Mattancherry Palace
This was a palace built for the Raja of Kochi in1552 AD by the Portugese. But posterity remembers this monument as the Dutch Palace, mainly because it was renovated and re-built by the Dutch East India Company in 1663 AD.. The palace has beautiful murals and a remarkable display of old Palanquins and armoury.

Since then it came to be called the Dutch Palace, though at no time did the Portugese nor the Dutch stayed there. One of the oldest buildings in Kerala, the Mattancherry Palace is a portrait gallery of the kings of Cochin.

In the centre of the building, is the Coronation Hall where the Cochin Rajas held their coronations. Adjacent rooms contain 17th century Murals depicting scenes from the great Indian epic, the Ramayana. On display in the palace are the dresses, turbans, weapons and palanquins from that era.

The palace is a double-storeyed quadrangular building that surrounds a central courtyard containing a Hindu Temple, enshrining the royal deity, Palayannur Bhagavati. Two more temples are situated on either side of the Palace dedicated to Lord Krishna & Lord Siva respectively.

Timings :
The palace is open all days for the public between 10 am and 5 pm except on Fridays and National Holidays. Photography is not permitted.

Krishnapuram Palace
Krishnapuram Palace located 47 kms from Alappuzha enroute to Kollam was built by Marthanda Varma in the 18th century. This double storeyed palace bears the stamp of Kerala's unique architectural opulence.

It also houses Kerala's largest Mural panels. A museum of antique bronze sculptures and paintings is another attraction. The Krishnapuram Palace, which was the residence of the rulers of Kayamkulam kingdom, is a rare specimen of the Kerala style of architecture, replete with gabled roofs, narrow corridors and dormer windows.

Renovated some time in the 18th century, the palace is today a protected monument under the Archaeology department. Recently it has been again renovated according to the scientific techniques prescribed for the protection of heritage buildings.

Now, an archaeological museum, the palace has on exhibit the fascinating and huge, 49 sq.m 'Gajendra Moksham', the largest single band of Mural Painting so far discovered in Kerala. Literally, the salvation (Moksha) of the elephant king (Gajendra), the theme of the mural is mythological, which depicts the salvation of Gajendra, the king of elephants It is said that Lord Vishnu was the family deity of the Kayamkulam rajas. This mural was placed at the entrance to the palace from the pond to enable the rajas to worship the deity after their bath.

As in all Keralan paintings every inch of the painting is packed with detail and the outer edges are decorated with floriate borders. A display case contains ceremonial utensils, oil lamps, fine miniature figures and small stone columns carved with serpent deities.

Attractions :
The beautifully landscaped garden in the palace compound where one can see a variety of flora typical of Kerala, and a newly erected 'Buddha mandapam', where a recently recovered statue of the Buddha is housed. Other collections at the museum include rare antique bronze sculptures and paintings.

How to reach :
By Rail : Kollam about 39 km
By air : Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, about 103 km; Cochin International Airport, about 132 km

Gundert Bungalow
Gundert's Bungalow is on the out skirts of Thalaserry, located 20 kms from Kannur, at Nettur . It is a historically significant place for all lovers of Malayalam Language.

Home of Dr. Hermann Gundert (1814-1893), a scholar of the German Basel Mission, who compiled the first Malayalam English dictionary. The revered German priest and lexicographer lived in the bungalow for 20 years from 1839.

Mr. Gundert was the publisher of one of the Malayalam's oldest newspapers, the 'Paschimodayam', and also authored several books on Malayalam grammar.

Location : 20 Kms From Kannur, Kerala

Significance : Malayalam's Oldest Newspaper Took Shape Here

Main Languages : Malayalam, Hindi, English

Koyikkal Palace
The ancient palace, located 18 km from Thiruvananthapuram on the way to Ponmudi hillstation and the Kuttalam waterfalls, dates back to the 15th century.

The palace is famous in the history of Kerala as the official residence of Perakom Thavazhi (the maternal lineage), especially of Umayamma Rani of the Venad royal family who ruled the land between 1677 AD and 1684 AD.

The two storeyed building with slanting gabled roofs is famous for 'Nalukettu', the Traditional Style of Architecture. The Department of Archaeology has set up two museums in the palace, namely, a Folklore Museum and a Numismatics Museum set up by the.

Attractions :
The Folklore Museum is a treasure house of quaint musical instruments, occupational implements, household utensils, models of folk arts etc., was set up in 1992.
The Numismatics Museum housed on the ground floor of the Koyikkal Palace is the only one of its kind in the whole of Kerala. The coins displayed here belong to different parts of the world as well as to different eras.

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