Palakkad District Palghat District Gateway of Kerala | |
|---|---|
District | |
) ) ) ) ) ) Clockwise from top: Palakkad Fort, Victoria College, Malampuzha Garden Entrance, Chandranagar roundabout, Municipal Office Palakkad, Palakkad City aerial View | |
 Palakkad district Location in Kerala | |
| Coordinates: 10°46′30″N 76°39′04″E / 10.775°N 76.651°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Kerala |
| Headquarters | Palakkad |
| Government | |
| • Collector | Mrinmayi Joshi,IAS |
| • S.P | Debesh Kumar Behera, IPS |
| • DFO | Narendranath Veluri, IFS |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4,482 km2 (1,731 sq mi) |
| Population (2018)[1] | |
| • Total | 2,952,254 |
| • Rank | 5 |
| • Density | 659/km2 (1,710/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam, English,[2] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-KL-PKD |
| Vehicle registration | Palakkad KL-09, Alathur KL-49, Mannarkkad KL-50, Ottappalam KL-51, Pattambi KL-52, Chittur KL-70 |
| Literacy | 89.31%[3] |
| Website | www |
Palakkad District, in the southeastern part of the former Malabar district, is one of the 14 districts of the South Indian state of Kerala. It is located right at the central part of the state. Also, it is the largest district in Kerala from 2006. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram District, on the southwest by the Thrissur District, on the northeast by Nilgiris District, and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The district is 24.4% urbanized according to the census of 2011.The district is nicknamed "the granary of Kerala". In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Palakkad one of the country's 250 most backward districts out of a total of 640.[4]
Palakkad is the gateway to Kerala due to the presence of the Palakkad Gap, in the Western Ghats. The total area of the district is 4,480 km2 (1,730 sq mi) which is 11.5% of the state's area which makes it the largest district of Kerala. Out of the total area of 4,480 km2 (1,730 sq mi), about 1,360 km2 (530 sq mi) of land is covered by forests. Most parts of the district fall in the midland region (elevation 75–250 m or 246–820 ft), except the Nelliampathy-Parambikulam area in the Chittur taluk in the south and Attappadi-Malampuzha area in the north, which are hilly and fall in the highland region (elevation > 250 m or 820 ft).
The climate is pleasant for most parts of the year, the exception is the summer months. There is sufficient rainfall and it receives more rainfall than the extreme southern districts of Kerala. The district is blessed with many small and medium rivers, which are tributaries of the Bharathapuzha River. A number of dams have been built across these rivers, the largest being the Malampuzha dam. The largest in volume capacity is the Parambikulam Dam[5]
Etymology
In earlier times, Palakkad was also known as Palakkattussery.[6] Many concluded that Palakkad is derived from 'Pala', an indigenous tree which once densely occupied the land; and hence Palakkad or "the forest of Pala trees".Some believe, connecting the ancient Jain Temple in the town, that the sacred language Pali gave the name.[7] In 1757, to check the invasion of the Zamorin of Calicut, the Palakkad Raja sought the help of Hyder Ali of Mysore. Later his son Tipu Sultan became the ruler.
Administration
Kerala Legislative Assembly seats
)
There are 12 legislative assembly seats in Palakkad
| Sl. No | Constituency | MLA | Party | Alliance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thrithala | V. T. Balram | INC | UDF |
| 2 | Pattambi | Muhammed Muhsin | CPI | LDF |
| 3 | Shornur | P. K. Sasi | CPI(M) | LDF |
| 4 | Ottapalam | P. Unni | CPI(M) | LDF |
| 5 | Kongad | K. V. Vijayadas | CPI(M) | LDF |
| 6 | Mannarkkad | N. Samsudheen | IUML | UDF |
| 7 | Malampuzha | V. S. Achuthanandan | CPI(M) | LDF |
| 8 | Palakkad | Shafi Parambil | INC | UDF |
| 9 | Tarur | A. K. Balan | CPI(M) | LDF |
| 10 | Chittur | K. Krishnankutty | JD(S) | LDF |
| 11 | Nenmara | K. Babu | CPI(M) | LDF |
| 12 | Alathur | K. D. Prasenan | CPI(M) | LDF |
Members of Lok Sabha
There are two Lok Sabha seats in Palakkad district.
| Sl. No | Constituency | MP | Party | Alliance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palakkad | V.K Sreekandan | INC | UDF |
| 2 | Alathur | Ramya Haridas | INC | UDF |
Subdistricts (Taluks)
)
| Subdistrict | Area (in km2) | Population (2011) | Villages | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pattambi | 369 | 467,722 | 18 | |
| Ottapalam | 477 | 462,970 | 24 | |
| Mannarkkad | 1,209 | 384,393 | 25 | |
| Palakkad | 713 | 612,116 | 30 | |
| Chittur | 1,136 | 437,738 | 30 | |
| Alathur | 571 | 444,995 | 30 | |
| Sources: 2011 Census of India,[8] Official website of Palakkad district[9] | ||||
- Under the amended Indian Constitution, decentralized planning has been implemented in the state. The headquarters of the District Panchayat is at Palakkad Municipal town. The District Panchayat office building is near the Civil Station.
Demographics
)
)
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 763,917 | — |
| 1911 | 819,726 | +0.71% |
| 1921 | 853,988 | +0.41% |
| 1931 | 941,286 | +0.98% |
| 1941 | 1,025,058 | +0.86% |
| 1951 | 1,214,208 | +1.71% |
| 1961 | 1,369,508 | +1.21% |
| 1971 | 1,685,347 | +2.10% |
| 1981 | 2,044,399 | +1.95% |
| 1991 | 2,382,235 | +1.54% |
| 2001 | 2,617,482 | +0.95% |
| 2011 | 2,809,934 | +0.71% |
| 2018 | 2,952,254 | +0.71% |
| source:[10] | ||
According to the 2018 Statistics Report, Palakkad district has a population of 2,952,254,[1] roughly equal to the nation of Armenia[11] or the state Utah in the U.S.[12] so it a ranking of 138th in India (out of a total of 640).[3] The district has a population density of 659 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,710/sq mi).[3] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 7.39%.[3] Palakkad has a sex ratio of 1067 females for every 1000 males,.[3] The literacy rate of Palakkad district is 89.49%, which is the lowest in Kerala.[13]
Religions
)
)
- Christianity
- Hinduism
- Muslims
Languages
The administrative language and widely spoken language is Malayalam. Minority Dravidian languages like Irula (3560 speakers) and Kurumba (1028 speakers) are also spoken here. According to the 2011 census report, the percents of mother tongue of the total population is as follows:
Noted personalities
- Anita Nair
- E Sreedharan (Metroman of India)
- Kunchan Nambiar
- K. P. Kesava Menon (Idealist, Founder of Mathrubhoomi)
- Methil Devika
- M. T. Vasudevan Nair
- O. V. Vijayan
- Shashi Tharoor
- T. N. Seshan (Former Chief Election Commissioner)
- P. R. Pisharoty (Kollengode, Father of remote sensing in India)
- M. G. Ramachandran (Actor and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu)
- Vidya Balan (Bollywood actress)
- Shankar Mahadevan (Singer)
- Stephen Devassy (Pianist)
- Priyamani (Actress)
- Raghuvaran (Actor)
- Unni Mukundan (actor)
- Govind Padmasoorya (actor)
- M.P. Sankunni Nair ( Novelist )
- Palghat Mani Iyer (Mridangist)
Transport
)
Palakkad town consists of two railway stations, namely Palakkad Town railway station and Palakkad Junction Railway station. Palakkad Junction is an important station on the Southern Railway, and it is at Olavakkod.The office of the Palakkad Division of the Southern Railway is situated near Palakkad Junction Railway Station. The trains coming from other parts of India are diverted to north and south Kerala from Shoranur Junction in Palakkad District. From here, there is train service to Calicut, Ernakulam, Trivandrum, Shoranur and Nilambur. Shoranur Junction also has rail connections to Mangalore and the Konkan Railway, enabling travel towards Goa and Bombay.
Palakkad has a medium grade network of roads. The Salem-Kanyakumari National Highway 544 ( Old name is NH 47 ) and the Kozhikode - Palakkad National Highway 966 (Old name is NH 213) run through the district. Another important road is the Palakkad – Ponnani road which connects NH 544 and NH 17.
The nearest airport is at Coimbatore (Coimbatore International Airport) which is 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the city. The Calicut International Airport is 103 kilometres (64 miles) from Palakkad City, and Cochin International Airport is 111 kilometres (69 miles) from the city; it offers connections to all parts of India and a few international destinations. A domestic airport is announced for the future in Palakkad city. Air India, SpiceJet, Kingfisher Airlines (suspended as of Oct 2012), Goair, Paramount airways, Air Arabia and Air India are the major operators.
Education in Palakkad
)
- IIT Palakkad
- Victoria College
- Government Medical College, Palakkad
- MES Kalladi College, Mannarkkad
- District Public library, Palakkad
- Sree Neelakanta Government Sanskrit College Pattambi
- NSS College, Ottapalam
- NSS College, Nenmara
- Chembai Memorial Government Music College
- Government College, Chittur
- NSS College of Engineering
- Government Engineering College, Sreekrishnapuram
- Al-Ameen Engineering College, Shornur Palakkad
- Karuna Medical College, Vilayodi Palakkad
- Yuvakshetra Institute of Management Studies
- Mercy College, Palakkad
- Sreekrishnapuram VT Bhattathiripad College
- College of applied science, Vadakkancherry
- Industrial training institute, Malampuzha
- Government polytechnic, Kodumbu, Palakkad
- Sreenarayana college, Alathur
Major Towns in Palakkad District
- Palakkad
- Ottappalam
- Pattambi
- Kongad
- Mannarkkad
- Chittur-Tattamangalam
- Shornur
- Cherpulassery
- Vadakkencherry
- Koduvayur
- Alathur
Villages
)
- Adiperanda
- Ayyapuram
- Kodumba
- Mechode
- Nagalassery
- Pathamkulam
- Polpully
- Elappully
- Karakurussi
- Kozhinjampara
- Chittur
See also
- Valluvanad
- Districts of Kerala
- Political Divisions of Palakkad District
References
- ^ a b Annual Vital Statistics Report - 2018 (PDF). Thiruvananthapuram: Department of Economics and Statistics, Government of Kerala. 2020. p. 55.
- ^ "The Kerala Official Language (Legislation) Act, 1969" (PDF).
- ^ a b c d e "District Census 2011". Census2011.co.in. 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ^ Ministry of Panchayati Raj (8 September 2009). "A Note on the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme" (PDF). National Institute of Rural Development. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
- ^ "Fact sheet on Indian dams at Diehardindian.com". Archived from the original on 13 December 2006.
- ^ "Ittipangi Achan passes away". The New Indian Express. 31 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
- ^ "The Palakkad district, an overview - History and Geography of Palakkad district" (PDF). INFLIBNET. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
- ^ "Taluk-wise demography of Palakkad" (PDF). censusindia.gov.in. Directorate of Census Operations, Kerala. pp. 161–193. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ "Villages in Palakkad". palakkad.nic.in. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
- ^ US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Retrieved 1 October 2011.
Jamaica 2,868,380 July 2011 est
- ^ "2010 Resident Population Data". U. S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
Utah 2,763,885
- ^ https://kerala.gov.in/literacy-rate-2011
- ^ "Religion – Kerala, Districts and Sub-districts". Census of India 2011. Office of the Registrar General.
- ^ "Census of India - Language". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- ^ https://www.citypopulation.de/php/india-kerala.php?adm2id=3206