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Puthen Malika the official name of the palace, form part of large complex of royal buildings in the vicinity of Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The building was left unoccupied for more than a century, following the demise of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal in 1847. The 16 rooms of palace was opened for public as museum on 1st April 1995. During the year 2016-17 the said 16 rooms were re-organized / upgraded and also opened 3 more rooms with more exhibits to meet the contemporary requirement of modern Indian museum. All the rooms have different types of ceilings, carved in wood, small beautiful floral decorations are made along the upper edges of the walls. The roof of the palace on the ground floor is supported by granite pillars, which are adorned with intricate designs. The floor of the palace is made of egg whites, black charcoal of coconut shell and slaked lime, which make it cool and smooth even in hot summer. Visit to the palace will give a glimpse of how the kings of Travancore had lived, though only portion of this palace is open for the public. The exhibits of the museum constitutes mainly wooden Kathakali figures, Portraits of the Travancore royalties, Paintings (by Raja Ravi Varma/Mr.Roerich and other renowned artists) Dozens of Swords, daggers, darts, knives, spears, weapons made of horns of antelopes with metal tips, shield made of rhinoceros skin, Ivory throne of Swathi Thirunal, Crystal-glass throne of Visakom Thirunal (gift received from Czekoslovakia), Bronze sculptures of Chola styles which belongs to 10th to 14th century AD. Idols of Krishna, Rama and Anjaneya. Very rare Wooden/marble/stone sculptures of different styles and period, made in various parts of our country and ivory cradles, large number of non Indian exhibits are also included in the fabulous collections. Kuthiramalika Palace stands as an iconic monument that gives you a curious insight into the glorious history of Kerala. Kuthiramalika literally translates to Mansion of horses, many pillars that support the southern roof of this majestic structure adorn 122 smiling horses carved into the wooden wall brackets, thus the name Kuthiramalika. This palace was built to preserve and promote many traditional art forms of India, mainly the south. Kuthiramalika Palace is a great example of the Kerala school of architecture and is made from teakwood, rosewood, marble, and granite. The Kuthiramalika museum houses idols and sculptures made from white marble, Kathakali figures, Belgian mirrors and paintings. The flourishing spice trade between Kerala and the world made it possible to obtain those items. Kuthiramalika palace also has a unique Navarathri Mandapam in front of the palace, which hosts many concerts, and other important events. Makers of the palace - Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma was the King of Travancore, who happens to be a great poet, musician, social reformer and statesman. The palace has a unique architecture with wood carvings, a typical Travancore style of architecture. In the palace, there's a museum which displays paintings and various priceless collections of the royal family. 2 pm - 4:45 pm Monday Holiday Indian Adult - Rs.70 Indian Children (5-12 years) - Rs.20 Mobile Camera (outside Museum only) - Rs.50 |
