Field Visit 1

  MONUMENTAL VISIT REPORT 

                                            KUTHIRAMALIKA PALACE , MUSEUM (Thiruvananthapuram)

 As a part of the academic year ( 2024-2026) B.Ed course, Kerala University College of Teacher Education, Mancha has organized a one day field trip on 3rd October 2024 to Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. All facilities were provided by our beloved college principal and other staff members.We reached TVM at 9.30 am and first we made a visit to Kuthiramalika Palace which was near to Sri.Padmanabhaswami Temple. Being new to our subject, this field trip had as objective to understand the historical background of Travancore.

                                                     

Initially we got entry pass to visit the Palace. We followed certain rules and regulations before entering inside. Cameras were strictly prohibited there. The group walked inside the Palace and a guide was assisted to give explanations and described the history of the Palace.

                                                  Kuthiramalika ( Mansion of Horses ) is a Palace built by SwathiThirunal Rama Varma on the south eastern side of Padmanabhaswami Temple in TVM. The Palace get it's name from the 122 horses that are carved into the wooden wall brackets that support the southern roof. The official name of the Palace is Puthenmalika ( New Mansion ). Built in the 1840 s , Kuthiramalika is an example of traditional kerala architecture , with it's typical sloping roofs, overhanging eaves, pillared verandahs and enclosed courtyards.

                                        

The construction of the Palace was completed by 5000 vishwa brahmins in 4 years. Intricate carvings adorn the wooden ceilings, with each room having a distinctive pattern.The Palace is made from teak wood, rose wood, marble and granite.  

The main 16 rooms of the Palace are constructed in 16 different patterns. In all, the Palace contains 80 rooms, of which 20 were opened for visitors in 1995. The floor inside the Palace is made of egg whites, charcoal and limestone which make it cold and smooth even in hot weather conditions.

MUSEUM

A portion of Kuthiramalika has been converted to a Palace Museum that houses some of the assets owned by the Travancore Royal Family. The Palace collections include 14 life-size Kathakali Mannequins, Belgian and Italian Mirrors, Crystal Chandeliers, Paintings, a giant Belgian Harpoon, Armaments, Musical Instruments, Traditional Furniture, Greek Statues, a Musical Tree which produces 8 sounds on tapping and other artifacts. On the right side of the Mannequins are the ivory cradles of various sizes. The Palace has on display two royal thrones, one made from 24 elephant tusks ( Dantasimhasana ) and the other of Bohemian crystal with the Travancore Emblem 'Conch' adoring the top of the back rest. The small wooden stair there contains carvings of peacock, elephant and dragon. Ceiling of the rooms contain paintings of parrot, peacock and elephant. It was an most interesting and informative visit, thus we understood all the historical things. We stepped out at 11:00 from there and went for optional- wise field trip.