Padmanabhapuram Palace, around 54 km from Trivandrum, is an old palace, situated on the way to Nagercoil. Popular for its murals of 17th and 18th century, the architecture of this palace is traditional Travancore style. This is an extremely beautiful palace consisting of carved Mahogany ceiling, Belgian mirrors, special black shiny halls, granite dance halls, secret underground passages, durbar hall, museum and more. Located in Padmanabhapuram Fort, this palace is a fine example of original style of architecture of Kerala. This 16th century wooden palace leaves the visitors spellbound with its grandeur and royalty.
Placed on the foothills of Veli Hills of the Western Ghats, this palace was the residence of the rulers of Venad State (old Travancore Empire) from 16th to 18th century. It was commissioned by Ravipillai Ravivarma Kulasekhara Perumal, the ruler of Travancore in 1601 AD and was constructed between 1592 A.D. and 1609 A.D. The palace, famed for its military architecture and planning was Travancore’s capital till 1790, which was later shifted to Trivandrum. The palace complex has a total of 108 rooms. One is not allowed to enter the palace wearing shoes.
Timings: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (closed on Mondays and national holidays)
Getting there
Nearest railway station: Nagarcoil railway station (16 km)
Nearest airport: Trivandrum International Airport (52 km)
