Pallippuram Fort

Pallippuram Fort is known as Ayakkotta or Alikkotta (kotta in Malayalam means fort). The fort is hexagonal in shape. The relics of this fort now stand as a bastion of three storeys in height. The main attraction of Pallipuram Fort is its architectural beauty. The height of the lower floor is raised to five feet from ground. It also has a cellar, which was dedicated for storing gunpowder for the times when it faced invasions. Interestingly, there is a wall which used to be a source of freshwater. Its walls are six feet thick, and the face of the fort measures a gigantic 32 feet in length and 34 feet in height.

Inside the fort, the floor is raised to 5 feet from the ground. Underneath this platform, the cellar opens on to a passage, which runs obliquely from north to south. The Portuguese used the Pallipuram Fort as a base to check the ships that ply up and down the Periyar to the Arabian Sea and the cellar was used for storing gunpowder. A church, a hospital, living quarters and other buildings are found near this Fort.
This fort was attacked by the Dutch in 1662 and they occupied the fort. The advantageous location of the Pallipuram Fort caught the attention of the Mysore rulers, who tried to purchase it from the Dutch. But the English East India Company interfered and terminated that proposal.
In 1789, the ruler of Travancore made a strategic move and purchased the Pallipuram Fort along with the Kottappuram Fort. After the decline of the Mysore rulers, the English East India Company took possession of the whole Malabar area. Gradually the Fort lost its importance and was abandoned by the military. In 1909, the Government of Travancore erected a memorial in front of the Fort and finally in 1964, it was declared a protected monument, under the Department of Archaeology.
Getting there
Nearest railway station: Ernakulam Railway Station, about 29 km
Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport, about 31 km
Google map coordinates: 55CJ+29 Kochi, Kerala