Palghat, town (1991 pop. 180,033), Kerala state, SW India. It commands the Palghat Gap, the major pass for road and rail through the Western Ghats, connecting the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Palghat, of strategic importance in the British wars with Hyder Ali, is now a district administrative headquarters and a trading and transportation center. The nearest airport is Coimbatore, 55 km away. To the south is Cochin Airport, 160 km away and Trivandrum International Airport 382 km away. Good motorable roads to all the major towns of Kerala and neighboring Tamil Nadu connect Palghat. There are long-distance KSRTC bus services to Trichur, Guruvayoor, Cochin, Calicut, Kottayam and Trivandrum. Inter-state services, including those of the Tamil Nadu government’s Thiruvalluvar Transport Corporation, operate to Chennai, Madurai, Trichy, Ootty, Palani and Pollachi. For local transport there are yellow-top taxis, tourist taxis, buses and autorickshaws.

Another sanctuary, one of the best Kerala, sprawling over 285 sq km, the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is part of the neighbouring Anamalai Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. It has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It has a large population of gaur (bison), sambar and spotted deer, Nilgiri langur, jungle cat, lion-tailed macaque, sloth bear and otter along with some tigers and leopards. The Cannimare teak tree, said to be Asia’s largest, stands about 5 km from Thunakadavu, the headquarters of Parambikulam. Forest rest houses and inspection bungalows are available at Thunakadavu, Thellikkal and Elathode. There are two watch towers in the sanctuary, one at Anappadi and the other at Zungam.

About 86 km from Palghat distace (46 km north- east of Mannarghat), is the Silent Valley National Park. The Silent Valley was saved from destruction and made world-famous by a sustained campaign to protect its unique natural environment. It contains India’s last substantial stretch of tropical evergreen rain forests. Spread over 90 sq km, it is also perhaps the closest to a near virgin forest in the entire Western Ghats. Among the animals found here are the lion-tailed macaque, elephants, tigers, wild boars, flying squirrels and wild dogs. There are frequent buses from Palghat to Mannarghat (40 km). From Mannarghat vehicles are allowed up to Mukkali from where one has to walk at least 24 km to reach the source of the river Kuntipuzha that flows through the valley. Mannarghat has a PWD Rest House and a few small lodges. Admission to Silent Valley is restricted and prior permission is required to visit the park. For details, contact the Divisional Forest Officer, Palghat. On the banks of the Bharathapuzha, 75 km away from Palghat, is Thrithala where can be found the ruined remnants of a large fort around which is a deep moat hewn from laterite. Some historians believe it belonged to a forgotten Raja of Kuttanad. The Kattil Madom temple, a domed structure of granite slabs, on the Pattambi-Guruvayoor road has archaeological importance.