Padmanabhapuram Palace complex is located in at Padmanabhapuram Fort, close to the town of Thuckalay in Kanyakumari District, Tamilnadu. It is about 20 km from Nagercoil, and about 50 kilometers from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The palace complex is inside an old granite fortress around four kilometers long. The palace is located at the foot of the Veli Hills, which form a part of the Western Ghats. The river Valli flows nearby.

The palace was constructed around 1601 A.D by Iravipillai Iravivarma Kulasekhara Perumal who ruled Travancore between 1592 A.D. and 1609 A.D. In the late 18th century, the capital of Travancore was shifted from here to Thiruvananthapuram, and the place lost its former glory. However, the palace complex continue to be the best examples of traditional Kerala architecture, and some portions of the sprawling complex are also the hall mark of traditional Kerala style building art. The Padamanabhapuram Palace complex consists of several structures.

Mantrasala (Council chamber)

King’s Council chamber is the most beautiful parts of the entire palace complex. It has windows, with coloured mica, which keep the heat and the dust away, and the inside of the council chamber remains cool and dark. Delicate and beautiful lattice work can be seen all around the council chamber.The floor is also beautifully done, with a fine and perfect finish. The floor is dark coloured and is made of a mixture of varied substances, including burnt coconut shells, egg white and so on. The remarkable aspect is that this particular floor finish and texture could not be duplicated in any other construction.

Thai Kottaram (Mother’s palace)

Mother’s palace, designed in traditional Kerala style, is the oldest construction in the entire palace complex and is believed to be constructed around mid-16th century. True to the traditional Kerala style, there is an inner courtyard, called ‘nalukettu’. In the inner courtyard, sloping roofs from all four sided taper down. Four pillars on four corners support the roof.

Four-storeyed central building

The four-storied building is located at the centre of the palace complex. The top floor (called upparikka malika) served as the worship chamber of the royal household. Its walls are covered with exquisite 18th century murals, depicting scenes from the puranas, and also few scenes from the social life of the Travancore of that time.There are several rooms just below the worship chambers, which included the king’s bedroom. The ornamental bedstead is made of 64 types of herbal and medicinal woods, and was a gift from the Dutch merchants. Most of the rooms here and in other parts of the palace complex have built-in recesses in walls for storing weapons like swords and daggers.

Thekee kottaram (Southern palace)

The southern palace is as old as the ‘Thai kottaram’ (Mother’s palace), which would make it about 400 year old. Now, it serves as a heritage museum, exhibiting antique household articles and curios. Collections of items give an insight into the social and cultural ethos of that period.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit the palace is from November to May

Getting here

By Air

Nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, 60 km from the Palace. Air India operates flights to Gulf, Europe, USA, Srilanka, Maldives etc. Indian Airlines flies to the city from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai (Madras), Bangalore and Cochin.

By Rail

The nearest railway station is at Nagercoil (15km) and local station is Iraniel (6km) from the palace. Another station is at Thiruvananthapuram, an important railway terminus with connections from all parts of the country.

By Road

Frequent buses run from Thiruvananthapuram central bus stand for Padmanabhampuram, on the highway to Kanyakumari. Best way is to board any bus for Nagercoil or Kanyakumari and alight at Thuckalay. You could also hire a cab from Thiruvananthapuram.