My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.
The Mattancherry
Jetty was busy,
crowded, and lined with shops. A horde of tourists had just arrived, and amidst
all the chaos, we couldn’t figure out where was the palace. It was our auto
driver who pointed out the arched doorway, urging us out, obviously in a hurry
to be paid and find his next customer. Walking inside, the first thing we saw
was the temple of Pazhayannur Bhagavathy, and we wondered once again, if we
were indeed at the right place. Thankfully, an ASI board pointed us to the
staircase, which led us up to the first floor, where a wearied looking caretaker
sold us tickets to visit the palace, which is now a museum.
The
Mattancherry Palace was built by the Portuguese in 1545 AD, for Veera Kerala Varma, the
then King of Kochi, as compensation for plundering a temple in the vicinity. They
even built a shrine to the goddess Bhagavathy, his family deity. This was the
shrine we had seen on arrival, though it was closed, and we couldn’t enter. There
is also a Krishna and a Shiva temple in the complex, but we didn’t visit them
either. Coming back to the palace, though it was built by the Portuguese, it
was renovated by the Dutch, and thus, is more popularly known as the ‘Dutch
Palace’!
The most
striking feature of the Palace are the murals that cover almost every wall, from floor to ceiling. Overall,
according to the ASI website, the palace has mural paintings covering an area
of around 300 sq.m !! Surely that has to be a record of sorts!! The paintings
depict scenes from the Ramayana, as well as Puranic stories related to Shiva,
Vishnu, Krishna and Devi. Besides, there are also local folk tales! I can only
tell you what an impressive sight they are, even after all these years, because
photography is prohibited inside. If you want a glimpse of the paintings though, visit this link to see some... http://www.asisbiz.com/India/Mattancherry-Palace.html
Besides
the paintings,
the palace museum has family portraits of the Kochi royal family, and some of
their personal effects, and more interestingly, historical, geographical and
political timelines of the region, which was what we spent a lot of time
perusing!
While
we admired the
intricate details of the murals and discussed the history of Kochi, Samhith
found other things to interest him. Sitting on the window seats, like the
children of the royal family would once have, he gazed out at the wide open
spaces around, and, spotting a snake by a pond, spent the rest of the time
trying to get others to look at it too!
Walking
away from the palace, we thought of the other palace we had been to, on this trip, and remarked
on how murals were a common thread, though it was miles away. At the NalknadPalace too, we had seen mural paintings, though in a bad shape. Here was a
glimpse of how majestic and impressive they could be!
Information:
- Location: The Mattancherry Palace is located right opposite the Mattancherry Jetty at Fort Kochi.
- Timings: The Palace is open from 10 AM to 5 PM, and is closed on Fridays.
Related Posts:
- Part 1: First Impressions
- Part 2: Chinese Fishing Nets
- Part 3: Indo – Portuguese Museum
- Part 4: St. Francis Church
- Part 5: Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica
- Part 7: Jew Town and Synagogue
- Part 8 : A Boat Ride
- Part 9: 3 Cafés, Three experiences
- Part 10: Maritime Museum
Great building. It looks old school. Great photos and great architecture! Have a nice day!
ReplyDeleteAnuradha, Kochi is a wonderful city though I must say the city is losing its traditional gaiety. I loved your blog and the pictures you have shared. Hope to read some more interesting blogs about Kerala. I am planning a trip to God’s own country next week.
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