Apr 26, 2011

Padmanabhapuram Palace - An architectural marvel of South India

Hello friends...!! Hope you all had a fantastic Easter!! How was the long weekend ?! Mine was perfect with meeting family and friends, good food and lots of rest... !!

Well, when I started this blog I had intended to feature the palaces,temples and traditional architecture of India .. But somehow due to one reason or the other it has taken a long time to do the first post itself... mmm ... Let's consider this as a start for many more to come out of this blog... ;-) ;-) ... !!

A magnificent wooden palace of the 16th century, Padmanabhapuram Palace is one of the best examples of traditional Kerala architecture. The building displays a simplicity and purity of the style of Kerala architecture - the pointed gables, the dormer windows and long corridors.  One can see a cot built of seven pieces of polished granite,  mural paintings, intricate and exquisite carvings in teak and rose wood, a Chinese chair presented to the king by Chinese merchants etc.,

 The entrance to the palace ... - with doors standing
over 10 feet high..

The heavy wooden door at the entrance ..



The wood work that has been done centuries ago is amazing !!

       


The ornate entrance to the room called 'Poomukkam' - where the king entertained special guests. Built in the indigeneous architectural style of Kerala, the entrance of this building is shaped as a triangle. On the wooden ceiling ninety flowers have been carved - The speciality of these flowers is that each of them is unique.


Marvellous and unique wood work in the ceiling... !!
A hanging brass lamp with a knight on horse-back..
The Mantrasala or council chamber - I wonder how many meetings with the kings trusted ministers and people would have taken place in this chamber ...?!....

A  view  from the carved wooden windows.. - Love the
intricate wood work.. One of my favorite shots... !!

The flooring remains smooth through all these years
 and attracts special attention..


The dining hall that accomodates 1000 persons at a time..

The ornamental bed that is made of 64 types of herbs,
and is a gift from the Dutch merchants.

The artistic wood work in the ceiling of the bedroom ..


Wooden enclosure with peepholes, where the women of the royal household sit and watch the performances at the Hall of performance.

 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.

 All Images Taken By Me. Please donot re-use without permission.

18 comments:

  1. Hey thanks for stopping by my blog..I loved peeking through your blog..you have a knack with the camera..stunning shots..I loved the post with photos of your parents garden...superb!!
    do keep dropping by...
    I'd love for you to join us crafters at our very own forum..at http://indianstampers.ning.com

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  2. Absolutely stunning!!! the carvings are magnificient!! and so is the beautful bed.. what a unique idea for the bed made of herbs!! Truly regal and rich!!

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  3. wow, the architecture is amazing! Thanks for posting the photos and for stopping by my blog.
    Going to have to follow you to check it out more!

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  4. Gorgeous decorative details and so well preserved!

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  5. Hello! Thanks for popping by at my blog!
    What wonderful architecture! You've really taken some great shots. Now am off to see your other posts.

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  6. Wow, pretty impressive place. I love all of the wood carving, gorgeous:)

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  7. Emreen, these are lovely! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day. Anu

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  8. Emreen,
    Gorgeous photos and fascinating information.
    The bed - wow - such rich details and made from 64 types of herbs! What would it have been like sleeping on it - with natural fragrances emanating from every nook and cranny!

    I will mark this place as something to visit upon my next Kerala trip.. :)

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  9. Beautiful pictures Emreen! Enjoyed the tour thoroughly. I'd been here for a school "excursion" loooong back, but hadnt appreciated the place as much as now. Must visit again!

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  10. Wow, even though I am from Kerala and lived in Trivandrum for so many years I did not truly appreciate the Palace. Your photographs really capture the beauty of the place.
    Thanks also for visiting my blog and leaving such encouraging comments.
    Cheers
    Sonia
    http://cardsandschoolprojects.blogspot.com

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  11. Wow!!
    beautiful post dear.
    Each and every photo and your writing is very impressive
    viji

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  12. Such lovely pics... thanks for being such a good ambassador for India.

    Thanks for visiting Going Green and the kind comments.

    xxx Monica

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  13. This was a truly amazing post Em! Your eye for detail and the information you took in during your visit, the photographs and writeup, all are so eyeopening that I am ashamed of myself for having lived in Trivandrum so many many years, gone to the temple so many times, but still not having known all this! Loved this post...looking for more like this! I can see I have a whole backlog of posts of yours to go through and will be doing it one by one...happy to see you've been busy blogging lately :-)...TC!

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  14. Amazing palace! Loved the photos and write up:)

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  15. Wonderful..very fine photography & details also..Enjoy ^_^

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  16. I love the detailing :), Thank you for a sneak peak in my blog :)

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  17. Love this detailed post and pics about Padmanabhapuram Palace. I've been planning a visit since so long!

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  18. uff just amaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiizing.

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