PALAKKAD

Palakkad, also known as Palghat, is a city and municipality in the state of Kerala in India. It is spread over an area of 26.60 square kilometres (10.27 sq mi). It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. The city is situated about 350 kilometres (220 mi) north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram, 50 kilometres (31 mi) southwest of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, 66 kilometres (41 mi) northeast of Thrissur, and 127 kilometres (79 mi) southeast of Kozhikode, on the meeting point of two National Highways namely, Salem-Kochi National Highway NH 544, and Kozhikode-Malappuram-Palakkad National Highway NH 966. Palakkad is also known as the rice bowl of Kerala. The 18th-century Palakkad Fort has sturdy battlements, a moat, and a Hanuman temple on its grounds. North on the Kalpathy River, the 15th-century Viswanatha Swamy Temple is the main venue of the Ratholsavam chariot festival. Northeast, near Malampuzha Dam, the town of Malampuzha has a rock garden created from recycled materials. The river Bharathappuzha flows through Palakkad. Palakkad is located on the northern bank of Bharathappuzha River.

Palakkad is the gateway to Kerala due to the presence of the Palakkad Gap in the Western Ghats. Malayalam is the official language in Palakkad. The district has many small and medium rivers, which are tributaries of the Bharathapuzha River. Of the numerous dams in Palakkad district, the largest Malampuzha dam is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Palakkad city.