Padmanabhapuram Palace History And Visiting Time
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George Joseph 116 2
Padmanabhapuram Palace, Chakala, Thuckalay, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India
Event requires registration or tickets.
Schedule and Timing:
Open on all days except Mondays and National Holidays from 9.00am to 4.30pm.
Description:A magnificent wooden palace of the 16th century, the Padmanabhapuram Palace lies at the land's end of mainland India. An enticing edifice 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, sculptured decor and 17th and 18th-century murals.
Padmanabhapuram Palace History
The palace, then known as Kalkulam Palace, was constructed around 1601 AD by the then Travancore ruler, Iravi Varma Kulasekhara Perumal. The palace was rebuilt around 1750 AD by the maker of modern Travancore, Anizham Thirunal Marthandavarma.
He renamed the Kalkulam Fort as Padmanabhapuram in the same year, and the Palace also came to be known as Padmanabhapuram Palace. His successor Karthika Thirunnal Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal also known as Dharma Raja (1758-1798 AD) gradually shifted the capital from Padmanabhapuram to Thiruvananthapuram in the 1790s. After that, the Royal family kept it as their ancestral property.
In 1938, Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the then King of Travancore handed over the palace complex to the Travancore State Archaeology Department. The government of Travancore declared it as a protected monument under the provisions of Ancient Monument Act then in force.
Extensive restoration works were conducted and the buildings were restored to its original beauty using traditional technology during the 1940s. After the state reorganization in 1956, the Palace and its premises were retained under the administrative control of the Government of Kerala.
In course of time, an Antique Museum was started with a good collection of antiquities like stone and copper plate inscriptions, stone and wooden sculptures, ancient armaments such as swords, rifles, spears and shields and Travancore coins, etc.
A modern building in traditional style was constructed and all antique objects were shifted to the new museum building in 1994. The Department Of Archaeology is providing sufficient funds for the structural conservation works of the deteriorated structure in the Palace.
Padmanabhapuram Palace Architecture, Things to See
The Palace is situated in 6.5 acres of land. It comprises of 14 palace buildings with 127 rooms. It is made of natural materials like mud, wood, granites, etc. The place is a haven for historical curios with entire rooms filled with Chinese jars gifted by Chinese merchants, weapons used in actual warfare, brass lamps, antique polished furniture and even an old-style toilet and a well. Moreover, there is a series of paintings depicting historical incidents and facts about the royal family of Travancore. There are 29 Galleries, an Epigraphy Museum and an Archaeological Museum, wherein objects belonging to the late medieval period are exhibited.
Tickets / Registration:Adults, Indian - ₹ 35.00, Children, Indian - ₹ 10.00 Adults, Foreign - ₹ 300.00, Children, Foreign - ₹ 50.00 Video Camera fee - ₹ 2000.00
Event id: 865831832
Published on August 25th, 2018, 9:27 am
Ver.1 Dated February 21st, 2019, 6:17 pm
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