page_title: Palakkad
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Palakkad / Geography
context_page_description: Palakkad, also known as Palghat, is a city and municipality in the state of Kerala in India, spread over an area of 26.60 square kilometres; it is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. The city is situated about 350 kilometres north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram and 50 kilometres southwest of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, and 66 kilometres northeast of Thrissur on the Salem-Kanyakumari National Highway NH 544. 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 famous Ratholsavam chariot festival. Northeast, near Malampuzha Dam, the town of Malampuzha has a rock garden created from recycled materials.
context_section_description: Palakkad is the gateway to Kerala due to the presence of the Palakkad Gap in the Western Ghats. Malayalam is the generally spoken language in Palakkad as it is the official language. The district have many small and medium rivers, which are tributaries of the Bharathapuzha River. Of the number of dams in Palakkad district, the largest Malampuzha dam is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Palakkad town.
caption: Topography map-Palakkad (Palghat)
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