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Kerala Kalamandalam
Kerala Kalamandalam
Location : In Thuckalay, 64 km from Thiruvananthapuram, situated in Tamilnadu,
a neighbouring State.
Visiting hours : 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on all days except Mondays. A magnificent
wooden palace of the 16th century, Kerala Kalamandalam lies at the land's
end of mainland India. An enticing piece 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 and sculptured
decor. The palace also contains 17th and 18th century murals. One can see: the
musical bow in mahogany, windows with coloured mica, royal chairs with Chinese
carvings, 'Thaikkottaram' or the Queen Mother's palace with painted ceilings,
rose wood and teak carved ceilings with 90 different floral designs.
Durbar Hall with a shiny black floor specially made from a combination of egg
white, jaggery lime, burnt coconut, charcoal and river sand, granite tubs to
cool curd and buttermilk, secret underground passages, the King's bedroom with
a four poster medicinal bed, mural paintings, pictures of Lord Krishna, hanging
brass lanterns lit continuously since the 18th century, hanging cage through
which eagles tore criminals to death, open air swimming bath, the King's sister's
dressing room, granite dance hall, Saraswathi (goddess of knowledge) temple,
large earthen urns, room for scribes and accountants, carved figures on columns
holding oil lamps, pooja (worship) rooms with jackfruit tree columns, fish carvings
on the ceilings, enormous teak beams, Belgian mirrors and an outer cyclopean
stone wall fitted together without mortar. The visitor is often overwhelmed
by the royal splendour of erstwhile Travancore.
Though the palace is situated in Kanyakumari district of Tamilnadu State, it
comes under the purview of the Government of Kerala's administration.
Kerala Kalamandalam, Kerala Monuments
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