Padmanabhapuram Palace
March 26, 2010 by admin
Filed under Padmanabhapuram Palace
Padmanabhapuram Palace- Trivandrum
The Padmanabhapuram Palace in Thiruvananthapuram is the headquarters of the Travancore kings until 1792. This palace is an integration of buildings built by various rulers over a period of time. Of the total 127 rooms that were in use, only 27 are now being maintained regularly. The palace houses various independent structures that are linked at the naalukettu with the bathing pond.
Walls are made up of laterite, brick, granite or a combination of all. The timber roofing system, with radiating rafters in the roof, is of such profound beauty that it dominates all the other structures. The floor, made out of carbonized coconut shell and vegetation, mixed in egg white and lime, adds to the beauty of the interiors. There are Poomukham (the entrance place), Ootupura (dining hall), Thai Kottaram, Homapura (building for religious offerings), Upaarika Malika (three – storied building), Indravilasam Palace, Navratri Mandapam, Thekke Kottaram (the building in South) and Archaeological Museum.
Architecturally, the quiet repose that this complex evokes, despite its massive scale, makes this palace a unique achievement in design.