Thevally Palace – Scenic and Historic Place to Visit in Kollam
Thevally palace is a popular heritage site found on the banks of the famous Ashtamudi Lake. Located in a place called Thevally in Kollam district of Kerala, the palace is one of the most popular historic monuments in Kerala Cultural Renaissance. This palace was built during the reign of the Princess Gowri Parvati Bayi between 1811 and 1819. She was the Princess of erstwhile princely state of Travancore. Located on the banks of picturesque Ashtamudi Lake, it is considered as an important landmark of Quilon.
History
Thevally palace was built between 1811 and 1819 during the reign of the Princess Gowri Parvati Bayi. It is also called as Thevalli Palace by locals. The palace was used by the Kings of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore as the official place for meeting British Residents during their visit to Kollam district. Many administrative decisions pertaining to the region were taken by the rulers in consultation with the officials in this beautiful mansion. In short, we can see this palace was used by the kings of Travancore state for the administrative purpose only. At that time, Kollam was the administrative capital of the Travancore state. Only in the later stage did the rulers shift the capital to Thiruvananthapuram. The local people who know the historical importance of this beautiful palace swear by the God that it held a pivotal role in the shaping of the Kerala state. It is believed widely that a British Resident's pet dog used to swim across the lake to handover love letters to a lady residing in this palace. We can see a crumbling pedestal in memory of this faithful dog within the premises of this palace. Tourist guides make it a point to take the visitors to this pedestal to show the dedication of this faithful creature and the eternity of love it represents.
Palace Architecture
If we visit the premises of the Thevally palace, we would become pleasantly surprised at its architecture. The palace was built using three different architectural styles. We can see the beautiful blend of these three architectural styles in its interiors. We can see the glimpses of British, Dutch and the Portuguese architectural styles in its corridors. The palace structure was built using locally available materials like laterite and lime plaster. The visitors to this historical site will have to stick to the official timings to explore the premises. Due to the architectural style, the interior of the palace remains cool throughout the day when the outside is very hot during the summer season. This can be primarily attributed to the materials used for making of this beautiful mansion. The flooring of the building is pleasantly cool even during the summer season. The interiors take the visitors to a totally different world with their exhibition of unique sculptures and painting schemes. They need to visit the palace to get the first-hand experience which cannot be replicated with mere jugglery of words in this article.
Palace Premises
This beautiful palace is located on the banks of the beautiful Ashtamudi Lake. One can imbibe the beauty of the lake by standing the lakefront side of the palace. If you happen to visit the palace premises in the early morning, you can see the beautiful horizon where the far end of the lake meets the sky in its true splendour. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa inside the Thevally palace premises. Currently, it is occupied by NCC Group as its headquarters for the region. It is maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Kerala government. The palace is open to the public from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM every day. The local tour operators conduct the one-day cruise tour to this place and guides present in the palace premises offer the required insight into its historical importance. The palace can even be approached by means of the road. The location has excellent road connectivity towards the city centre as it is nearer to the National Highway 47. Hence, pick your backpack and proceed towards the palace to get the first-hand experience of this beautiful place. Moreover, the visitors get fresh air and the glimpses of the nature in its best ever form. There is a token entry fees for the entry. Anyhow, it is worth paying to catch the beauty of the place in accompaniment of the family. Moreover, it is an excellent outing for a family looking for exotic location to spend nice time together.
Conclusion
Thevally Palace is a beautiful structure situated on the banks of the picturesque Ashtamudi Lake. The structure used to be the official residence of the rulers of erstwhile princely state of Travancore in the southern part of Kerala. It was built during the time of Gauri Parvati Baye between 1811 and 1819. In the early part of the Travancore Kingdom, the administration used to happen from this beautiful palace. Only in the later state, the administrative capital was shifted to Thiruvananthapuram. After shifting the capital, the palace became the official house of the rulers of Travancore Kingdom when they visited Kollam for various reasons, which include the meeting of the British Residents. There is a small temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa within the campus. At present, the sprawling campus of Thevally palace is used by NCC Group as its headquarters for the Kollam region. This historical site is maintained by the PWD of Kerala government. The local tour operators organize conducted cruise tour to the premises of this palace. It showcases the beautiful blend of British, Dutch and the Portuguese architectural styles. This combination is only glaring to the visitors. This combination cannot be found anywhere in India. This is the reason why people keep coming to this beautiful lakefront palace every year. We hope that this article would turn out to be a repository of information for you to make requisite arrangement for a comfortable outing to this place in advance. It will also enable you to know what to expect in advance.
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