OTTAPALAM, THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME

I used to wonder how this name came about.

In Malayalam, it means single bridge. Otta is single and Palam is bridge. The only bridge here is yet to be completed! People have been agitating for it during the last seventeen years.

A casual talk with a friend, over the telephone, cleared my mind. He is at Edapal, near Kuttipuram and and is well versed in local history.

He explained that Samoothiri, the ruler of Malabar, attacked Cochin State, a buffer between the former and the powerful Travancore and stationed his troops at several points like Edapal, Rapal, Thottipal etc. near our village. Palayam or cantonment, became pal in course of time. There is Metturpalayam near Coimbatore.

Now, our Ottapalam is actually Ottapalayam, where Tippu Sultan stationed some of his troops, during the period he occupied Palakad, where he built a strong fort, the outer walls of which are intact even now, and continues to be a local attraction.

Former President , late K.R. Narayanan hails from Ottapalam.