The Grand Padmanabhapuram Palace

 

The heritage of Kerala is related to the unique traditional architecture which has stayed an integral part of all structures built over the centuries. The design of the structures remained common even after the foreign rulers constructed buildings. The usage of wood & terracotta tiles have been the signature of all structures & one such elaborate palace which is considered to be the oldest in India & most well preserved in Asia is the Padmanabhapuram Palace. Known also as the Kalkulam palace, this was the residence of the Travancore King for over two centuries until the capital was shifted to Trivandrum in the 18th century. The palace has many unique features & stories attached with its origin but one which is for all to know is that the palace stands in the state of Tamil Nadu today but is maintained & controlled by the Archaeological department of Kerala. 

The palace in its current form was only built in the 18th century but the initial structure was constructed in the start of the 17th century around 1601 as a small residence of the Venad King’s mother. The erstwhile Venad kingdom initiated in the 16th century & it changed hands later to become the powerful Travancore kingdom. The initial structure built by Iravi Varma Kulesekara Perumal was in the style of traditional Kerala feudal house called the Nalukettu design. This residence was called Thai Kottaram & the structure still stands here. It is also to be noted that the King died a year after completion of the small palace. As per old archaeological records, ruins of many palaces & houses have been found around the town of Thuckalay. In 1729, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma took over the throne of Venad & the first thing he did was to rename the kingdom as Travancore or Thiruvithancode. He is considered to be the most celebrated & powerful king who believed in providing his people a rule of righteousness. He was a great tactician & astute statesman. It was his decision to make the capital at Padmanabhapuram & a grander palace which would be the signature of his kingdom. The current palace was constructed in 1750 & he ruled from here till his death in 1758.

Marthanda Varma in a drastic measure during his reign surrendered all the wealth & power over the kingdom to the feet of the titular deity of Travancore – Lord Padmanabhaswami & assumed the title of Padmanabha Dasa (servant of the lord). He vowed that he and all the future kings would continue to rule under the name of the deity. The name of the Palace was also called Padmanabhapuram Kottaram as the palace is considered to be the residence of the deity. To make the palace a grand structure, he first constructed the outer walls which were made of large stones giving the palace a fine boundary. All the structures which were added later were placed in appropriate places to ease the movement of all people within the palace. The old structures of the palace were demolished leaving only the mother’s residence called Thai Kottaram. All the other structures that one sees today were constructed later in the 18th century. The interior of the structure is a marvel of wooden architecture & the use of timber in such an elaborate way was facilitated by the presence of vast forests around the foothills of the veli hills. 

The palace is built over a 6.5 acres land with over 15 edifices using materials sourced locally along with the artisans who belonged to the areas nearby. During its construction, the palace was also a fortified structure with a moat running along its sides. The entrance to the palace is from the western side & is called the mukhya vathil which opens to a large courtyard where the soldiers demonstrated their skill as the king looked over. The usage of laterite is visible for all to see which formed the foundation for the two storeyed palace. The walls are arranged & plastered using burnt bricks & stones all sourced locally. Any person who enters the main gate would feel the palace to be a small structure but the grandeur is only visible when one enters the palace & makes way along the many corridors, sections, rooms & courtyards which keep coming in a long continuous pattern. The use of wood for the roof & pillars is quite elaborate & one can find intricate carvings all done by local artisans which give the front of the palace a beautiful mukham (front). The interiors of the palace are well designed with the floors layered with lime, white of eggs & medicinal residues which gave it a mirror glaze, something still present for all to see. The palace has a unique  feature of having many quarters all joined with one another by covered corridors & all the hallways have natural air inlets which keep the place ventilated in even the humid of days. 

The palace complex is a fine example of the ancient science of architecture & carpentry called Thachu Shastra which follows a strict rule of construction. As per the traditional building code, every aspect of a structure functions in a certain way and placement, direction, size and design, including specifications for the layout of designated spaces within individual structures is of utmost importance for the residents to have a peaceful life within the structure. The palace consists of 14 structures & each is placed based on an unique need & specification. The different structures are reception hall (poomukham), the 2 independent living quarters, the oldest structure made for the mother of the palace (thai kottaram), the dining hall (oottupura), the prayer hall (homapura), the armoury (ayudhapura), two specially designed halls for performances of the palace or entertainment (chandravilasam & indravilasam), the central mansion, southern palace (thekke kottaram), the clock tower, the most important abode of lord (upparika malika), the elegantly built navarathri mandapam & the padippura (entrance) are all for the visitors to see. The structures all were constructed over the period of time & were for specific reasons. As we go back to the 18th century, the completed complex would have been a marvel in itself. The palace’s opulence & grandeur is mentioned in many books written by travellers who came to the Travancore region. 

There are many facets of the palace which need special mention & the guides who are present today to explain each section of the palace are a great help. As you enter the poomukha mallika you will be awed by the beauty of the artisans work in the arrival hall with wooden sculptures & some uniquely carved items like the lamp. The entrance hall was so elegantly made that guests at the time would spend time in wonder of the place. The poomukham malika has stone pillars which support a two tiered structure decorated with wooden panels & gabled roof. The upper tier of the Poomukha malika houses the most beautiful among all rooms called the Mantrasala which is a place of impeccable beauty. The room is considered to be where the King held meetings with his aides & so one can find the center of the room with a large floor, in the middle was the throne of the king & it was flanked on both sides by large ornamental seats meant for his council of ministers. The room is well insulated on all sides by wooden brackets & panels with small openings to let the wind flow. The room has a wide & tall roof with a false ceiling made of wood & pillars supporting the structure from all sides. 

The thai kottaram is the heart of the palace as it would have been the place which housed the women of the palace & so was designed in the form of a typical traditional Kerala house. The large 2 tiered structure is in the center of the palace complex and has two large nalukettu with rooms around the courtyard with large verandas. This structure is considered to be the oldest in this complex & said to have been first constructed around 1550. As one enters the mother palace through the southern doorway, you are greeted by the Ekantha mandapam which is an example of high quality craftsmanship. The ekantha mandapam was used for religious ceremonies during auspicious days. The most important sight here is the 6 feet tall pillar which rests on a stone base carved in two different styles. The upper tier is accessed by narrow wooden stairs & opens to a wide veranda which runs along the whole structure & is connected to the other quarters of the complex like the official residence of the royal family. The Darpakulam or main tank is also accessed from the thai kottaram which was the bathing ghat for the women of the palace. 

The Veppinmuttu kottaram, Plamuttu kottaram & Thekke kottaram are independent residential quarters. The veppinmuttu & plamuttu kottaram were built as secondary living quarters while the grand Thekke kottaram is completely built in wood. The story behind its construction is based on the usage of timber from the houses of all nobles who were considered to be enemies of Marthanda Varma. When he vanquished his adversaries he is said to have demolished all their houses & used all what he salvaged in the construction of this elegant house. This part of the palace is now a heritage museum which houses the household items of the old traditional Kerala houses. The Lakshmi vilasam is the last of all the structures added to the complex and its architecture is based on the styles of the 20th century which was mostly taken from the colonial design with a foyer at the entrance & large windows. The Indra vilasam is also a structure which resembles colonial design but its construction was done during the reign of Marthanda Varma. The structure was built specifically as a guest house for the visitors who came to the court. The residence is a large structure with wide stairs, large pillars & verandas which gave the guests a feel of opulence on their stay as state guests at the palace.

The palace also catered to a large family & so the oottupura (dining area & kitchen) were huge & it is said that the dining hall here was capable of serving food to over 1000 people at a time. The kitchen of the palace was also next to the oottupura which in its hay days would have been a busy place. The homapura at the palace was an important structure as it was the place where religious ceremonies were conducted & the Thevarekattu Saraswati temple is where Goddess Sarasvati is enshrined & the idol is considered to be from the 12th century & handed down to the Travancore rulers by the Venad king. In the palace complex one structure that would be devoid of any ornamental decorations is the ayudhapura or armoury which is built away from the central palace but well connected for ease of access. It is a large 2 storied structure which was used to keep weapons & so the doors were quite narrow to stop enemies from entering. The palace was a functioning complex and had offices which were frequented by the people and the thekke theruvu malika to the north is one such place which granted people other than the royals to enter the kacheri or courts. The malika also was along the processional route & one important part of the structure is the ambari mukhappu or the howdah like bay window which opened to the thekke theruvu from where the ruler looked over the festivities & gave his people an opportunity to see their king.

The most important part of the complex is the central mansion which is divided into three storeys. The lower floor is where the treasury functioned, the first floor was called the Kings chamber where the sapra manja kattil is present which is said to have been made with over 64 different medicinal timbers. The room also was next to the queen's chamber which was also elaborate with large dressing tables & Belgium mirrors. Under the king’s chamber was the dining area for the king & stairs connected the two floors only accessed by the king’s servants. The uppirika malika is the most decorated & secure rooms of the palace, this is the place where according to legends lord Padmanabhaswami rests & only the king is allowed to enter the room. The uppirika malika is adorned with beautiful murals all around & a lamp is placed here in reverence to the lord. Today the udavala (royal sword) is placed in front of the lamp & considering the importance of the room entry to visitors is restricted.

Apart from the above structures at the palace two other additions to the palace are what gave the place further beauty. The manimeda (clock tower) was a later addition which works on the weights & pulley mechanism. The gabled structure houses the large clock with roman numerals considered to have been built by a local blacksmith who learned the tricks from Spanish merchants. When the clock was placed here some 2 centuries back, the gong of the clock could be heard by all as far as 3 miles around. The clock at palaces is a feature even found at the kuthiramalika in Trivandrum. The other part of the complex which attracts all is the navarathri mandapam. This part of the palace was constructed later and replaced the old mandapam made in wood and is a fine example of Dravidian architecture where the usage of single stone pillars adorn the central hall on all sides. The navarathri mandapam was the most active place within the palace where dance artists from around the land came to perform before the king. The performance at the natyashala in the navarathri mandapam was considered to be of the same importance as performing at temples. The saraswati temple at the mandapam could be accessed by all & the floor of the natyashala also called kannadithara is as mirror-like which gave the performance a charm of its own. The wooden screen chamber to the south of the natyashala is where female members of the palace could view the performances. The small windows of the chamber helped the women enjoy performances without worrying about the prying eyes of local men. 

The palace complex today is a protected monument & one that is considered to be a very important piece of heritage. In 1993 the southwest building was converted to a museum which today houses some of the most interesting artefacts from different eras. The items housed are stone & bronze idols which belong to different centuries & are acquired from different parts of the country. The museum also showcases some of the most precious gifts received by the Travancore kings. The interior of the palace also houses some of the most important items of daily usage by the royal family. The kings after Marthanda Varma found it difficult to maintain the palace. The attack of the Mysore kings, Europeans & other nearby vassals made it difficult for the kings to maintain their control. The capital was finally shifted in 1795 & the palace went to neglect & only visited by the royal family during the navratri festival. The Padmanabhauram palace was also under the control of the Mysore kingdom for a short duration. 

A visit to the place complex today is one for all to know the heritage of the land & understand the architectural prowess possessed by the artisans of the time. The palace is a grand structure even today & its good upkeep is what has helped visitors even today to see the place. To all visitors, a suggestion is to always see the museum with the assistance of the guides here as the stories narrated by them is what makes your visit complete.