Palakkad Fort - Ancient Fort in Kerala

Palakkad Fort is a gigantic fort located in the heart of the city and acts as the index of Palakkad, also called Tipu Sultan fort. It was constructed in the 18th century. History relates that the local ruler of Palakkad named Paliyath Achchan was a friend of the king of the Zamorins, before breaking the fraternity in the early 18th century. In 1757, he sent a deputation to the ruler of Mysore Hyder Ali seeking help against an invasion threatened by the Zamorin for that cause. Making use of the chance, Hyder Ali seized the opportunity to gain possession of a strategically important location of this area and from that time until 1790, the fort was in the hands of the Mysore Sultans and the British. It was first taken by the British in 1768 when Colonel Wood captured it during his raid on Hyder Ali's fortresses. It was recaptured by Colonel Fullarton in 1783 again. It later fell into the hands of the troops of Zamorins. In 1790, it was captured by the British Colonel Stuart. The fort continued to be garrisoned until the middle of the 19th century. In the early 1900s, it was used as a Government office. The current status of this age-old fort is Kota Maidanam or Fort Maidan. The ground is now used to stage cricket matches, exhibitions and public meetings but which had once served as a stable for the elephants and horses of the Tipu army. This rectangular fort is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.