Wooden palace of Padmanabhapuram
Padmanabhapuram palace is located in a sleepy little town that is rich in history. Tourists flock each day to experience the fame which the palace once possessed, when its inhabitants ruled with grandeur and fought battles with legendary courage. This tiny town is situated in Tamil Nadu, district Kanyakumari, about 20 km from Nagercoil, and 50 km from Trivandrum.
This palace was constructed by Iravipillai Iravivarma Kulasekhara Perumal. The fort is built with granite cut from huge rocks. The buildings are constructed from wood and stone, built in Kerala’s indigenous style of architecture. The fort stood as an impregnanble guard against invaders from neighbouring areas and foreign counties.
The ancient fort has several structures. In “Mantrasala” (literal meaning, king’s council chamber), the dark floor has been textured with burned coconut shell, egg whites and other components. In “Thai Kottaram” or mother palace, believed to be the oldest in the palace, four pillars (nalukettu) in the four corners hold the sloping roof. In the south-west, a small room called the chamber of solitude (ekantha mandapam) has very beautiful wooden carving with floral designs. The breathtaking “Nataksala”, or performing hall, is believed to have been constructed by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal (1829-1846) who loved music and dance. It also has peepholes for the women in the royal family.
The four-storied central building (Uppirikka Maliga) is located in the central part of the palace, and was used as the place of worship by the royal household. One can admire the king’s bedstead, made from 64 medicinal herbal woods said to cure diseases, presented to him by Dutch merchants.
The banquet hall can accommodate a thousand guests at a time. An entire room is filled with Chinese jars, these came as gifts from Chinese travellers and merchants. Equipment used in warfare, sculptured from wood and stone, are on display. And surprisinggly, still keeping perfect time is a clock made three centuries ago. “Thekee kottaram” (southern palace) now serves as a heritage museum, where it exhibits treasured from the past.
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