Location : In Thuckalay, 64 km from Thiruvananthapuram, situated in
Tamilnadu, a neighbouring State.
A magnificent wooden palace of the 16th century, Padmanabhapuram Palace lies at the land's end of
mainland India. An enticing piece to any lover of art and architecture this old palace of the Rajas of the erstwhile Travancore (1550 to
1750 AD) is a fine specimen of Kerala's indigenous style of architecture.
The antique interiors are replete with intricate rosewood carvings and sculptured decor. The palace also contains 17th and 18th
century murals. One can see: the
musical bow in mahogany, windows with coloured mica, royal chairs with Chinese carvings,
'Thaikkottaram' or the Queen Mother's palace with painted ceilings, rose wood and teak carved ceilings with 90 different floral designs. Durbar Hall with a shiny black floor
specially made from a combination of egg white, jaggery lime, burnt coconut, charcoal and river sand,
granite tubs to cool curd and buttermilk, secret underground passages, the King's bedroom with a four poster medicinal bed, mural paintings, pictures of
Lord Krishna, hanging brass lanterns lit continuously since the 18th century, hanging cage through which eagles tore criminals to death, open air swimming bath, the King's sister's dressing room, granite dance hall,
Saraswathi (goddess of knowledge) temple, large earthen urns, room for scribes and accountants, carved figures on columns holding oil lamps, pooja (worship) rooms with jackfruit tree columns, fish carvings on the ceilings, enormous teak beams, Belgian mirrors and an outer
cyclopean stone wall fitted together without mortar. The visitor is often
overwhelmed by the royal splendour of erstwhile Travancore. Though the palace is situated in Kanyakumari district of Tamilnadu State, it comes under the purview of the Government of
Kerala's administration.
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