This stretch is one of my favourite drives to my home at Palakkad, thanks to the pot holed filled road of Trichur -Palakkad NH47. This is fanastic experience drive, crossing Vadakkaanchery, bridging shornour above the Bharathapuzha( NILA to we valluvanad people) through ottapalam to Palakkad.
Once you are through the trichur township out skirts, its a hard gre
enery filled landscape and country side with small towns like Kolady etc in between.The Bharthan film fame Othralikavu is a wonderful panoramic view from this road side. Othralikavu is sourrounded by mountains form three sides. Its an awesome site of the temple in between paddy fields.
There are wonderful stretches of paddy fields either side of the road, which will thrill you while you cruise. Take a small snooze and peep in to naadan( desi) tea shop in between and enjoy being the guest of these people here, you can also taste the nice desi tea snacks in these tea shops.
One such is the Chakka( jack fruti) Pappadum. its a yummy bite with tea.
If you drive through nite you could experience the cold misty drive through the Chalakudy forest reserve, which is the extension Neliayampathy and parambikulam forest reserve. Then comes the river or rather mother to the valluvanda people, its their Nila( bharath puzha). This river banks have contirbuted many eminent perosnalities to Kerala's literature and cultural spher
e.
Kerala Kalamandalum,( now an university) is situtated in the trichur side of Bharatha puzha, known as cheruthuruthy. Valluvanad people has go a lot of regard to this great river, and one sad thing about her is that she turns to sand dune post monsoon, since the highest capsacity dam in kerala is built across her, the malampuzha dam,( which has helped the irrigation revolution in Palakkad).
Enter shornour( Palakkad dist) its r
eally nice to hear the Malayalam slang of people here, with a very pleasant dialect. Enter valluvanad limit which extends till Manjeri, Malappuram. Shornaur is the one of the hotspot for Mollywood shootings. Varikaseery Mana and other famous houses portrayed in malayalam movies are from the shornaur -ottapalam stretch. The road from shornaur to Palakkad can be best compared to run away, done by the Pathibell company this road can vroom your machine to not less than 100km/hr.
Then comes Ottapalam ( the nair bastion of Kerala), famous for its Nair thravadu and families, that has contirbuted eminent personalities to Indian Civil serivces and through the power corridor of the Parliment. Ottapalam has a great representation of bureaucrast in all most all the congress ministries in central governemnt. The famous NSS college is situated here, where most of the above personalities had their graduation. Chinakkathur temple is situated in ottapalam, by the same road side. Chinakkathur puraam( festival) has a speciality of, enjoying the festival as per once own wish( Chinakathurpuram, Thanikottha pole). So our cops have a tough time during this occassion.
After a scenic and smooth drive in this highway, with paddy field and palm trees in between, gaurded by the western ghats inthe left, reaches a very small village town, Edathara. A small time tea shop run by a old man here, is famous in this route for its tradtional Palakkad tiffins, since years( my father used to have food from here during his school days). You can enjoy the nadan dosa with mouth savouring coconut chutney and spicy onion chuntney. All the delicacies like puri masala, Idli etc served in plantain leaf, has a different taste and with Aakashvani playing in the background, it will take you to the old time. I never used to miss this shop before I end my journey at Palakkad.
Take a early morning drive in this route am sure you gonna enjoy it
