Padmanabhapuram Palace/ Biggest Wooden Palace in India / Kerala Tourism/

Padmanabhapuram Palace/ Biggest Wooden Palace in India / ‎@TravelwithG123 

Padmanabhapuram Palace, also known as Kalkulam Palace, is a Travancore-era palace located in Padmanabhapuram in the Kanyakumari district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The palace is owned, controlled and maintained by Kerala government . Padmanabhapuram is the former capital city of the erstwhile Hindu kingdom of Travancore. It is around 20 km (12 mi) from Nagercoil, 39 km (24 mi) from Kanyakumari town and 52 km (32 mi) from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.[1] The palace complex lies inside an old granite fortress around four kilometers long. The palace is located at the foot of the Veli Hills, part of the Western Ghats.

One of the largest wooden palaces in Asia, Padmanabhapuram Palace is spread over an area of 6.5 acres of land. The palace contains 15 edifices that are all rich in intricate and complex woodwork and sculptures. The palace was active till around the middle of the 19th century.

The palace complex continues to be one of the best examples of traditional Kerala architecture, and some portions of the sprawling complex are also the hallmark of traditional Kerala style architecture.
The Padmanabhapuram Palace complex consists of several structures:
Mantrashala, the King's Council Chamber
Thai Kottaram (Malayalam: തായ് കൊട്ടാരം, lit. 'mother's palace'), constructed before 1550
Nataksala; the Performance Hall
A four-storeyed mansion at the centre of the complex
Thekke Kottaram; the Southern Palace
Indira Vilasom, a guest house built to host guests and foreign dignitaries

Central mansion:-
The four-storeyed building is located at the centre of the palace complex. The ground floor houses the royal treasury. The first floor houses the King's bedrooms. The ornamental bedstead is made of 64 types of herbal and medicinal woods, and was a gift from the Dutch merchants. Most of the rooms here and in other parts of the palace complex have built-in recesses in walls for storing weapons like swords and daggers. The second floor houses the King's resting and study rooms. Here the King used to spend time during fasting days. The top floor (called upparikka malika) served as the worship chamber of the royal household. Its walls are covered with exquisite 18th century murals, depicting scenes from the puranas, and also few scenes from the social life of the Travancore of that time. The top floor was supposed to be Sree Padmanabha Swamy's room. This building was constructed during the reign of King Marthandavarma. He was also designated as Padmanabha Dasa and used to rule the Travancore kingdom as a servant of Sree Padmanabha Swamy.
There are many other splendid sights inside the Palace. The Durbar Hall with its shiny black floor made of a combination of egg white, jaggery, lime, burnt coconut, charcoal and river sand is a rare architectural feat. The place also has secret underground passages, the famous medicinal bed in the King’s bedroom, mural paintings, pictures of Lord Krishna, a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, open air swimming baths, fish carvings and hanging brass lanterns that have been continuously lit since the 18th century. This palace dates back to 1601 C.E. and is a true testament to the resilience and perseverance of the land and our ancestors.


Visiting Hours: 9:00 - 12:30 hrs, 2:00 - 4:30 hrs (All days except Mondays).

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