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.Palakkad fort, Palakkad, Kerala, emperortraveline.com
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The Palakkad Fort, Palakkad, Kerala Travelor.com
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| Palakkad location map, Kerala. dietpalakkad.org |
The Palakkad Fort located in the busy area of Palakkad city is a pretty old fort and has a chequered history. It was repaired and improved by the the military general under the ruler of Mysore and father of Tipu Sultan - Hyder Ali in 1766.ACE. Being a shrewd man, knowing the strategic location of this place, Hyder had the fort built with proper planning and it is one of the best preserved forts in Kerala. Later he took over the Mysore kingdom and after him, his son Tipu Sultan became the successor to the throne. With the French forces he resisted the expansion of the East India company operating in the northern part of south India. Subsequently, the fort fell into the hands of the English company under Col. Fullerton during the 2nd Angelo-Mysore war. There was a stiff resistance from the Sultan's army and the siege lasted for 11 long days. After they abandoned the fort, the Zamorin ruler of part of Kerala region had captured it. The English company, ever looking for expansion of land, recaptured the fort in 1790 under the command of Col Stuart and it was renovated and used as a base for military operations during the final Angelo-Mysore war that saw the fall of Tipu Sultan who was killed in 1798 and his Srirangapatna fort was captured by the military officer Wellesley (later called Duke Wellington). The British used this fort as a garrison till the middle of the 19th century. It was again repaired in the early 1900 after Palakkad was converted in to a Taluk under the Madras presidency.
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The Palakkad Fort from north wall, Kerala, en.wikipedia.org |
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The Palakkad Fort, Palakkad town, Kerala, en.wikipedia.org |
The distinctive features of this fort are the rhombus shape and enormously thick walls all around made of granite. Being an inland fort, it can withstand heavy artillery bombardment of the enemy. It is almost a self contained fort with all amenities to withstand long siege. There are few tiled buildings, granaries, a step - well and an armory to store arms and ammunition to last for a while in case of a long siege. |
Step-well inside Palakkad fort,Palakkad, Kerala. commons wikipedia.org
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A small temple dedicated to Anjaneya Swamy (with the stone carving image of the deity) has been here for centuries. Tipu Sultan and his army, it is said, never touched the Hindu temple believing that the deity was protecting the fort and the army inside from enemy attack. Also located inside are the sub-jail and a big garden, There exists a big ground between the fort and the town, perhaps for watching the enemy movements and firing at the approaching soldiers. This kind of rampart is part of fort plan of the early period to have free firing range from the fort.
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