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Padmanabhapuram Palace
Location : Thuckalay in Tamilnadu, 64 km from Thiruvananthapuram.
Visiting Hours : 9 am to 5 pm on all days except Mondays.
Nearest railway station : Thiruvanathapuram Central, 65 km.
Nearest airport : Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
A magnificent wooden palace of the 16th century, Padmanabhapuram Palace lies at the land's end of mainland India. An enticing piece to any lover of art and architecture, this old palace of the erstwhile Travancore (1550 to 1750 AD) Rajas, is a fine specimen of Kerala's indigenous style of architecture. The antique interiors are replete with intricate rosewood carvings and sculptured decor.
The palace also contains 17th and 18th century murals, a musical bow in mahogany, windows with coloured mica, royal chairs with Chinese carvings, 'Thaikottaram' (Queen Mother's palace) with painted ceilings, rosewood and teak carved ceilings with 90 different floral designs. The Durbar Hall has a shiny black floor specially made from a combination of egg white, jaggery lime, burnt coconut, charcoal and river sand. Other interesting sights are granite tubs to cool curd and buttermilk, secret underground passage, the King's bedroom with a four-poster medicinal bed, picture of Lord Krishna, hangings brass lanterns lit continuously since the 18th century, hanging cage through a Saraswathi (goddess of knowledge) temple, large earthen urns, rooms for scribes and accountants, carved figures on columns holding oil lamps, pooja (worship) rooms with jackfruit-tree columns, fish carvings on the ceilings, enormous teak beams, Belgian mirrors and an outer cyclopean stone wall fitted together without mortal. The visitor is often overwhelmed by the royal splendour of erstwhile Travancore.
Though situated in the Kanyakumari district of Tamilnadu state, the palace comes under the purview of the Government of Kerala's administration
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St. Francis Church
Location : Fort Kochi, 10 km form Ernakulam
Nearest railway station : Ernakulam Junction, 15 km..
Nearest airport : Kochi International Airport, 35 km
The oldest European church in India, this shrine was built in 1503 AD by Portuguese Franciscan friars. The church was originally built of timber and later reconstructed in stone masonry. The Protestant Dutch restored the church in 1779 AD. The British later converted it into an Anglican church in 1795 AD. It is governed by the Church of South India. Vasco da Gama was buried here in 1524 AD before his remains were moved to Lisbon, Portugal. The tombstone still remains.
Jewish Synagogue
Location : Mattancherry, 10 km from Ernakulam
Opening Hours : 10-17 hours; closed on Fridays.
Nearest railway station : Ernakulam, 10 km.
Nearest airport : Kochi International Airport, 30 km.
Constructed in 1568 AD by the Jewish community, this is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth. It was destroyed in a shelling during the Portuguese raid in 1662 AD, and rebuilt two years later by the Dutch.
Mid-18th century hand-painted, willow-patterned floor tiles from Canton in China, a clock tower, Hebrew inscriptions on stone slabs, great scrolls of the Old Testament, ancient scripts on copper plates in which the grants of privilege made by the erstwhile Kochi rulers were recorded etc., are articles of interest here.
The area around the synagogue is known as Jew Town, which is trading centre for spices like cardamom and pepper. Jew Town is also abuzz with shops selling curios, antiques and souvenirs.
Mattancherry Palace
Location : Mattancherry, 10 km from Ernakulam
Visiting Hours : 10am to 5 pm on all days, except Fridays..
Nearest railway station : Ernakulam Junction, 10 km.
Nearest airport : Kochi International Airport, 25 km from Ernakulam.
The palace was originally constructed by the Portuguese in 1557 AD and presented to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi. It was renovated in 1663 AD by the Dutch. Built like a typical Kerala style Nalukettu mansion, the traditional home of the aristocracy, nobility and upper classes, it has four separate wings opening out to a central courtyard. The courtyard features a Bhagavathi temple.
The double-storeyed palace building, which stands by the panoramic Kochi backwaters, has an exquisite collection of murals collectively covering over 300 sq. ft of wall space. The themes of these murals have been borrowed from the great Indian epics - the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha, and legends about the Hindu gods especially Guruvayurappan. Some murals depict scenes from Kumarasambhavam and other works of the great offer a glimpse of the lifestyle of the royal family.
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Chendamangalam
Location : 42 km from Ernakulam town
Nearest railway station : Ernakulam Junction, 42 km.
Nearest airport : Kochi International Airport, 20 km from Ernakulam.
A church, a temple, a mosque and the remains of a Jewish synagogue - all lying in close proximity - is an ideal example of the ancient Indian tradition of religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence. At Chendamangalam, apart from these historic evidences, nature also unveils her rare combination. The place has a singular geography of three rivers, seven islets, hillocks and vast expanses of green plains.
Chendamangalam was once the abode of the Paliath Achans, the prime ministers of the Maharajas of Kochi. Their residence, the Paliam Palace, represents the ancient architectural splendour of Kerala. The palace houses historic documents and relics. The hillocks at Kottayil Kovilakom present an unusual view of the church, temple, mosque and the synagogue.
Bolgatty Palace
Location : 2 km from Ernakulam Town railway station. There are regular ferry services from the city.
Nearest railway station : Ernakulam Town, 2 km.
Nearest airport : Kochi International Airport, 20 km.
A short boat-ride away from mainland Ernakulam is this lush, lovely island, famous for its palace of the same name. The Bolghatty palace, built in 1744 by the Dutch and later taken over by the British, is today a popular hotel run by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation. The island has a small golf course.
Thunchan Parambu
Location : Tirur, 32 km from Malappuram
Nearest railway station : Tirur
Nearest airport : Kozhikode International Airport, 30 km from Malappuram
The haloed Thunchan Parambu is the birthplace of Thunchath Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam language. This stretch of ground has been carefully preserved for posterity with items like the iron stylus used by the scholar and literary giant kept on display. The sacred day of Vijayadasami witness children being brought here to be initiated into the world of letters and knowledge. The iron stylus with which he wrote on palm leaves, and the ancient Kanjira tree (Nux vomica), under which Ezhuthachan is supposed to have imparted knowledge to his beloved disciples and composed his poems, are the treasured exhibits here. The memorial also houses a granite Saraswathi Mandapam, along with a library of rare manuscripts. The Thunchan Smarakam is dedicated to his memory.
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