The Mattancherry Palace was built by the Portuguese
in 1557 and presented to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi. The Dutch
renovated the Palace in 1663. The palace with a Bhagavathi temple in the
central courtyard is built similar to the typical Kerala style mansion,
the Nalukettu- the home of the nobility, aristocracy and upper classes;
with four separate wings opening out to a central courtyard.
The double storied palace building which stands by the panoramic Kochi
backwaters has a superb collection of murals, collectively covering over
300 sq ft area of its walls. The themes of these murals have been
borrowed from the great Indian epics - the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha
and mythology and legends about the Hindu gods especially
Guruvayurappan. Some murals depict scenes from Kumarasambhavam and other
works of the great Sanskrit poet, Kalidasa. Also on exhibit are royal
belongings like weapons, swings and furniture, which offer a glimpse of
the lifestyle of the royal family.
