Palakkad district

Palakkad district is an administrative division in Kerala, India, stretching across mountain foothills, valleys, and agricultural plains that connect Kerala's humid coastal areas with the drier landscapes of Tamil Nadu. The territory includes dense forest zones along the Western Ghats and wide expanses of rice paddies and plantations in the lower elevations, where several rivers flow through the land.

The area belonged to the Kingdom of Mysore until 1792, when it came under British control and became part of the larger Malabar District. After Indian independence, it was established as a separate district within the newly formed state of Kerala in 1957.

The name derives from the Malayalam words for old fort, and the area remains a meeting point where Kerala's western culture blends with Tamil influences from the east. Visitors notice this mix in the local dialect, food habits, and the way people celebrate harvest seasons with traditions that bridge both regions.

Most visitors reach the region through the town of Palakkad, which connects by train and road to both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The area is best explored with local buses or hired vehicles, as many sites lie scattered across rural areas.

The natural gap in the mountains allows drier winds from Tamil Nadu to blow into Kerala, making the local climate less humid than other parts of the state. This opening has served as a trade route for centuries and still shapes the movement of people and goods between both regions today.