Padmanabhapuram Palace, Nagercoil: Forgotten Palace

Situated at the tip of mainland India, lies the 16th century Padmanabhapuram Palace at a distance of 20 km from Nagercoil, India. Reflecting the architecture of medieval India, the palace basks in the glory of the Rajas of Travancore. Located 50 km from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, the wooden palace is nestled at the foot of the Veli Hills. The legendary story of royalty are wrapped up in this historical location and is a place that must be visited. Given the short distances from Nagercoil and Thiruvananthapuram, a couple of hours on road is enough to reach this monumental masterpiece.

Padmanabhapuram Palace, The Forgotten Palace (Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

The materials used to build different parts of this palace are all exquisite and reflect “Kerala's indigenous style of architecture”. The palace itself lies inside a 4 km long fortress made of granite. While the exteriors are subject to weather conditions, the inner walls of the palace are beautifully ornamented with rosewood carvings, intricate designs and contain exclusively sculpted pieces of furniture. The floor of the Durbar Hall inside the palace is especially made of a combination of ingredients like burnt coconut and jaggery lime, among others, which evoke the aroma of rustic India. A musical mahogany bow, royal chairs with Chinese carvings, earthen urns and other pieces of skill and artifice add to the antiquity of the palace.

Secret underground passages and strategically planned architecture ensured smooth movement between the various halls of the palace. The Mantrasala (Council chamber), Thai Kottaram (Mother's palace), Nataksala (Hall of performance) and Thekee kottaram (Southern palace) are the different chambers within the palace.

Padmanabhapuram Palace (Photo Courtesy: indiancolumbus)

The medieval monumental masterpiece, Padmanabhapuram Palace (Photo Courtesy: paintedstork)

The Padmanabhapuram Palace falls under the jurisdiction of the Government of Kerala despite its location in Tamil Nadu. One of the lesser popular and recently forgotten tourist spots, it serves as a worthy object of sightseeing, especially so because it is right next to Kanyakumari. Flights to Thiruvananthapuram are available from all over India. Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Madurai, Thane etc are connected by air. Aurangabad flights, Nagpur flights, Hubli-Dharawad flights and Mysore flights fly all year round.

October to February is the best season for tourist attractions as the weather is pleasant and cool in winter. The summer months from March to May are hot and usually crowded.