Krishnapuram Palace
The Krishnapuram Palace is a palace and museum located in Kayamkulam near Alappuzha in Alappuzha district, Kerala in southwestern India. It was built in the 18th century by Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (1729–1758 CE), the Travancore kingdom. It is built in the architectural style of Kerala with gabled roof, narrow corridor and dormer windows, near the Krishnaswamy Temple at Krishnapuram.
| Krishnapuram Palace കൃഷ്ണപുരം കൊട്ടാരം | |
|---|---|
Krishnapuram Palace in 2021, front | |
Location within Kerala | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Pathinerakettu Kerala Architectural style |
| Town or city | Kayamkulam and Krishnapuram in Alappuzha district |
| Country | India |
| Coordinates | 9.1503°N 76.5086°E |
| Construction started | 1700–1775 CE; rebuilt in the 18th century |
| Completed | Recent renovation in the 1950s |
| Demolished | . |
| Client | Originally by Veera Ravi Varma and rebuilt in the 18th century by Anizham Thirunal Martanda Varma (1729–1758 CE) and now Archaeology Department of the Government of Kerala |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Laterite stone, rubble, teak, rosewood and Angili wood |
| Size | Originally 56 acres (23 ha) now 2.55 acres (1.03 ha) |
| Design and construction | |
| Engineer | Initially by ramayyan Dalava later by Ayyappan Marthan da Pillai |
The palace is maintained by the Kerala State Department of Archaeology and contains exhibits that belonged to the Palace and its former occupant, the Travancore Maharaja Marthanda Varma. It is also famous for a large pond within the palace complex. It is also said that an underground escape route runs from the bottom of the pond as a possible escape route from enemies.
Among the many Kerala-style paintings seen in the palace, a distinctly placed mural painting is titled "Gajendra Moksham" of 154 square feet (14.3 m2) size, which is said to be the largest such find in Kerala. It is placed on the western end of the ground floor of the palace.
The double edged Kayamkulam Vaal (sword) is also on display here. The palace houses, in its courtyard, one of the four statues of Buddha found in Alappuzha District.