Palode is a town in Thiruvananthapuram district in the Indian state of Kerala.
Palode was once a stronghold of the Venad empire, a medieval kingdom that exerted much dominance in the region.
However, the onset of the colonial era saw the once-mighty empire splinter into four provinces, namely Chirava, Tripappor, Ilayidam (Kottarakara), and Perakam (also called Nedumangad).
It is a small hamlet on the foothills of the Western Ghats covered by rubber plantations and forest.
Kerala state road transport corporation has a bus depot in Palode connecting major towns and villages in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam District.
MC Road (State Highway 1) is connected by Karette-Kallara-Palode bus route.
Brimore is one of the best trekking spots in Kerala and lies at a height of 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level.
The forest checkpost at Mankayam waterfalls requires a payment of Rs 25 per vehicle.
Timber and Wood related business, and tourism are other major parts of the local economy.
Palode is predominantly an agriculture-dependent area and most of the people are directly or indirectly involved in agriculture for their livelihood.
With the spread of rubber cultivations in the 1970s and 1980s in the eastern regions of Kerala, farmers of Palode quickly moved over from coconut and paddy cultivation to rubber, attracted by its high return on investment.
In the 1990s, a lot of village youth traveled to the Middle East countries in search of jobs.
Now, many adults from the village are working abroad and, therefore, remittance is also a good source of income.
The flow of remittance has resulted in an increase in the number of concrete buildings, replacing the old thatched and tiled houses.