Palakkad Gap
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Palakkad Gap | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | |
| Location |  India |
| Range | Western Ghats |
Palakkad Gap is a 30-40 kilometer wide low mountain pass in the Western Ghats, near Palakkad town in the Indian State of Kerala.
The gap is the lowest pass through the Western Ghats. It is also the only break in that stretch of the Ghats that otherwise runs along the entire western edge of Kerala isolating the State from neighbouring Tamil Nadu. It acts as a corridor between the two States by linking Palakkad District of Kerala with Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu and has served as the vital part of the important trade route between the east and west coasts of peninsular India since ancient times.
A fort at Palakkad, known as Palakkad Fort, stands as a reminder of the strategic importance the gap once had as a gateway to Kerala for would be invaders from the other side of the Ghats.
The gap is also important in the climate of southern India; it allows the moisture-laden Southwest monsoon winds into the Coimbatore region, which moderates Coimbatore's summer temperatures and generates greater rainfall in the region relative to the rest of lowland Tamil Nadu.
NH 47 passes through this gap.
