Palacode is located on the northwest region of Tamil Nadu in Dharmapuri district with an average elevation of 533 meters above MSL. The terrain can be described as rolling in nature. The taluk extends to an area of 73,267 h.a, covering 16% of the district's total area. The various proportional area divisions are:
According to the 2011 census, the taluk of Palakkodu had a population of 345,906 with 178,514 males and 167,392 females. There were 938 women for every 1000 men. The taluk had a literacy rate of 41.04. Child population in the age group below 6 was 20,954 Males and 18,600 Females.
This is a co-operative sugar mill established in the year 1971-72. The present crushing capacity of the mill is 2000 M.T. A polytechnic college was established in 1985 under the management of the sugar-mill.
Government Polytechnic College
The college was established by the state government in 2010 in Boomandahalli village and extends to an area of 5 acres. The Government College of Engineering, Dharmapuri is also functioning here temporarily.
Modhur village
A small village near Dharmapuri has been found to be archaeologically significant as historians have revealed that it has been inhabited since the Neolithic age, about 10,000 years ago. Historians, who have been studying inscriptions and tools found in the area, are of the opinion that Modhur, situated about fifteen kilo metres from Dharmapuri town, was highly civilised and was most probably the capital for the Athiyaman kingdom. Stone hammers, grinding stones, rubbing stones, stone balls, and a terracotta statue of the mother goddess were excavated in the village. Nearly 17 varieties of stones tools were used by the people of Modhur that dates back to a period about 10,000 years back. “The Neolithic people who lived here were highly civilised and there is evidence that the people were engaged in agriculture,†said S Selvaraj, a retired regional assistant director, department of archaeology. Modhur is an important historical site, situated about 15 km from Dharmapuri. The antiquity of Modhur village went back to the Neolithic age. It had a succession of habitations. In the surface collection, the site yielded black and red ware, slipped ware and few grey pottery of the Megalithic period. Two hero stone inscriptions of the Hoysala king were also found. More than 20 megalithic burials were found at Tirumalvadi, near Modhur. A Chola period inscription of the 10th century, which was found in the village, indicated that Chola kings had imposed tax for marriages.
On 12 March 2014, the Government of Tamil Nadu declared Cauvery North Wild Life Sanctuary under clause of sub-section of Section 26-A of the Wild Life Act, 1972 in Gazette No.II/EF/254/2014 covering the protected area of Palacode taluk of Dharmapuri forest division and Denkanikottai taluk of Hosur forest division in northern western Tamil Nadu.
