Palakkad is the land of palmyrahs and paddy fields. Along with Kuttanadu, Palakkad is the major paddy growing area of the street. It is often called as the Gate Way of Kerala. The Sahya ranges bordering the region and the 32 to 40 Kms. Long gap in the mountains exert a dominant influence on the climate of the region. The gap is also called as Palakkad Gap. In the past, this land was known as Palakkattussery Etymologists trace the word Palakkadu from Palanilam meaning the dry area. Palakkad has a long history dating back to Paleolithic period which was substantiated by a number of megalithic relics discovered from this region. It also housed 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 in mystery. According to William Logan, The author of Malabar Manual the Pallava Dynasty of Kochi might have invaded Malabar in the second or third century. One of their headquarters was Palakkad, which could be the present Palakkad. For many centuries the Malabar region was ruled by perumals. Malabar had been invaded by many of the ancient South Indian rulers. After this the Malabar was divided among Utayavars. The famous among them were the &lsquoValluvakonathiri&rsquo (Ruler of Valluvanad) Kollengode Raja (Ruler of Vengunad) and Sekharivarma (Raja of Palakkad) of Palakkattussery. The Palakkad region was under the control of Kollengode Raja and Sekharaivarma Raja of Palakkad.

When the Kozhikkode Samoothiri invaded Palakkad in 1757, The Palakkad Raja sought the help of Hyder Ali of Mysore. His help forced the Samoothiri to retreat. Later Hyder Ali subjugated all territories in Palakkad which were under the possession of Kozhikkode Samoothiri. Thus whole domination of Palakkad passed in to the control of Mysore Sulthan Hyder Ali Khan and his son Tippu Sulthan. The war between East India Company and Tippu Sulthan ended with the treaty of 1792 and all the possession of Tippu in Malabar area ceded to East India Company and it formed the Malabar District of the Madras Presidency.

Basic statistics of Palakkad district is

6- Taluks, 4 &ndash Municipalities, 90 Panchayaths, 163 Revenur Villages, 2 &ndash Parliamentary constituencies, 11 Assembly Constituencies, 1 District Panchayaths, 13 Block Panchayaths.

The main agricultural products are Rice, Sugarcane, pepper, Ginger, Cardemom, Cashewnut, Tapioca, Coconut, Tea, Coffee, Rubber and Arecanut etc.

According in the 2001 sensus the population of the district is 2617072. Male 1265794 and Female 1351278. Density of population is 584 per Square KMs.

MAIN RIVERS

1. Baharathapuzha 2. Gayathripuzha 3. Kannadi puzha 4. Kalpathypuzha 5. Thootha puzha 6. Bhavani puzha

Water Resources

1. Walayar Dam 2. Malampuzha Dam 3. Chuliyar Dam 4. Mangalam Dam 5. Pothundi Dam 6. Kanjirapuzha Dam

TOURIST PLACES

Palakkad which lies at the foot of the Western Ghats, the dreamy land of misty mountains with its ever green tropical forest, Dams, Wild Life Sanctuaries, Rivers rare birds and animals, Historical Monuments, places of worship and traditional Ayurvedic Treatment Centres has tremendous scope and immense potential to become one of the best tourist destinations in the country. The district is gifted with the beauty of virgin and verdant Nelliyampathy hills, the precious and unique Silent Wally National Park, The famous Parambikulam wild life sanctuary, Attappadi hills and more than half a dozen dams like Malampuzha, Mangalam, Pothundy, Kanhiripuzha, Siruvani and Parambikulam.