PADMANABHAPURAM PALACE

KERELA

A magnificent wooden palace of the 16th century, Padmanabhapuram Palace

lies at the land's end of mainland India - Kanyakumari.
Padmanabhapuram Palace was the home of the Rajas of the Travancore
(1550 to 1750 CE) in southern Kerala. This was the center of power in Kerala
from about 1600 to 1790, before it was moved to Thiruvananthapuram (also
known as Trivandrum).
The palace was constructed around 1601 AD by Iravipillai Iravivarma
Kulasekhara Perumal who ruled Travancore between 1592 AD and 1609 AD. It
is surrounded by a 4 km-long stone fort built at the same time.
The area inside the fort walls was restricted to the Royals and their minions.
Padmanabhapuram Palace got its present name when it was rebuilt in the
18th Century, using granite in most of the parts of the outer fort, by
Marthanda Varma, King of Travancore during this period, who named the
palace Padmanabhapuram after the name of the prime deity of Travancore,
Lord Padmanabhaswamy, a reclining form of Lord Vishnu.

Contained within the complex is a collection of 14 palaces and 127 beautiful

royal rooms, many of which feature ornate wood carvings. The carved ceilings of
the palace depict 90 varieties of flowers. Paintings, hundreds of years old, and
stone statues, some over 1000 years old, are on display on the palace grounds.
Important buildings in the palace include:
Poomugham (entrance hall)
Mantrasala Kings Council Chamber
Thai Kottaram Mother Palace (also known as Darbha Kulangara Kottaram)
Nataksala the Hall of Performance, or of Performing Arts
Upparika malika the Kings Quarters a four-story building at the center
of the palace complex containing the Kings Treasury, sleeping quarters,
resting and study rooms, and the top floor serving as the worship chamber of
the royal household. Martanda Verma built the Kings Quarters in 1744 A.D.
Thekee Kottaram the Southern Palace
Uttupura - A ceremonial feasting hall, now bare, which can accommodate
around 1000 guests
Kannadithalam.,Navarathri mandapam, Indravilasom, Chandra vilasom

KINGS COUNCIL CHAMBER

ENTRANCE GATEWAY

In the Kings Council Chamber. There

are specially constructed floors
throughout the palace, like this one in
The Kings Council Chamber, which
are made up of a mixture of burnt
coconut shells, laterite, lime and sand,
which shine to this day.

The Oottupuram was supposed to have

the catering capacity of 2000 meals per day.
It is the common dining hall for all the
people within the palace complex.

The Thai Kottaram is the oldest part of the

palace.
It was built during the reign of Ravi Varma
Kulasekhara perumal, 1592 1620 CE.
A secret tunnel over one kilometer long from
this building provided the royal family with an
escape route in times of war.

PLAN OF THE PALACE COMPLEX AT PADMANABHAPURAM.

SITE PLAN AND OVERLL LAYOUT OF PALACE

COMPLEX WITH A SCHEMATIC SECTION ACROSS.

DETAILED WOOD CRAVING ON CEILINGS,

WALKWAYS & PARTITION WALLS

The Navratri
Mandapam was a
later addition, a
complete stone
structure of
approx. 66 x 27
used for festivities

NAVARATHRI MANDAPA

The entrance to the complex is from the west, through a formal version of the Padipura or
the entrance gate, which is common in all the traditional dwellings of Kerala. The central
locus of the entire composition is the Mothers palace or the Thai Kottaram, around which
all the other spaces are organised. There are separate halls for audiences & gatherings, a
large dance hall, feeding halls of various sizes, kitchen, residences for the king & other
dignitaries, weapons store, bath houses, offices and even a temple. There is also a 4
storeyed Upprika Malika in the complex, constructed in the 1740s, which is a testament to
the technological progress at that time. A 300 year old clock tower in the palace stands
witness to the march of time and is still now in good working condition. Though there is no
formal symmetrical spatial layout to be found as such, there lies a strong organisation
principle, which creates a very coherent & unifying whole. The various built spaces are
interlinked & accessed through a series of courtyards & open spaces which vary
volumetrically & in scale depending upon the level of privacy required, most often, being
very intimate in nature.
The columns are mainly in wood & stone and support the wooden roof structure, which has
been designed very creatively to be functional as well as aesthetic. There are strict rules &
canons laid down in the ancient building science of Vastu Shastra, regarding the use of
wood, techniques of joints, angles of roof forms etc, which have been religiously followed
over the various periods during which the complex was built. The overall effect of this being
that there exist cohesiveness throughout the structure.

The walls are usually made in laterite or

brick & plastered over with lime. There are
non-structural wooden screens called jaalis,
which have the function of allowing in light
& ventilation while ensuring the privacy of
the person inside.
The filtered light creates a dramatic play of
light & shadow in the interiors and ensures a
very cool & comfortable ambience inside,
away from the blazing sun.
The shaded interiors are cool, which is a
direct derivative of the climatological need
to counter the warm humid tropical climate.
Indeed, one of the most significant aspects
of the design is the sensitive handling of the
light & shadows to create a wholesome
comfortable ambience inside, one that
focuses inside, calming, soothing &
contemplating.

Ambari Mukhappu - the crowning

example of craftmanship of Travancore
wood carving. 'Ambari' is actually the
seat put on elephants back for safaris.
The building has been constructed
based on the shape and structure of an
'ambari'. It was built for kings to view
chariot races during festivals and to
appear before the public on special
occasions.