Kerala Tradition & Fascinating Destinations 2014 Kerala Tradition & Destinations 2014 | Page 77

Kerala is a land of rich historical heritage. Over the years, Kerala has been
witness too much political activities and has witnessed the influx of various
foreign powers, which settled down in various parts of the state. Many
empires and many rulers have ruled the state and thus, Kerala has a plethora
of forts and palaces. Though most of the forts in Kerala are built or have an
over whelming European feel to it architecture, many of them where initially
built by Indians like Hyder Ali and later modified over by the European.
The forts which speak about the history of kingdoms built and brought
down attract many tourists from far and near. The imposing forts such as
the St. Angelo’s Fort, Bekal Fort, Palakkad Fort built or transformed by
these colonial powers speak volumes about the foreign influence on
architecture. The Palakad Fort was constructed by Hyder Ali of Mysore in
1766. Later on it was taken over by the British and modified by British.