Sakthan Thampuran Palace - Famous Tourist Attraction
Sakthan Thampuran Palace is situated in the town and was the royal residence of the kings of Cochin. It is a famous tourist attraction because of its historical value that spreads in 6 acres of land. Popularly known as Vadakkekara Palace, its heritage value dates back to the time of the Cochin king Rama Varma Sakthan Thampuran. He was an able administrator who maintained good relations with neighbouring provinces and the colonisers. His period (1790-1805) of rule is known as the golden era of the kingdom of Cochin. Though he ascended the throne rather late, he was extraordinarily talented and focused on his duty. He eventually made Thrissur as the cultural capital of Kerala. The beautiful palace with an amalgamation of Kerala and Dutch style of architecture is worth laying eyes on and should not be missed out on a trip to Thrissur.
The main structure of this palace has a two storied building and a traditional Kerala style Nalukettu. The high roofs, extra thick walls, spacious rooms and floors paved with finely smoothened Italian marbles are some of the structural specialities. The final resting place of Sakthan Thampuran is also located inside the palace, besides that of a Zamorin and a ruler of Cochin. The palace’s old Sarpakavu or shrine for serpents, the likes of which were present in many Kerala homes in those days, is still preserved. With the help of Kerala Tourism Department, the palace was converted into a museum in 2005. The Archaeological garden here has collections dating back to the Stone Age.
Bronze statues dating back to the period from the 12th to the 18th century are placed in the Bronze Gallery. Numismatic Gallery has the coins used in the erstwhile kingdom of Cochin and their neighbours. Sculpture Gallery has granite statues from the 9th to the 17th century. Epigraphy Gallery has the development and fruition of many early writings. Historic collections and specimens of the Stone Age are available in Historic and Megalithic Galleries respectively. In short, the galleries have recreated much of Cochin rulers that has vanished behind the curtain of time. To the South side, it has a garden that preserves some of the indigenious plants and trees of Kerala.