Palakkad , also known as Palghat, is a city and municipality in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km² and is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. In earlier times, Palakkad was known as Palakkattussery. Palakkad is the seventh most populous town in Kerala and lies near the Palghat Gap.  Malayalam is the generally spoken language in Palakkad as it is the official language. The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram and 54 kilometers south west of Coimbatore, and 66 km north east of Thrissur on the Salem-Kanyakumari National Highway NH 47.