Mattancherry Palace

The Mattancherry Palace situated at Mattancherry in Ernakulam district, was built by Portuguese in 1557 and presented to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi. The palace, also known as Dutch Palace, is one of the finest examples of the Kerala style of architecture interspersed with colonial influences. It came to be known as the Dutch Palace as it underwent major repairs at the hands of the Dutch. It is famous for its long and spacious halls along with its central courtyard. It is also the home of the deity of the royal family, Pazhayannur Bhagavathy (the deity of Pazhayannur). This double-storied palace has a lovely collection of murals. These depict some of the great Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata along with revered Gods of the Hindu faith like Lord Krishna of Guruvayur temple. The mural paintings cover an area of almost 300 sq. km. One gets an idea of the lives of the royal family with some of the other exhibits.