Kuthiramalika Palace Museum - Horse Mansion

Kuthiramalika (Horse mansion) Palace Museum is the rarest specimen of workmanship, located adjacent to Padmanabhaswamy temple. Built by Maharaja Swathi Balarama Varma, around 1840 AD, this palace holds some valuable collections of the royal family. The place got its name from 122 horses that were carved into the wooden wall brackets supported by the roof. It was built of teakwood, rosewood, marble and granite by a whopping 5000 Brahmins in 4 years of time. It has 60 rooms with it and 20 are open for the visitors. The amazing fact is that no room resembles the other. And they were made of egg whites, charcoal and limestone to keep them cool irrespective of the climate.

The main idea behind building was to preserve many traditional art forms of India, especially the South. Beside the rich collection, this museum is a perfect example of traditional Travancore style architecture. Intricate wood carvings and distinctive patterns constitute a masterpiece of its kinds. Overhanging attics, pillar lined courtyards enrich the exclusive look of the museum. The Navarathri Mandapam right in front of the palace remains a major venue where music concerts are usually conducted. The specialty of this mandapam is that only traditional sound reflectors were used here. One can also notice some clay pots (around 50) hanging upside-down from its ceiling here. The sound effect they produce really outperforms of the modern sound systems.