The drive took 4 hours from Kochi to Munnar, taunted as the “Kashmir of Southern India”. We broke the 120 kilometer journey with several pitstops, the first one being only after a half hour to visit the Hill Palace Museum in Tripunithura. The largest archaeological museum in Kerala is just 12 kilometers away from Kochi but traffic can be so bad in this corner of the world. By the time we arrived, we found many local tourists, largely older ladies elegantly garbed in sarees. We joined them locals in climbing up the many steps to reach the palace museum where we were required to take off our shoes to walk inside few of the many buildings within the complex. The first building we entered is the former residence of the Cochin Maharaja. Housed here is a huge royal elephant statue crafted from rosewood and bearing original ivory tusks. It’s a beautiful seated elephant statue, an impressive example of Keralan craftsmanship . Built in 1865 by the Maharaja of Cochin, the Cochin royal family ceded ownership to the Kerala government in 1980. Judging by how the rich collection of royal artifacts, royal jewels, weapons, antique furniture, old photos, ancient manuscripts and royal carts are artfully displayed and curated, the government of Kerala has done a good job of preserving Kerala’s heritage for future generations.
The former royal palace has a very elegant architecture. We love the windows and doors as much as we love the floorboards and tiles. Outside, the gardens are another thing. Even to this day, the palace looks “lived in” unlike palatial edifices echoing in its emptiness. The ambience is warm, and those tiles look like many happily stepped on them. Well, I sure hope so. With the death of the last Maharaja in 1964 and the complex growing into disrepair, the palace complex being transformed into a palace museum served to preserve Kerala’s heritage and culture.
lifeisacelebration 