Indian Columbus

Padmanabhapuram Palace , which is located near Nagercoil and  Trivandrum , is one of the most famous palaces in South India. Tourists who visit Southern Tamil Nadu or Kerala do not miss Padmanabhapuram palace. However, hardly anyone is aware of the beautiful ancient temple located nearby.  Ramaswamy temple is the one which is found next to Padmanabhapuram Palace. The temple is big; however, no other shrine or icon is found besides the presiding deity in the main shrine. This temple should be as old as the Padmanabhapuram Palace.  The main shrine has a big icon of Lord Rama. He is found along with Sita and Lakshmana on either side. There is a small Utsava idol (metal icon) of Lord Hanuman. Hanuman's icon is depicted beautifully; he has kept his mouth closed with his right hand showing that he is humble in front of Rama. The circumambulatory path around the shrine (prakara) has many mural paintings depicting Ramayana's story. When you get a chance to visit Padmanabhapuram p...

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 ...