Palakkad Fort - Hyder Ali's defences

The Palakkad Fort is a granite fort constructed hy Haider Ali, the ruler of Mysore, in 1766 A.D. It is referred to as Tipu’s Fort, after Tipu Sultan, the son of Haider Ali. It was captured by India’s British rulers in 1784, then by the local Zamorin and after that again by the British in 1790. The fort has stood the ravages of time very well in that it is still quite well preserved.

Highlights of the fort are an open-air auditorium called Raappadi and martyrs’ column. It is situated in the heart of the Palakkad town. And the large space surrounding the fort is known as Kotta Maidanam or fort grounds. The Palakkad Fort is today a part of our protected heritage, looked after by the Archaeological Survey of India.