Mattancherry Palace was the residence of the Cochin royal family for 200 years. The Portuguese built the palace in 1555. The palace has turned into a museum since 1985. It is 10 km from Ernakulam South railway station.
History of Mattancherry Palace
Vasco da Gama, Portuguese explorer, landed in Kappad, Kerala in 1498. Later the Portuguese Admiral Pedro Cabral visited Kochi in 1500. The Raja of Kochi signed a friendship treaty with Portugal. Afterwards he gave them permission to carry out trading activities. In 1503, Alphonso de Albuquerque got the Raja’s consent to build a fort at the mouth of the Periyar. They named it Fort Manuel. The area around the fort is Fort Kochi.
The Portuguese built the palace in 1555 and gifted it to the King of Cochin. They did it to get trade privileges. The Portuguese defended Kochi against several attacks by the Zamorins of Kozhikode.
The Dutch wrested power from the Portuguese in 1663. They carried out many renovations and extensions of the palace. Thereafter the palace came to be known as the Dutch Palace.
Palace Architecture
Construction of the palace is in the traditional nalukettu style of Kerala architecture, with a courtyard in the middle. The courtyard has a shrine of Pazhayannur Bhagavathi, the family deity of the royal family. The palace is on two floors, with the lower floor closed to visitors. A steep flight of stairs leads to the upper floor. The ceilings hold elaborate wooden carvings. The palace has European effects in its arches and liberal proportions.
Beautiful Murals
Murals cover the walls in 3 or 4 rooms. The paintings date back to the sixteenth century. Scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata appear on the murals. The artists have also shown events from Kalidasa’s masterpiece in Sanskrit, Kumarasambhava. The museum does not allow photography of the murals. The visitors can photograph other exhibits, with or without flash.
Other Exhibits in Mattancherry Palace
Mattancherry Palace has on display old Cochin Anchal stamps. I have shown here some of them which are of 1941-48 vintage.
The Dutch extensively surveyed the coastal areas of Kerala, particularly of Cochin. The Dutch Archival Library in Netherlands has the maps. Some of the maps are among the exhibits at the museum.
The big Coronation Hall has life-size paintings of the Cochin Rajas from 1864 onwards. I have shown here images of Maharajas Kerala Varma and Rama Varma Shakthan Thampuran. A few palanquins of the Kochi rulers are also on show. The ceremonial palanquins have inlays of gems and ivory.
Getting There
Mattancherry Palace is 26 min (10.1 km) from Ernakulam South railway station via M.G. Road. Cochin International Airport is the closest airport. It is 41.1 km (1 hr 10 min) via NH 544. The boat ride from Ernakulam main boat jetty to Fort Kochi takes 45 min and costs INR 6. The route is delightful and passes by Willingdon Island and Kochi Harbour. An added allure is that you can skip all the city traffic. The Jew Town is close to Mattancherry Palace.
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