Palakkad, also known as Palghat (anglicized), is a town and a municipality in the state of Kerala in southern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District. Palakkad lies near the Palghat Gap, a pass or natural depression through the Western Ghats ranges that run parallel to the west coast of India, and connects Kerala to the plains of the state of Tamil Nadu to the east. The people of Palakkad generally speak Malayalam, though Tamil is also widely spoken/understood as it is close to the Tamil Nadu border.
The nearest international airport is Coimbatore Airport, which is about 52 km from Palakkad. Coimbatore airport has connecting flights to Singapore, Sharjah, Colombo, apart from major Indian cities.
Palakkad is well connected by roads. The National Highway (NH) 47 from Salem to Kanyakumari and the Palakkad-Kozhikode National Highway 213 pass through the district. Another important road is the Palakkad-Ponnani which connects NH 47 and NH 17.
Palakkad is a railway junction on India's Southern Railway. The cities of Pollachi, Dindigul and Madurai are connected by the meter-gauge line starting from here. Trains on this line bring vegetables, fish and dairy products from other cities. The nearest city is Coimbatore in Tamilnadu which is well connected to Palakkad with broad gauge trains and buses.
In the 2001 census, Palakkad had a population of 130,736. Males constituted 49% of the population. The average literacy rate of the area is 81%, much higher than the national average of 59.5%.
The nearest international airport is Coimbatore Airport, which is about 52 km from Palakkad. Coimbatore airport has connecting flights to Singapore, Sharjah, Colombo, apart from major Indian cities.
Palakkad is well connected by roads. The National Highway (NH) 47 from Salem to Kanyakumari and the Palakkad-Kozhikode National Highway 213 pass through the district. Another important road is the Palakkad-Ponnani which connects NH 47 and NH 17.
Palakkad is a railway junction on India's Southern Railway. The cities of Pollachi, Dindigul and Madurai are connected by the meter-gauge line starting from here. Trains on this line bring vegetables, fish and dairy products from other cities. The nearest city is Coimbatore in Tamilnadu which is well connected to Palakkad with broad gauge trains and buses.
In the 2001 census, Palakkad had a population of 130,736. Males constituted 49% of the population. The average literacy rate of the area is 81%, much higher than the national average of 59.5%.
