Palakkad Tourism Information Center

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Nice place and excellent feeling. I am really like it...

Important

The oldest record about Palakkad is found in the inscriptions of Chera Kings of Kodungaloor describing Palakkad as ”Nedumpuraiyoor as an important part of Tamizhakam”. (300 B.C) In Tamil Classics ‘Puranaanooru’(100 B.C.) and ’Chilappathikaram’(120AD) this word is modified as ‘Parainad’ meaning ‘Land Of Hills/Rocks’.Romans also has recorded about the travels through Palghat Gap in 122 B.C on their way from Pandya Kingdom to Chera port of Ponnani and Muziris. According to William Logan, Pallavas had invaded Palakkad in 7th century A.D. and made their second capital after Kancheepuram. Some historians are saying that the exact place Pallavas chose as their armoury base was what now known as ‘Sultanpetta’.It is believed that Kannika Parameswari Temple in Court Road was built by them. Most of the beautiful urban village settlements you are seeing today eg: Kalpathy, Adithyapuram, Pallipuram,Thirunellayi, Nurani, Vadakkanthara were made during the reign of Sekhari Varma(15th century A.D) and his later successors like Itti Kombi Achan, Panki Achan etc. for Tamil brahmins from Tamil Nadu. Jainmedu for Mysore Jains and Moothanthara for Moothan community of Tamil Nadu were also by those great visionaries. They were the first town planners who knew that one day our city would rise to glory. But the problem is that all those settlements were scattered till date and only those scattered ones are the only prove that this place was a town.And all the other places were not at all populated.nnIt was another great king in 18th century who solved this problem. His name was Fateh Ali Khan alias Tippu Sultan. Not only he built the magnificient fort of Palakkad (actually built by Hyder Ali)and fought the British. But also made several roads such as Dindigul- Kollengode- Pollachi Road, Palakkad – Coimbatore Road, Palakkad- Ponnani Road, Mannarkad Road, Palakkad- Olavakkode-Kannadi Road etc. He did in South India what Sher Shah Suri did from Peshawar to Howrah by creating Grand Trunk Road.Even now also those roads are great.At that time population increased as new migrants came and occupied almost all parts of the city.nnIn 1792, Treaty Of Sri Rangapattinam was signed by Tippu Sultan. All his pocessions in Malabar including Palghat, went to British East India Company.They created Malabar District and in 1800 it merged into Madras Presidency. They began to control Malabar from Fort Of Palghat before shifting their collectorate to Calicut. For some 50 years, Fort was also used as an army cantonment before it got moved to Cannanore. (Kannur) From 1830 onwards, our town developed rapidly. On understanding the importance of Palakkad as an important centre of indian and overseas trade and commerce. They founded the Municipality Of Palghat in 1866 A.D. on the instruction given by Lord Francis Napier, one of the great mayors of Madras. They added more beauty to the city with their imposing rest houses, private residences/bungalows, jails, arm batteries, gardens, factories, educational institutions, government buildings, warehouses, cinemas, shopping & trading buildings, railway stations &lines, new streets & roads, bridges, motor boats, strand, churches, canals, aqueducts, markets, junctions, parks, squares etc to resemble most beautiful European capitals including London & Paris. Unlike other colonial masters, they never destroyed old artifacts & architecture, they carefully restored it. Most of the British buildings you are seeing in Palakkad are not purely European, but hybrids. The first chairman was J.W.Dance. He was an able man. ‘Dance Market’ was named after him. Until 1893, Asst.Collector of Calicut was the part time Chairman of the municipality. Vice Chairman was the man with authority. All this changed when Rao Bahadur P.I. Chinna Swamy Pillai took charge as the first chairman of municipality of Palakkad.He was one of those great persons who changed the face of the city we are living in. In 1955, this municipality become A Grade and continues till date with pride.

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