Hill Palace: An ode to Architectural beauty

Nestled on a beautiful hillock away from the sounds of the town is this majestic complex of palaces & buildings built in 1865. Today the complex is an archaeological museum & the largest in Kerala with 49 buildings built in local traditional architecture which includes the main palace complex, children’s park & a deer park.

The complex is the host to 13 galleries which range from art, history, murals, oil paintings, items of royal lineage, gifts, and palanquins apart from the structures themselves. The museum also houses items from the Indus valley civilization & has artifacts of wood, bronze & stones. The royal mansion which is the centerpiece of this huge complex is considered to be the first building constructed & is said to have been completed in 1855 by the Cochin Raja Ravi Varma. The other blocks of the complex are Poomukham, Ootupura, Akathalam, Thevarapura, Madapally along with other living quarters & sub structures. The main building features the unique ettukettu architecture which is actually two nalukettu structures with corridors around showing the opulence of the family. The most important part of the complex is the cabinet room where one can see a Lift which is said to have been imported from England. The Victorian tile one sees on the outer walls with metallic ornamental envisages along the ceiling is an ode to the exemplary craftsmanship. The other signature of great artistic work is the Italian marble tiles which pave the corridors while the ceramic tiles in the Royal bedroom are beautiful at its best.

 

The palace complex was the official residence of the Cochin raja & is considered to have built this with his personal wealth. The complex has buildings which were added by subsequent rulers & so one can find buildings which have different shapes. The Cochin rulers are believed to be descendents of the Perumals & were called Perumpadappu Swaroopam. The rulers were from Vanneri where they ruled during the 13th century. The emergence of Zamorins in Malabar region made them leave their land & travel south. It was in the 17th century that the Cochin rulers were successful in capturing the village of Chitrakoodam & Raja Ravi Varma decided to have his coronation done. This was not accepted by the Zamorin king who invaded the village & stopped the coronation ceremony. The Cochin Raja took an oath to not wear the crown till the coronation happened in Chitrakoodam. His descendants solemnly followed this oath, but could never fulfill it. The crown was not worn by any ruler of the Cochin lineage & is available for all to see in the museum adorned with priceless jewels. One can also see the Royal Throne in the cabinet room with other seats mimicking the actual discussion room. After the arrival of Portuguese in the early 16th century, the Cochin family moved the capital to Kochi & they initiated a friendship with the Portuguese as they both perceived Zamorin as rivals. By the end of the 17th century, the Dutch grew powerful & later the British started their trade from the shores of Cochin which made the land prosperous. The Cochin rule was also headed by a Queen for a short duration. The most important & considered to be the Golden era belongs to that of Rama Varma Shakthan Thampuran who took the throne in 1790. His administration tactics made him acquire many provinces around Cochin & is said to be the person responsible for the intellectual & infrastructure development of the Kingdom.

 

The Palace complex edifice on a hillock itself is a landscape to yonder. The terraced steps which are placed on the curved pathways along the face of the hill are flanked by gardens & fountains which would have been a grand sight during the glory years of the Cochin Rule. Today the aesthetics of this place is kept so by the Department of Archaeology & many iconic movies have used it as a set for their stories. Its beauty is for all to see & every person will find his interest in this place, a beautiful signature of splendid architecture.