Padmanabhapuram Palace was the palace of the erstwhile rulers of the kingdom of Travancore. It is situated at Padmanabhapuram near Nagercoil Town. The place complex is part of Kerala state, inside Tamilnadu state.
Padmanabhapuram Palace in Kanyakumari District.
Padmanabhapuram Palace is inside the Padmanabhapuram Fort, an old granite fortress that is around four kilometers in length. The Fort is located on the foot of the Veli Hills. Valli River flows near the Padmanabhapuram fort and palace.
The Padmanabhapuram Palace is believed to be constructed in 1601 AD, by Iravi Varma Kulasekhara Perumal, the King who reigned from 1592 to 1609. It is built in the traditional Kerala style of architecture. The Queen Mother’s Palace (Thai Kottaram), part of the fort, is believed to have been constructed around 1550 AD.
The palace was rebuilt by King Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (1706–1758) around 1750, who reigned the princely state of Travancore from 1729 to 1758. He dedicated the kingdom of Travancore to his family deity, Sree Padmanabha, a form of Lord Vishnu. Hence, the city got its name Padmanabhapuram, which means the city of Lord Padmanabha. (Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, Thiruvananthapuram is now considered the World’s Richest Temple.)
The most beautiful portion of the palace complex is the King’s Council Chamber. Delicate and beautiful lattice works with its colored mica windows make any visitor spellbound. Performance Hall is a relatively new addition (after the capital was shifted from here as described in the next paragraph) with its granite pillars and gleaming black floors and was constructed by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, a Great connoisseur of music and dance, who reigned from 1829 to 1846. The central mansion, built by King Marthandavarma is a 4-storeyed building at the center of the palace complex; the royal treasury on the ground floor, the King’s bedrooms on the First floor, the King’s resting and study rooms on the second floor, and top fourth floor is the worship rooms for the royal family. Southern Palace is also believed to be the same age as Thai kottaram (Mother’s Palace) and is now converted into a Heritage Museum.
The capital of Travancore Kingdom was shifted to Thiruvananthapuram in 1795, and after that, the palace lost its glory. The Land and buildings inside the fort belong to the Kerala Government and are maintained by the Archaeology Department of the Government of Kerala.
How Do I Go to Padmanabhapuram Palace?
Padmanabhapuram, where the palace is located is near Thuckalay town, the administrative headquarters of Kalkulam Taluk. Kanyakumari – Panvel (South Mumbai) NH 66 (previously known as NH 17) passes through Thuckalay.
The nearest railway station is at a distance of around five kilometers at Eraniel; not all trains stop here. The nearest major railway station is at Nagarkoil, at a distance of around 20 kilometers distance from the palace complex.
Padmanabhapuram Palace is located around 50 kilometers from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala state. Thiruvananthapuram has an international airport and railway station.
