Ever wish of seeing the perfect sunrise at a place? If yes, then Kanyakumari in India is the place for you. The landscape and the sea gives you two of the best views of the world’s greatest phenomena, the sunrise and the sunset. This is one of the best places in India to view the sun in its full beauty. This town is very much famous for its vast paddy fields, rubber garden and luscious green forests. This place holds the record of the old human civilization dating to be 4000 years ago. In this land, get to know about the Padmanabhapuram Palace.
Padmanabhapuram Palace
This masterpiece of a building with stunning Kerala style architecture is on the way to Kanyakumari in a small town, Thuckalay. This wooden palace with its floral decors, murals and black granite floor still amuse many of the travellers. This mindblowing piece of architecture is 30 km away from Kanyakumari and 60 km from Trivandrum. The palace is very famous for its exhibits like the painted ceilings, royal chair, windows of coloured mica and many more. Other than this, there are many other splendid things in this Palace like the Durbar hall with its shining floor, the famous medicinal bed in the King’s bedroom and several secret underground tunnels add to the splendour of this magnificent beauty. The Palace dates back to the year 1601 A.D and it truly gives out the whole renaissance feeling of the palace preserving the history and rich culture.
Interesting Facts about Padmanabhapuram Palace:
Padmanabhapuram Palace is one place that any tourist should visit while in Kanyakumari. This architectural masterpiece has many things to offer and it cannot be easily missed out. And to a place with so much Historical relevance and rich culture, there will be many mind-boggling facts. So here are some of them.
- This palace is one of the most beautiful structures that represents simplicity and serenity. Belonged to the Royal family, this palace is now one of the most major tourist attractions there and can not be missed out on.
- After the construction, the structure was again renovated during 1750. Once the capital of Travancore moved, the building lost its significance. But still, it is one of the most sought after places to visit as a tourist.
- There is a palace for the Queen mother. Named as Thai Kootram, it was in from the 16th century. It also has the central hall, the hall of performance, the southern hall and many more to be visited in this Palace.
- The King’s bedroom is one of the main attractions there with the interesting murals and the painting of Lord Krishna. It also has the main central hall with the medicinal bed which will certainly not disappoint you as a tourist there.
Construction:
Constructed around the 1601 CE, this palace was constructed by Iravi Varma Kulasekhara Perumal. He was the ruler of Venad between 1592 and 1609. This palace is the best example of Kerala style architecture. King Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, rebuilt the palace. King Marthanda, then dedicated the kingdom to Lord Padmanabha. Hence the name Padmanabhapuram. in 1795, the capital of Travancore was shifted to Thiruvananthapuram. The palace lost its glory in this period. But it is still one of the most famous and the best examples for a Kerala style architecture. The Architecture used there in the complex just give out the Kerala style to the tourists. Even though this palace is mostly among the Tamilnadu states, it is a property of the government of Kerala. This is all you need to know about the construction of the Padmanabhapuram Palace.
Rooms in this Palace:
This Padmanabhapuram Palace is one of the major tourist attractions in Kerala. This is not just a palace but a historic representation of an era. You can learn several things from there and after fully exploring it, you can take away quite a good knowledge of this place. You can simply visit this place and be baffled in wonder. This palace is not one simple structure but a culmination of many. So here are the different unique rooms present in the Palace.
Mantrasala
Known as the king’s council chamber, this is one of the major halls in the Palace. This is more of an administrative wing of the palace. This is where the council meets to take important decisions. Ministers will be present there with the king. The architecture there is just fabulous and you can’t take your eyes off it.
Thai Kottaram
Also known as the Mother Queen’s chamber, this is the oldest complex in the palace. This is where the Queen Mother stayed in this kingdom. The construction date of this building dates back to the year 1550.
Nataksala
Better known as the Hall of performance is a big hall with very intricate architecture. This was the complex where many major performances and dramas used to happen. This hall is a perfect example of great architecture but also one of the best complexes in the palace.
Thekee Kootram
Also known as the southern palace, this is as old as the Thai Kootram. It is almost 400 years old. This place is now a heritage museum explaining about the heritage and culture during the 16th century. It gives you an insight into the culture and history of that period.
Tickets and Timings
The Padmanabhapuram temple is one place for you to visit while you are in either Kerala or Tamilnadu. You will get to learn more about the history and culture of the 16th century. The prices of these places are as follows:
- Adult: 35 INR
- Child: 10 INR
- Foreigner: 300 INR
- Still cam: 50 INR
- Video Cam: 2500 INR
Opening time is as follows:
9:00 AM – 12:30 PM, 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
It is closed on all Mondays.
The Place is closed on this list of days.
- Pongal
- Republic day – 26th January
- Attukal Ponkala
- Ambedkar Jayanti – 14th April
- May Day – 1st May
- Karkidaka Vavu – 31st July
- Independence day – 15th August
- Thiruvonam – 11th September
- Gandhi Jayanthi – 2nd October
- Deepavali
Quick Summary
This is all the information that you will need to know about the Padmanabhapuram Palace. Get to view this architectural marvel at least once. Add this to your Kerala Holiday Packages itinerary and travel with your loved ones. Also, do check out on the Pickyourtrail website to know more information on domestic travel.
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FAQ’s
It was constructed in the year 1601 AD.
Padmanabhapuram Palace is the largest palace in Kerala.
It is under the control of the State Government.
Not just for Architecture enthusiasts, but also for tourists it is a worthy place to visit.
It would take 1or 2 hours minimum to go around exploring the palace.
