The Fort of Tipu Sultan 

Palakkad is a small town on the lower edges of the Sahyadri ranges of the Western Ghats, with patches of dense forests and crisscrossed with rivers. And it is a tresure land for the lovers of termite-smitten annals of history. Because in the heart of this sleepy town stands the Tipu's Fort, also known as the Palakkad fort. 

One of the well-preserved forts in south India, Tipu's Fort was constructed in 1766 AD and is today a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. The sober majesty of the laterite walls of the fort reminds one of the old tales of valour and courage.  
The fort was built by Hyder Ali (1717 - 1782), the emperor of Mysore province, supposedly to facilitate communication between both sides of the Western Ghats, (Coimbatore and the West Coast). He had captured the Malabar and Kochi regions which come under the West Coast area. His son Tipu Sultan (1750 - 1799) a warrior as well as a linguist was known as the 'Lion of Mysore'. Tipu waged a series of wars against the British colonial rule.  

In 1784, after an eleven-day seige, the fort was captured by the British under Colonel Fullerton. Though it later fell into the hands of the troops of the Kozhikode Zamorin, it was recaptured by the British in 1790. Tipu Sultan lost his life in 1799 in an encounter with the British and the fort later came to be known in his name. 
The Fort, one of the main attractions in the town, now houses government offices. 

Getting there:  
Nearest railway station: Palakkad about 5 km. 
Nearest airports: Coimbatore about 55km in Tamilnadu 
State; Cochin International Airport, about 140 km towards south.