Palakkad Fort
Encyclopedia
Palakkad Fort is an old granite
fort situated in the heart of Palakkad town
of Kerala
state, southern India. It was built by Haider Ali
in 1766 ACE and remains one of the best preserved forts in Kerala.
seeking help against an invasion threatened by the Zamorin. Haider Ali
seized upon the opportunity to gain possession of a strategically important location such as Palghat, and from that time until 1790 the fort was continually in the hands of the Mysore Sultans or the British. It was first taken by the latter in 1768 when Colonel Wood captured it during his raid on Haider Ali
s's fortresses, but it was retaken by Haider a few months later. It was recaptured by Colonel Fullarton in 1783, after a siege that lasted eleven days but was abandoned the following year. It later fell into the hands of the Zamorin’s troops. In 1790 it was finally captured by the British under Colonel Stuart. It was renovated and was used as a base for operations that ended with the storming of Srirangapatnam. The fort continued to be garrisoned until the middle of 19th century. In the early 1900s it was converted into a taluk office.
The fort is also known as Tipu's Fort (after Tipu Sultan
, the son of Hyder Ali).
called "Rappadi", currently under the preservation of the Archaeological Survey of India
, is also located within the spacious grounds of the Fort. Additionally, there is a children's park on one side of the Fort.
) temple
inside the fort that attracts a number of devotees.
The Palakkad Sub Jail is also located within the fort.
had plan to build the famous Palakkad Fort here, before it is built in its present location. Granites and rocks are kept here for constructing the fort. But the plan was changed and the fort was constructed at Palakkad
. The resulted massive plain land was used by the people of nearby villages as a market of ancient times. Since then this area is known as 'Kottachantha
' of which 'Kotta' means Fort and 'Chantha' means Market in malayalam language.
It is believed that the name of the next village Kottayi
, is derived from the use 'Kottayilekkulla Vazhi/Vayi' meaning 'The way to Fort' which also strongly support Hyder Ali's plan to build the fort here. However, there are no disputes over the arguments on Kottachantha's historical importance connected to Palakkad Fort.
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
fort situated in the heart of Palakkad town
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
state, southern India. It was built by Haider Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
in 1766 ACE and remains one of the best preserved forts in Kerala.
History
The Palakkad Fort is said to have existed from very ancient times, but believed to be constructed in present form in 1766 A.D, but little is known of its early history. The local ruler, Palakkad Achchan, was originally a tributary of the Zamorin, but had become independent before the beginning of the eighteenth century. In 1757 he sent a deputation to Haider AliHyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
seeking help against an invasion threatened by the Zamorin. Haider Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
seized upon the opportunity to gain possession of a strategically important location such as Palghat, and from that time until 1790 the fort was continually in the hands of the Mysore Sultans or the British. It was first taken by the latter in 1768 when Colonel Wood captured it during his raid on Haider Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
s's fortresses, but it was retaken by Haider a few months later. It was recaptured by Colonel Fullarton in 1783, after a siege that lasted eleven days but was abandoned the following year. It later fell into the hands of the Zamorin’s troops. In 1790 it was finally captured by the British under Colonel Stuart. It was renovated and was used as a base for operations that ended with the storming of Srirangapatnam. The fort continued to be garrisoned until the middle of 19th century. In the early 1900s it was converted into a taluk office.
The fort is also known as Tipu's Fort (after Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
, the son of Hyder Ali).
Current status
There is a large ground between the Fort and the Palakkad Town hall, known as Kota Maidanam (Fort Grounds). The ground, which had once served as a stable for the elephants and horses of Tipu's army, is now used to stage cricket matches, exhibitions and public meetings. An open air auditoriumAuditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
called "Rappadi", currently under the preservation of the Archaeological Survey of India
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
, is also located within the spacious grounds of the Fort. Additionally, there is a children's park on one side of the Fort.
Inside the fort
There is a small Anjaneya (Lord HanumanHanuman
Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
) temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
inside the fort that attracts a number of devotees.
The Palakkad Sub Jail is also located within the fort.
Related Locations
It is said that Hyder AliHyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
had plan to build the famous Palakkad Fort here, before it is built in its present location. Granites and rocks are kept here for constructing the fort. But the plan was changed and the fort was constructed at Palakkad
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
. The resulted massive plain land was used by the people of nearby villages as a market of ancient times. Since then this area is known as 'Kottachantha
Kottachantha
Kottachantha is a village in Palakkad District of Kerala state, South India. It is 18 km away from Palakkad town under Alathur Taluk and spread in Kottayi & Peringottukurissi grama panchayat.-Historical Importance:...
' of which 'Kotta' means Fort and 'Chantha' means Market in malayalam language.
It is believed that the name of the next village Kottayi
Kottayi
Kottayi is a small village in Palakkad district of Kerala state, South India. It is under Alathur Taluk in Palakkad district of Kerala state, India and is 15 km away from Palakkad town. Kottayi is well-connected by road...
, is derived from the use 'Kottayilekkulla Vazhi/Vayi' meaning 'The way to Fort' which also strongly support Hyder Ali's plan to build the fort here. However, there are no disputes over the arguments on Kottachantha's historical importance connected to Palakkad Fort.
Satellite image of the fort
External links
- Imperial Gazetteer of India http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V19_364.gif