Mattancherry Palace

Mattancherry, the western part of Kochi, was once a bustling centre of trade. Invasions from across the sea were frequent and the invaders left unforgettable marks on the landscape, culture, art and social history of the place. Mattancherry has welcomed every migrant community that came to her shore with warmth and provided them with abundant opportunities to thrive. Thanks to the generosity of the erstwhile kings of Cochin, numerous communities like that of the Jews, Konkani, Gujarati, Jains and Marathi made the place their home.

The Mattancherry Palace was constructed in 1555 by the Portuguese rulers as a compensatory gift for destroying the temple to the Cochin Kingdom. The Kochi Rajas changed the interior of the palace with Hindu Temple art, popularly known as mural painting. These mural paintings are considered to be among the best in the country. There is also a portrait gallery of the Cochin Kings.
The Dutch rulers took over the Kingdom from the Portuguese and renovated the palace during the year 1663. Since then the palace is also known as the Dutch Palace. The Sultan of Mysore Hyder Ali took over the city from the Dutch rulers. Later it came under the rule of the British East India Company.

This double storied palace has a lovely collection of murals. These depict some of the great Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata along with revered Gods of the Hindu faith like Lord Krishna of Guruvayur Temple. The great works of Sanskrit poet Kalidasa have also been depicted. The mural paintings cover an area of almost 300 sq. km. One gets an idea of the lives of the royal family with some of the other exhibits. These include the life-size portraits of the Kings of Cochin since 1864, sheathed swords, daggers and axes besides ceremonial spears decorated with feathers. Royal caps, coins issued by the Kings of Cochin along with plans laid out for Cochin by the Dutch can also be viewed here.
Getting there
Nearest railway station: Ernakulam Railway Station, about 10 km
Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport, about 39 km
Google map coordinates: X755+8P Kochi, Kerala