Palakkad district has a glorious
cultural tradition. It is said that Thunchathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan,
the father of Malayalam literature, spent his last days in Chittur. To
commemorate this, there is the “Thunchathu Acharya Madam” at Chittur.
Kunjan nambiar, the most popular p[oet of Malayalam and the founder of
Thullal, purely a Kerala art form, had his birth in a small village
called Killikurissimangalam (Lakkidi) in this district.
Worthy contributions have been made
by talented artists of this district for maintaining and enriching the
classical dance forms of Kerala, such as Chakkiar Koothu, Thullal,
Kathakali and Mohiniattom. Mani Madhava Chakiar for ‘Koothu’ and
Vazhenkada Kunju Nair for Kathakali are the two names to be remembered
in this context. The “ Kalluvazhichitta”, the most popular school of
‘Kathakali’ had its origin in Palakkad district and its exponent was
late Sri Vazhenkada Kunju Nair. The musical tradition of Palakkad
district is unchallenged. The district has been blessed with the birth
of the late Sri Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, the exponent of
Carnatic music and Sri Palakkad Mani Iyer, the inimitable maestro of
mridangam. Sri C. Sankaran Nair also belongs to Mankara, a place in this
district.
Among the eminent personalities of
the district are the late K.P.S. Menon, diplomat and author who won the
Lenin Prize and late K.P.Kesava Menon, the great freedom fighter,
celebrated author and journalist. Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai
spent his life in exile at Vadakkanthara near Palakkad town. Some of the
old temples in the district have in them beautiful paintings and
sculptures of great artistic value.
