Pathinaalu Desam (14 Desam) is situated in
Ottappalam Taluk of Palakkad District between Vellinezhi in the west, Neelamangalam in the east, Kalluvazhi in the south and the river Karimpuzha (Kadalundi) in the north. Existing for about 1,000 years, the names of the desams have not changed yet. All the families in the Pathinaalu Desam are Rigvedis and belong to Kaasyapa, Viswaamithra, Bhaargava or Aangiras gothrams.
There are about ten large temples, where vaaram (day of the week), thrisandha and utsavam are held. Pachaayil Siva Temple, Sankaranarayana temple, and Kanthallur Vishnu temple are some of them. There is also a kathakali kalari in Pathinaalu Desam.
The prominent personalities born in Pathinaalu Desam are Kunchunny Namboodiripad, O M C Narayanan Namboodiripad, Olappamanna Subramanian Namboodiri, Dr O M Anujan, Bhattathiripad, Ashtamoorthy Namboodiripad, Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, Matambi Subrahmanian Namboodiri and Nedumpalli Krishnan Namboodiri.
