Kerala Attractions

Venue: Hill Palace Museum    When: Daily; not Mon

The Hill Palace archaeological museum at Thripunithura is made up of 49 buildings, surrounded by 52 acres of terraced land with ponds, fountains and lawns.

The palace is a fine example of classical architecture and the major attractions are the Nalukettu (a four-sided building with a central courtyard), a few agraharams, an imposing bungalow built in Dutch style and a royal durbar.

The sprawling palace (largely built in the 18th century) now houses a museum which displays the erstwhile wealth and prosperity of the royal family of Cochin, including the King's throne and crown, coins, palanquins, palm leaf manuscripts, wooden sculptures, paintings and a fairly good collection of antique temple carvings. There is a deer park in the palace compound.