The second best Palace of South India - Padmanabhapuram Palace

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Padmanabhapuram Palace is the second most famous palace in South India, after Mysore Palace. It is located inside the Padmanabhapuram fortress at the foot of Veli Hills, a part of the Western Ghats. 


Padmanabhapuram Palace is located at a distance of around 20 km from Nagercoil and 50 km from Thiruvananthapuram. The nearest town to Padmanabhapuram is Thakkalai. Even though Padmanabhapuram Palace is situated on the Tamil Nadu state border, the palace is administered by Kerala Government's archaeological department. Moreover, the palace stands as an example of Kerala architectural style.


It was built by the Travancore king, Iravipillai Iravivarma Kulasekhara Perumal, in 1601 AD. After the capital of the Travancore kingdom was shifted from Padmanabhapuram to Thiruvananthapuram in the late 18th century AD, it lost its glory.


The palace is one of the most beautiful monuments in South India. It is an excellent example of the typical Kerala style of architecture and palace. The most beautiful portion of the castle is the King's council chamber or Mantrasala. The floor is dark colored and is made of a mixture of various substances, such as burnt coconut shells and eggs. Mantrasala has windows with colored mica, which keeps the room cool and dark.


The Mother's Palace or Thai Kottaram, is a section of the palace that has beautiful wooden carvings. There is a separate hall named 'Natakasala', which was used for dance and music performances. The four-storeyed building in the center of the palace has various rooms, including the King's bedroom, a worshipping place with many beautiful mural paintings depicting Hindu Puranas, and rooms displaying multiple weapons. The specialty of the King's bed is that it is made up of several Ayurvedic herbs. There is another bed which is made so that it always remains cool. 


A separate building named Southern Palace houses some antique items for display. Some rooms in the palace are used as a museum for displaying royal ornaments, vessels, weapons, and idols. There is also a small temple dedicated to the Goddess Saraswati, which is closed nowadays.


Padmanabhapuram Palace is definitely a place that you must visit in South India.


Happy travelling.


Coorg



Visit my site, krishnakumartk.com, to know more about the travel guides and other books that I have written. 




Location: Padmanabhapuram, Tamil Nadu, India

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