Padmanabhapuram palace is an ancient historical monument representing
the indigenous architectural features especially in the traditional style of
Southern Kerala. The palace was built by Trippapur Moopam, the head of the Trippapur Swarupam Dynasty that ruled over Padmanabhapuram. It was constructed in the 14th Century, as a mud palace in the Nalukettu style of architecture that prevailed in Kerala. The palace was restructured in the 18th Century, using granite in most of the parts of the fort, by Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, King of Travancore, who named the palace Padmanabhapuram after the name of prime deity of Travancore, Lord Padmanabhaswamy.
The palace is situated in the centre of the Padmanabhapuram
Fort with an area of 186 acres amidst hills, dales and rivers. All the buildings
in it are elegantly designed and display a simplicity of architectural style
characterised by pointed gables, dormer windows and long corridors, The earliest
of structures was built about 1335 AD. The most noteworthy edifices are the
Entrance Hall (Poomukham), the Council Chamber (Mantrasala), the Natakasala
(Theatre Hall), the Pooja Mandapa (Place of worship), the Saraswathy Shrine
and above all the Uppirikka Malika (Storeyed building) which contain well preserved
mural paintings. The figures painted on the walls are mythological, masterly
designed and are wonderfully fresh and unmutilated. They are really valuable
artistic heritages of the past, unsurpassed in linear presentation and are full
of charm, expression and meditative repose revealing a new world of enchanted
riches.
Mantrasala (Council chamber)
King’s Council chamber is the most beautiful parts of the entire palace complex. It has windows, with coloured mica, which keep the heat and the dust away, and the inside of the council chamber remains cool and dark. Delicate and beautiful lattice work can be seen all around the council chamber.The floor is also beautifully done, with a fine and perfect finish. The floor is dark coloured and is made of a mixture of varied substances, including burnt coconut shells, egg white and so on. The remarkable aspect is that this particular floor finish and texture could not be duplicated in any other construction.
Thai Kottaram (Mother's palace)
Mother’s palace, designed in traditional Kerala style, is the oldest construction in the entire palace complex and is believed to be constructed around mid-16th century. True to the traditional Kerala style, there is an inner courtyard, called 'nalukettu'. In the inner courtyard, sloping roofs from all four sided taper down. Four pillars on four corners support the roof. On the south-west corner of the mother’s palace, there is a relatively small room, called the chamber of solitude or 'ekantha mandapam'. The chamber of solitude has very beautiful and intricate wood carvings of every description all around. Of particular interest is a pillar of single jackfruit wood, with very detailed and beautiful floral designs.
Nataksala (Hall of performance)
This is a relatively new building, constructed at the behest of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, who reigned in Travancore from 1829 to 1846. He was a great connoisseur of arts, especially music and dance. He himself composed music and has left a rich legacy to classical carnatic music. The Nataksala or the hall or performance has solid granite pillars and gleaming black floor. There is a wooden enclosure, with peepholes, where the women of the royal household used to sit and watch the performance.
Four-storeyed central building (UPPIRIKKA MALIGA)
The four-storied building is located at the centre of the palace complex. The top floor (called upparikka malika) served as the worship chamber of the royal household. Its walls are covered with exquisite 18th century murals, depicting scenes from the puranas, and also few scenes from the social life of the Travancore of that time. There are several rooms just below the worship chambers, which included the king's bedroom. The ornamental bedstead is made of 64 types of herbal and medicinal woods, and was a gift from the Dutch merchants. Most of the rooms here and in other parts of the palace complex have built-in recesses in walls for storing weapons like swords and daggers.
Thekee kottaram (Southern palace)
In the southern side of the main complex of Padmanabhapuram Palace but outside the compound wall there is a small palace. It is actually a traditional building in the style of a Naluketu. This wonderful architectural elegance shows the beauty of our domestic architecture. Now a Heritage Museum is housed in this building. The southern palace is as old as the ‘Thai kottaram’ (Mother's palace), which would make it about 400 year old. Now, it serves as a heritage museum, exhibiting antique household articles and curios. Collections of items give an insight into the social and cultural ethos of that period. Padmanabhapuram was the capital of erstwhile Travancore state till 1792. Now it is in Kanyakumari district in Tamilnadu state. But the Palace and adjacent area of 6.5 acres of land is placed under the control of the Government of Kerala as per the provision of the state re-organisation settlement in 1956. Padmanabhapuram Palace and Thekke Kottaram with their premises are
now protected monuments under the Department of Archaeology, Kerala.
Other interesting features
The Padamnabhapuram Palace complex has several other interesting features:
The Palace though surrounded entirely by the State of Tamil Nadu is still part of Kerala and the land and Palace belongs to the Government of Kerala.
The clock tower in the palace complex has a 300 year old clock, which still keeps time.
A big hall now bare, which can accommodate around 1000 guests, and where ceremonial feasts were held, on auspicious occasions.
A secret passage, now blocked, through which the king, his immediate family members, and their entourage could escape to another palace, located several kilometers away in the event of any emergency. Name of this palace is Charottu kottaram.
A flight of steps leads to a bathing pond, which has lost its freshness due to neglect and years of disuse.
The Palace complex also has a section of curios and several interesting objects:
An entire room filled with old Chinese jars, all gifts by Chinese merchants.
A variety of weapons (which were actually used in warfare), including swords and daggers.
Brass lamps, wood and stone sculpture, a variety of furniture and large mirrors made of polished metal.
A gallery of paintings depicting incidents from the history of Travancore.
A wooden cot made of up to 64 wooden pieces of a variety of medicinal tree trunks
Polished stone cot, meant for cool effect
Toilet and well
Inner hall of Padmanabhapuram Palace
Padmanabhapuram Palace Location:
Village - Thuckalai, Taluk - Kalkulam, District - Kanyakumari - Tamilnadu
, Location - About 1.5kms east of Thuckalai in Thiruvananthapuram - Kanyakumari
N.H..
Near by Attractions
Puthenmalika Palace Museum, Kovalam Beach, Museum Complex, Attukal Bhagvathy Temple, Kannakanu Palace, Karikakkom Temple and Christ Church are the important sites near the Padmanabhapuram Temple to enjoy the colors of the beautiful southern India.
[Click on images to enlarge]
The Other Important Historical Monuments of Kerala
This temple can be dated to 14th century A.D. The main deity Hari Kanyaka (Mohini concept) is facing East. The temple has a granite adhisthana with laterite but ornate wall.
A traditional style Nalukettu which was used for the Ariyittu Vazhcha, a ceremony in connection with the coronation of the new heir of Cochin Royal family.
Ancient House of Arnose Padiri and St. Francis Xavier Forane Church. Rev. Joannes Ernesto Hanxleden SJ was one of the most remarkable scholar missionaries who dedicated their lives to enrich Malayalam literature with their immortal contributions.
Ayyipilla Asan is the author of Ramakadha pattu, one of the epic of ancient Malayalam Poetry and Ayyinipilla Asan, his brother is the author of Mavarathapattu, another book in ancient Malayalam.
This ancient Devi (Sapta matrukkal) temple is in a square plan representative of the Chola type. The base pillars etc are in stone. The super structure is in the shape of a dome.
This Buddha Image is executed very elegantly; the upper cloth, particularly the many folded part of it passing over the left shoulder and lying flat on the chest. The usnisha and jvala are prominent.
This image of Buddha is popularly known as Karumadikkuttan. It is
made of black stone. Its left hand is broken and lost. Several stories are told
in the area that are associated with the intallation of the iamge in the site.
This Buddha Image is of 96 cm. height. It is in yogasana posture. Jvala, and the upper cloth on the left shoulder which spread over the chest with many foldings is very clear.
This Buddha Image is about 3 feet height including the pedestal upon which it is seated. It has the jvala, usnisha and the upper cloth over the chest to indicate its Buddhist character.
This ancient fort is made of hand laterite stones. It was built by the Sivappa Nayaka of Bednore in the 17th century A.D, who established his authority over the area and built a chain of forts.
This old Siva temple has circular vimana. It is ekathala alpavimana. It is of sandhara type. Two armed dwarapalakas in stone work is seen here on the flanks of the main door entrance.
Ambukuthimala or Edakkalmala is one of the principal hills of the
Wayanad District. Edakkal cave is found on its western slope. The cave contains
carved figures, some inscriptions and symbols on the walls.
The Ezhimala Fort or Ettikkulam fort lies about 2km south of Mount
De-eli or Ezhimala. The fort was built by the Portuguese and subsequently held
by the French and the English.
Ezhuthupara at Marayoor is noted for the collection of Pre-historic cave paintings. Pictures in this megalithic art gallery are drawn in two different media consisting of reddish brown soil containing multicoloured iron minerals and white clay soil.
The unique rock cut temple at Kallil near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district which may be assigned to the peiod after 800 A.D. was originally a Jain shrine.
Kattilmadam is a monument dated to 12th-13th centuries A.D. This beautiful granite structure which is known as Kattilmadam is in dravida style with octagonal Griva and Sikhara.
This is one of the Eighteen Thali temples in Kerala datable to early 13th-14th century AD. It is dedicated to Siva. The old temple is in ruins and a new structure in its place has been put up.
The house stated to be the residence of Kottakal Kunjalimarakkar, one of the heroes of Kerala history, is an ordinary single storied building (new) built in laterite stones and with thatched roof.
This is a centre of historical importance. The word Kottayil Kovilakom means the palace inside the fort. It is the place where the Royal palace of the Villar Vattathu Raja
The Kottukal rock cut temple represents an out standing and typical example for the Rock cut Temple style of Kerala. It has two cells on either side with Sivalingas in each with a projection carrying the figure of Ganapathy at the centre
This palace is the best example for the Kerala style architectural buildings, especially the residence of local Chief-tains and royal palaces of Travancore. Its gabled roof, narrow stair - cases, dormer windows, classical impluva, heavy doors, narrow corridors etc. are worth to be mentioned.
Rock cut temples are one of the main styles of kerala architecture in 7-9 century AD. This cave temple is found at the mid-height of the rock, facing south west.
The temple complex on the top of the Magaladevi Hills facing the Cumbam Valley of Tamilnadu consists of four shrines of different sizes and orientation confined to a well defined Prakara with a fairly large sized Gopuradwara.
It is a temple of square Sikhara type. The roof and all parts of the Sreekovil is made of granite rock. Dwarapalakas are of granite. Ghanadwaras on three sides.
A megalithic monument (Menhir type) in granite having 15 feet height
and 12 feet 4 inches broad standing opposite Anappara on the left side of the
Viyyur - Thanikudam Road.
Neeramonkara Siva temple belongs to the 14th century A.D. It is in circular Dravida style raised on a circular paved disc which forms the outer path of circumambulation
This structural temple can be datable to 12-13thh century A.D. It is of circular vimana with granite stone plinth with plastered walls bearing beautiful mural paintings.
Padmanabhapuram palace is an ancient historical monument representing
the indigenous architectural features especially in the traditional style of
Southern Kerala.
This hexagonal building is the oldest extant European monument in India. It was constructed by the Portuguese in 1503. It is popularly known as Ayakkotta or Alikkotta.
Pandavanpara is a monument standing in gigantic manner, protected by a kind of granite pagoda like natural rock facing west, covers an area of about 96 cents occuring between two huge boulders on a hillock sufficiently spacious to accomodate nearly fifty people.
It is sandhara type temple with cardinal doors on Four sides. The plinth and the wall together are of granite stone work and the rest of timber and sheet roof in circulr vimana.
Three dolmans already excavated by the Department. Contents including prehistoric potteries and iron implements were taken to Thrissur Archaeological Museum.
It is the oldest cave temple in Kerala. It belongs to the latter half of the 8th centruy AD if not earlier as suggested by its close resemblance to later Pallava work.
This inscription is seen in front of the Jews synagogue at Chennamangalam. The Hebrew stone inscription having eight lines shows that the synagogue was built in 1615
The suspension bridge spanning the Kallada River in Punalur is the only one of its kind in south India and it is 400 ft. long. As this bridge erected in 1877
A structural temple of 14th century A.D. Adhistana and wall are of granite. Square vimana, tritala type of super structure, cloister namaskara mandapa etc.
Thodeekulam Siva Temple is famous for its murals with seem to belong to the middle stage of kerala mural tradition perhaps of the 10th-13th century A.D.
In 1788 Tippu Sultan transferred the capital of the province of Malabar from Kozhikkode to the South bank of Beypore River and built a Fort at the modern village of Feroke.
The tomb of the celebrted historical giant and reputed warrior Veera Pazhassi is a historical monument that has laid his great memories on the sands of time.
Vasco de Gama landed at Kappad a few miles north of Kozhikode on
27th may 1498. It was an event which was destined to write the name of kerala
in the annals of world history.
