Description of the attraction
Padmanabhapuram Palace is located on the territory of the fortified fort of the same name, and is a whole complex of various buildings. The granite fortress, which is about 4 kilometers long, is located in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on the border with the state of Kerala, and lies at the foot of the Veli Hills, which are part of the Western Ghats. The Valli River also flows nearby.
The palace was built in 1601 by order of Iravi Varma Kulasekhar Perumal - the ruler of the Travankor principality, and until 1790 served as a residence for him and his successors. Also in 1750, Padmanabhapuram was rebuilt and acquired its present appearance.
The palace complex consists of several buildings, namely: a meeting hall - Mantrasala; the mother hall - Thai Kottaram - is so named because it is the first building of the complex, it is believed that it was created in 1550; art hall - Nataxala; Theke Kottaram - South Palace; as well as the central four-storey building Uppirikka Maliga.
The most beautiful part of the palace is Mantrasala. The interior of the hall is always cool and fresh thanks to the windows decorated with multi-colored mica, which also gives it a very mysterious look. Mantrasala is also decorated with fine forged lattices. When visiting this room, special attention should be paid to the flooring - various materials were used for it, even burnt shells of coconuts and eggs.
Another attraction of Padmanabhapuram is the tower with a three-hundred-year-old clock, which still shows the correct time. Previously, it was also possible to walk along a secret passage that led to the palace of Charottu Kottaram, located a few kilometers from Padmanabhapuram, and with the help of which the ruler's family could secretly hide at any time. But today it is closed.
In general, the palace is a real masterpiece of architectural art, moreover, it contains a large collection of interesting things, such as weapons that were actually used in battle, and vases with jugs donated to the rulers of Travancore by Chinese merchants.
