project will be 21,800 hectares.

The Attappady Valley Irrigation Project is under construction toprovide irrigation facilities to 12,140 hectares.Garden in Kanhirapuzhadamsite

ART AND CULTUREPalakkad district has a glorious cultural tradition. It is said that

Thunchathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam literaturespent his last days in Chittoor Thunchathu Acharya madhom. KunchanNambiar the founder of Thullal, the most popular poet of Malayalam hadhis birth in a small village called Killikurissimangalam (Lakkidi) in thisdistrict. Mani Madhava Chakkiar for Koothu and Vazhenkada KunjuNair for Kathakali are two famous names to be remembered in this

Garden in Kanhirappuzhadam site

Jain festivalThere is an ancient Jain temple at Jainamedu, near Palakkad town.

According to a legend, one Sutar (head of the Jains) built this temple 500years ago for the Jain sage, Chandranathaswamy. The Jains who camehere from Mysore fled from this place during the invasion of Tippu Sultan.

Nellikulangara VelaTo invoke the blessings of Nellikulangra Bhagavathy, the people of

Vellanghi and Nenmara conduct a festival on 20th Meenam (March-April)every year. This is the famous Vellanghi Vela. This beautiful temple is inthe Vellanghi village of Chittur taluk.

The flag hoisting ceremony in connection with the vela is held jointlyby the residents of Vellanghi and Nenmara on ninth Meenam. On all daysfollowing the flag hoisting till the eve of the vela, Kummatti, Karivela,Andivela and similar other folk rituals are performed. These three cer-emonies together are known as Kanyar. The pomp and splendour of thefestival would put it in second place, perhaps only to the Pooram festivalof Thrissur.

Ottappalam Nercha festivalJuma prayers are held in Ottappalam mosque on Fridays. To com-

memorate the death anniversary of a saintly person by name UthmanAuliya, an annual festival is held in January-February. The special featureof this festival is the grand procession which ceremoniously brings vari-ous things such as rice, coconuts etc. to the mosque as offerings. On thenext days, a feast is held where the various articles received will be cookedand distributed to the poor.

Sivarathri festival at Kallekulangara Bhagavathytemple

This festival is conducted for nine days and ends with an arat ofthe deity Hemambika in Kalpathy river.

Kalpathy Radholsavam

Kalpathy Viswanadha swamytemple is the oldest Siva temple in Malabar.It was built in 1425 A.D. by H. Kombi Achan,the then Raja of Palakkad.

Kalpathy is linked to Kasi becausethe main deity is Siva and the temple is onthe banks of the Neela Nadi just as Kasiis on the banks of the Ganges.

The other deities consecreted inthe temple are Sri Visalakash SamethaViswanadhaswamy, Vinayaka, ValliDevayani Sametha Subrahmanyaswamy, Gangadhara, DakshinayanaMurthy, Simhanasundari, Nataraja, Surya Bhavara, Kala Bhairavan,Chandikeswaran, Nandeeswaran and Pradesh Handi.

The rituals in the temples were coducted earlier by Kerala Brah-mins, the Nambuthiris. But now, Tamil Brahimins are in charge. Thecentre of attraction of the festival is Kalpathy Sri Viswanadha swamytemple. The festival is celebrated in the month of November.

On the seventh day (28th day of Alpasi), the deity from Viswanadhaswamy temple is taken out and installed in the chariot. There are threechariots in this temple; one for the main deity Shri Viswanadha swamyand Goddess Parvathy, the second for Visweswara and the third for LordSubrahmanya.

Manappullikavu VelaThe important festival of Manappullikavu at Yakkara is the annual

Vela.

Arat festival in Kachamkurichy Temple.Kachamkurichy temple is an important Vishnu temple. The arat

festival here in the month of May attracts many people.

28 29

Kalpathy Ratholsavam

Navarathri festival in Pallavur Siva Temple, Amavasi festival inThrippalur Siva Temple, Pooram festival in Kongad Bhagavathy templeand Radhotsavam at Kodumbu Subrahmanya temple are some of theimportant festivals which attract a large number of devotees. Mahamakomis also held in the Kodumbu temple once in twelve years.

PLACES OF TOURIST INTEREST

Palakkad, which lies at the foot of the Western Ghats, the dreamyland of misty mountains with its ever green tropical forests, dams, wild lifesanctuaries, rivers, rare birds and animals, historical monuments, placesof worship and traditional Ayurvedic treatment centres has tremendousscope and immense potential to become one of the the best tourist desti-nations in the country. The district is gifted with the beauty of virgin andverdant Nelliampathy hills, the precious and unique Silent Valley NationalPark, the famous Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Attappady hills andmore than half a dozen dams like Malampuzha, Mangalam, Pothundi,Kanjirappuzha, Siruvani and Parambikulam.

NelliampathyThe beautiful cool hills of Nelliampathy is in the midst of the majes-

tic Western Ghats. It is the queen of Palakkad hills, clothed with the origi-nal beauty of picturesqe mountains and enchanting valleys, interspersedwith the panoramic tea, coffee, cardamom and orange plantations. Thebracing climate and green magic of nature will provide an exhilerating andunforgetable experience.

Nelliampathy, 52kms. from Palakkad town and about nine kms.from Nenmara, adjoins the Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary where leop-ards, elephants, bisons and deers abound. The total area is about 82 sq.kms. The highest peak in the range is Nellikotta, also called Padagiri. It is1585.08 meters above sea level. The other major peaks are Vellachimudi,Valiyavana, Mayanmudi and Vela Vanchan, each about 1200 meters high.

The annual average rainfall in the area is 47.244 mm. The temperaturevaries between 150 C in December and 300 C in April, the mean tempera-ture being 220 C .

The Pothundi reservoir glints in the distance like sapphire in a seaof emerald.

Seethakundu at Nelliyampathy offers a fantastic view of the valleybelow. The 1000 metre high waterfall is one of the major attractions.Seethakundu got its name from the legend that Sita Devi, during thevanavasa period with Sri Rama, took a bath here. During Deepavali, alarge number of devotees gather here.

MalampuzhaMalampuzha Gar-

den is the Vrindavan ofKerala. Malampuzhaexudes the charm of theharmony of nature, a per-fect synchronization ofthe grandeur of themountains blending withthe serenity of rivers. Itis 12 Kms. from Palakkad. There are lush green lawns, innumerableflower beds, glittering pool, fountains and avenues.There is a fresh wateraquarium also.A snake park and a children's park with a toy train whichawait the pleasure and delight of children. The reservoir is ideal for boat-ing and fishing. The Garden House has a unit of water ports, A smallgarden in the Japanese style gives a touch of exotic charm to the land-scape. So does the hanging bridge across the river, another items ofinterest in the part is the imposing concrete sculpture of YAKSHI done bythe renowned artiste Kanai Kunhiraman. The Passenger ropeway is thefirst of its kind in South India, offers adventurous and delightful air journey

30 31

Rock garden at Malampuzha

of 20 minutes across the gardens, giving a soul stirring view of the gar-den. There is a road train for amusement ride on wheels. There is alsotelescope tower in the garden providing a terrestrial view upto 40 miles.The first rockgarden emerged from the Master creator Padmasree NeckChand Saini of Chandigarh, in South India is at Malampuzha. Modelledafter Appu Ghar of Delhi and Essel world of Bombay, the first amuse-ment Park of Kerala named fantsay park is at Malampuzha.

The most interesting features in the making of the garden is thatwhole place is made of unwanted and broken pieces of bangles, tiles,used plastic cans, tins and other waste materials.

PothundyPothundy is 38 kms. south of Palakkad town. An irrigation project

was commissioned here in 1968 with an estimated cost of Rs. 234.25lakhs, consisting of an earthen dam with a spill way section across thetributaries of Ayalur river. Its 10kms. right bank canal and 8kms. left bankcanal irrigiate an area of 5,465 hectares in Chittur and Alathur taluks. Theproject also provides water supply to Nenmara and Ayalur villages.

OttappalamThis was the centre of political as well as tenant movements in

south Malabar of the erstwhile Malabar povince of Madras Presidency.The festival at Chathan Kandar kavu is very famous one in Ottappalam.The legend goes that the temple was built by the local Kanjoor Namboothirifamily at a place where a scheduled cast person called Chathan found astone bleeding while he was sharpening his knife on it. The deity of thistemple is Durga. The annual festival is Thalapoli which is celebrated onAvittam day in Meenam (March-April)

Silent ValleyThe Silent Valley National Park, with an area of 90 sq. kms, is

situated in the north eastern corner of the district. It rises abruptly to the

Nilgiri Plateau in the north andoverlooks the plains ofMannarkkad in the south. Theriver Kunthi descends from theNilgiri hills above, an altitude of2000m., traverses the entirelength of the valley and rushesdown to the plains through adeep gorge. River Kunthi neverturns brown; it is crystal clear,perennial and wild.

The core of the NilgiriBiosphere Reserve, the Silentvalley National Park, is prob-ably one of the most magnifi-cent gifts of nature to mankind,a unique preserve of tropicalrain forests in all its pristineglory with an almost unbrokenecological history. Thanks largely to its difficult terrain and remoteness,the extent of degradation is minimal in comparison with other sanctuaries.

Sairandhri Vanam, meaning the forest in the Valley as referred toin the Mahabharatha and the river Kunthi give a mythological dimensionto the National Park. The Silent Valley is seldom silent; it has an inexplica-bly unique character about it, with the dense forest, the music of the birdsand its quiet majesty.

The forest belongs to the biogeographical class of the Malabar RainForests and harbour about 1000 species of plants. The flowering plantshere include 966 species belonging 134 families and 599 genera. The di-cotyledons are 701 in number distributed among 113 families and 430genera; monocotyledons are 265 distributed among 21 families and 139genera.

32 33

The Silent Valley

The valley has a far representation of all peninsular mammals. Theyare Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri Langur, Bonnet Macaque, Tiger, Leopard(Panther), Leopard Cat, Jungle Cat, Fishing Cat, Common Plam Civet,Small Indian Civet,Brown Plam Civet, Ruddy Mongoose, Stripe neckedMonogoose, Wild Dog, Sloth Bear, Otter, Flying Squirrel, Malabar GiantSquirrel, Indian Pangolin (Scaly ant eater), Porcupine, Wild Boar, Sambar,Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Gaur and Elephant. Birds include rare spe-cies such as Indian Black-crested Baza, Bonellis Hawk Eagle, RufousBellied Hawk eagle, Shaheen Falcon, Short-Eared Owl, Penisular ScopsOwl, Ceylon Frog Mouth, Great Indian Hornbill, Nilgiri Laughing Thrush,House Marin, Rufous Bellied-Shortwing, Malay Bitten etc. About 170species have been recorded, of which 31 are migrants.

The tropical evergreen forests occurring within a narrow strip abovethe equator is perhaps the most endangered natural habitat. Extremelyfragile, it has suffered most from human interference. In species diver-sity, it is the richest habitat. That there is very little soil erosion and that therains are transformed into perennial streams and rivers may be attributedto the thick canopy and closely packed tree stumps. In fact, scarcity ofwater is rarely felt. The evapotranspiaration from these forests is muchhigher than from any other surface. This cools the atmosphere, helpingeasy condensation of water vapour-the orgin of the much-awaited sum-mer rains.

MangalamLocated 48 kms. south of Palakkad town, Mangalam is manily oc-

cupied by settlers from other parts of the State. Mangalam dam is locatednear the NH47, about 14kms. south of Wadakkancherry village. The damis constructed across Cherukunnappuzha, a tributary of Mangalam river.It is located in picturesque surroundings. The reservoir fringers on theforest area where there are deers, wild elephants and a variety of birds.There are beautiful parks and lawns adorned with statues.

Siruvani ProjectThe Siruvani Project

is in Sholayar panchayat.The dam, constructedacross Siruvani, is for sup-plying drinking water toCoimbatore Municipality.The dam is surrounded byreserve forests. The dis-tance from Edakkurissi to Siruvani Dam is 22 kms. The scenic beauty ofSiruvani is simply enchanting. Muthukulam hill is situated on the easternside of the dam. There is a natural water fall in the hill.

MeenkaraMeenkara is a fascinating spot by virtue of the dam, garden, fish

ponds and natural beauty. It is 32 kms. south east of Palakkad town.

Parambikulam wildlifesanctuary

Tucked away in the valley be-tween the Anamalai Ranges of TamilNadu and the Nelliampathy ranges ofKerala on the majestic Western Ghatsis the Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary,a fine example of serene, tranquil andundisturbed eco system. Situated inPalakkad district, it was originally asmall tract of reserve forest of 48 sq.km.However, owing to growing wildlifeneeds, it was expanded in 1962 and to-day it is a vast expanse of greenery of285 sq.kms. in area.

34 35

'Kannimaram' a giant teak inParambikulam

Siruvani Dam

Ideally suited to the growth of teak, the tract encouraged largescale teak plantations through artificial regeneration in the early 20's. Thiswas, however abandoned when a full-fledged wildlife department wasformed in 1985. 9000ha.of teak plantations in the sanctuary are beingmanaged in such a way as to restore the forest's original status. A giantteak tree 40m high and 6.4m in girth is a standing monument of the pastaptly named 'Kannimaram'.

Topography. Several streams originate from the hill ranges andflow down westward to join the river Chalakudi. The terrain is mostundulating with a valley in the basin. The Karimala Gopuram is the high-est peak (1444m), the average elevation is about 600m.

Climate. The Sanctuary receives much heavier rains betweenJune and August. The eastern part of the sanctuary receives more rain inOctober-November. Temperature drops substantially and mist envelopesthe sanctuary in the morning hours.

Dams and Lakes. Three dams have been built by the Tamil NaduGovernment under the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project. The reservoir of-fers several kinds of aquatic fauna.

Forest types. Natural forests are classified as follows

1. West coast tropical evergreen forests.

2. West Coast semi evergreen forests.

3. South Indian moist deciduous forests.

4. South Indian dry deciduous forests.

5. Moist bamboo brakes.

6. Reed brakes.

Tropical evergreen forests. (Area 50sq.kms approximately)A wide variety of trees grow here the top canopy consists of Pall, Puunna,

Nangu, Vediplavu, Kalpine, Aini, Kambakam, Vellapine, Vellagil, Pathiri,Nedunar, etc.

Lower canopy predominantly consists of Vetti Kara, Nasagam,Marotti, Kurukutti, cheru, Muthalvu etc. Undergrowth comprisesAntidesma, Calamas, Glycosmis, Kxora species etc.

Semi-evergreen forests.(extent 30sq.kms.) Both evergreen andmoist deciduous species are found in these areas.

Moist deciduous forests.(extent 70 sq.kms.) Top canopy:Manjakadambu, Vaka, Pala, Elavu, Vembu, Rosewood, Avaal, Venteak,Venga, Teak, Maruthi, Pathiri etc.

Lower Canopy: Arampuli, Pezhu, Konna, Kodapunna, Murukku,Kanjiram, bamboos, etc.

Southern dry deciduous forests. (extent 15 sq.kms)

Top canopy: Teak, Vengal, Muzhukanjiram, Maruthi, Vaka,Mulluvenga, Rosewood, etc.

Middle & lower capony: Veppu (neem), Manjanathi, Sandal, etc.with moistpatches of Dendorcalamus and Bamboosa arun - dinact. Un-dergrowth is chiefly at Lantana and Heli ncteres besides grass.

Fauna - Mammals: Bonnet macaque, Lion tailed macaque, Nilgirihangur, lions, Tiger, Leopard, Jungle cat, Civet, Mongoose, Fox, Bear, El-ephant, Gaur, Spotted Deer, Sambar, Barking deer, Wild boar, Pangolinetc.

Administration : The sanctuary is healded by a Divisional ForestOfficer with headquarters at Thunacadavu and is under the direct controlof the Field Director, Project Tiger. There are four ranges with 13 sec-tions.

36 37

The sactuary is accessible by road. Buses ply between Pollachiand Parambikulam. Pollachi is 60 kms. away and has a Railway Station.The nearest airport is at Coimbatore, 100 kms. away. Visitors can haveboat rides in the Parambikulam lake and tour the sanctuary with the helpof guides. There is a forest rest house at Thunacadavu. The ParambikulamProject also provides accommodation. There are several hotels in Pollachiand Coimbatore.

J.P. Smrithi Vanam: Loknayak J.P. Smrithi Vanam and Deer Parkis in an extent of 10 acres of reserve forest at Walayar in the border ofKerala and Tamilnadu on the side of N.H 47. Deers and other animalsmove freely in this park. Facilities for elephant ride provided. The dis-tance from Palakkad town is 22 Kms.

Mayiladumpara peacock sanctuary. Myiadumpara Choolannurpeacock sanctuary is 30kms. away from Palakkad. It is well known as agrove abounding in peacocks.

Palakkad Fort: Palakkad Fort, situated in the Palakkad town, isbeautiful and best preserved forts in Kerala. The sober silence of thegranite wall reminds the old tal of valour and courage. It was constructedin 1766 by Hyder Ali of Mysore and his son Tippu Sulthan. In 1790 thefort was taken over and re-modified by the British East India company.The fort is protected by the Archeological Survey of India. Martyr'sColumn Open Air Auditorium called "Rappadi" and Tourism InformationCentre of Distric Tourism Promotion council are there in the spaciousFort Maidan. The children's park and Vatika' are just on the side of theFort. The fort was situated in the middle of Palakkad Gap with an area of15 acres.

Kottayi :It is 15 kms away from Palakkad. Kottayi is the nativeplace of the Palakkad Chembai Vaidyanaha Bhagavathar, the doyen ofKarnatic Music.

Meenvallom:There are 10 steps ofwater falls at Meenvallom, the originatingpoint Thuppanaduriver. The height of thefalls varies from 5 to45 metres. The dis-tance from Palakkad is37 kms.

Attappadi: Attappadi is a tribal abode. Irular, Mudugar andKurumbar are the main tribal groups. They live in forest in closely builthuts called 'Ooru' (hamlet) The Government have finalised some con-crete programmes to uplift the tribals.

Peruvmpu Peruvmpu in Palakkad Taluk, is famous for makingleather musical instruments like chenda, maddhalam, thakil,deca,tabala, edakka, thimila, udukku etc.

Kanjirappuzha

Kanjirappuzha dam is situated 24 kms. from Palakkad. The waterspread of the dam lies in a single stretch. An evergreen forest, by name'Vettilachola', is immediately beyond the reservoir which is surroundedby hills and during rainy season, the mountain will be covered with mist.All this makes the area extremely beautiful and picturesque. There arethree islands in the reservoir with plenty of fish (including commercialvarieties) grown by the Fisheries Department.

Thunchan GurumadhomAcross the lush green fields, two kms. from Chittur town on the

banks of river, Sokanashini, an old building where Thunchath Ramanujan

38 39

A leather instrument making unit at Peruvempu

Ezhuthachan, regarded asthe father of Malayalamlanguage, lived in the 16thcentury.

People call itGurumadhom and it ishere that he transcreatedthe two great Sanskrit ep-ics, the Ramayana and theMahabharata, for the common people with the subtle and meaningful min-gling of Sanskrit and Dravidian strems of the prevailing language andliterature. Ezhuthachan evolved an altogether new texture for theMalayalam language.

As the story goes, Thunchath Ezhuthachan, on his way back fromhis sojourn in Tamil Nadu, had a stop-over here with his disciples. Thetranquility of the place made him settle down here for the rest of his life.Occupied by Tamil Brahmins who perhaps are the descendents of thedisciples of the Acharya, the gramam still has an old look and on bothsides of the building are temples of Sree Rama and Siva.

The street with long arrays of Agraharams has all the charm ofantiquity that we should love to preserve.

At the Gurumadhom, a Srichakra and a fewidols worshipped by him,the stylus, the wooden slip-pers and a few old manu-scripts are exhibited. It ison Vijayadasami day thatthe memorial gets themaximum number of visi-

40 41

tors with hundreds of children brought here for a ritualistic initiation intolearning.

Kunchan SmarakamKalakkath Kunchan Nambiar represents an age and its culture in

the field of Malayalam literature. He was the native of Killikurissimangalam in Palakkad. Now, the Kunchan Smarakam is a national monu-ment and is being governed by a committee appointed by the Govern-ment.

A three year course on Ottan Thullal, Seethankan Thullal andParayan Thullal was started with the help of artistes attached to thismonument. The smarakam celebrates Navarathri festival with much pompand grandeur. Every year, May 5th is celebrated as Thunchan Day. Alibrary and an auditorium are attached to this monument.

BAREFACTS

District Palakkad

Area ( in sq.km.) 4480

Population 2,617,072

Male 1,265,794

Female 1,351,278

Sex ratio : Females/1000 /1068 males :/

Density of Population 584

Per Capita Income (in Rs) 18031

Literacy rate 84.31%;

The entrance to the Thuchan Gurumadom

Kunchan Smarakam

42 43

Male 89.73%;Female 79.31%

Coastal line in km. Nil

Water bodied area in ha. 10,920

Forest area in ha. 136257

Assembly Constituencies 1. Thrithala 2. Pattambi

3. Ottappalam 4. Sreekrishnapuram

5. Malampuzha 6. Palakkad

7. Mannarkkad 8. Chittoor

9. Kollengode 10. Kuzhalmandam

11. Alathur

Taluk Head Quarters No. of Villages

Palakkad Palakkad 30

Chittoor Chittoor 31

Alathoor Alathoor 29

Mannarkkad Mannarkkad 25

Ottappalam Ottapalam 41

WEATHER

Monthly rainfall (m.m)

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Rainfall 0.1 29.3 205 85.3 43.1 508.2 290.6 464.3 160.1 13.7 82.7 34.4

Temperature

Max 33.3 35.5 37.5 36.6 33.6 29.7 28.1 28.7 30.4 31.2 32.1 32.1

Min 21.7 22.6 24.1 25.1 24.6 23.2 22.2 22.9 23 23.2 22.9 22.1

Relative Humidity

Max 69 67 70 78 81 89 92 91 88 85 78 72

Mini 19.4 17.9 20.5 27.5 27.5 28.3 28.7 28 28.1 28.1 25.9 21.8

Source : Meteorological Centre, Thiruvananthapuram

Educational Institutions

Schools Govt. PrivateAided PrivateUnaided Total

L P School 186 350 9 545

U P School 64 159 13 236

High School 58 77 15 150

HSS 34 17 - 51

Vocational H.S.S. 17 7 - 24

Accessing PalakkadTelephone access code : + + 91-491

Air : Nearest airport : Coimbatore (55km)

Rail : Palakkad Junction Railway Station (5km from the city) is amajor rail head of Southern Railways.

Road : Palakkad is connected by an excellent network of roads toall the major cities in India.

44 45

Important Phone Numbers

District Collector 0491-533266 (O)

98470-29014 (Cell)

0491-533026 (R)

Superintendent of Police 535008 (O)

98460-15609 (Cell)

533276 (R)

DTPC Information Counter 538996

District Information Office 533329

Guest House Malampuzha 815207