KERALA MONUMENTS
Krishnapuram Palace,Kayamkulam :
Location : Kayamkulam, 47 km from Alappuzha. Visiting hours : 9.00 am to 5.00 pm on all days except Mondays . The Krishnapuram Palace is a rare specimen of the Kerala style of architecture - complete with gabled roofs, narrow corridors and dormer windows. Residence of the rulers of Kayamkulam kingdom, the age of the palace is unknown.
Synagogue:
Location: The famous Kochi Synagogue (Jewish place of worship) is located at Fort Kochi. The Synagogue was constructed in 1568 and is the oldest in the Commonwealth countries. The synagogue was partially destroyed in a shelling during the Portuguese raid but was rebuilt two years later by the Dutch.
The Synagogue at Fort Kochi, about 10 km from Ernakulam town, central Kerala. Opening hours: 10:00 - 17:00 hours; closed on Fridays The Synagogue at Fort Kochi,constructed in 1568, is the oldest in the Commonwealth. Destroyed in a shelling during the Portuguese raid in 1662, it was rebuilt two years later by the Dutch.
Fort Kochi :
Location: About 13 km from Ernakulam town.
The eventful history of this city began when a major flood in AD 1341 threw open the estuary at Kochi, till then a land locked region, turning it into one of the finest natural harbours in the world. Kochi thus became a haven for seafaring visitors from all over the world and became the first European township in India when the Portuguese settled here in the 15th century.
Vasco da Gama Square :
Kochi, the commercial capital of Kerala, the last port of Vasco Da Gama, where you will find synagogues, mosques, churches and temples side by side, is a place with a fascinating history. The huge cantilevered fishing net, the Chinese fishing nets, seen here is a legacy of its spellbinding past.
Mattancherry Palace :
Location : Mattancherry, 10 km from Ernakulam. Visiting hours : 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on all days except Fridays. Built by the Portuguese in 1557 and presented to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi, the Palace was renovated in 1663 by the Dutch. The palace with a Bhagavathi temple in the central courtyard is built like the typical Kerala style mansion - the Nalukettu - the home of the aristocracy, nobility and upper classes, with four separate wings opening out to a central courtyard.
Bolghatty Island :
This lush, lovely island is famous for its palace of the same name. The Bolghatty Palace, built in 1744 by the Dutch and later taken over by the British, is today a popular hotel run by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation.
The Hill Palace Museum, Thripunithura :
Location : 10 km from Ernakulam town, central Kerala. Visiting hours : 9.00 to 12.30 hrs. and 14.00 to 16.30 hrs. The Hill Palace, the official residence of the Kochi royal family, is today the largest archaeological museum in Kerala. Built in 1865, the palace complex consists of 49 buildings in the trational architectural style of Kerala, sprawled over 52 acres of beautifully landscaped terraced land which houses a deer park and facilities for horse riding. Numerous species of flora including rare medicinal plants grow here. On display in the full-fledged Ethno-archaeological museum are oil-paintings, murals, sculptures in stone and manuscripts, inscriptions, coins, belongings of the Kochi royal family and royal furniture including the simhasana (throne).
