Mattancherry or Dutch Palace

Mattancherry Or Dutch Palace was a compensation for a temple of Cochin. The Portuguese had ruined the temple and then decided to build a Palace in return. They gifted it to the king of Cochin, Veera Kerala Varma. The palace was constructed in the year 1557. The main purpose behind gifting it to the king was to get favours from him. After the victory of the Dutch over the Portuguese in 1663, the Palace came under the control of the Dutch and was renamed as the 'Dutch Palace'. They gave it a face-lift and offered it to the king. In order to make it more attractive, the king made some new additions to it.

The main highlights of the Dutch Palace are its beautiful Indian murals made on the subjects taken from the Indian mythology. The most mind boggling murals can be seen in the bed chambers. The walls of the bedroom look like a screen depicting the entire story of the great Hindu Epic, Ramayana. It makes one wonder how skilled the artists were! The ceilings are also very artistically decorated. The floor of the palace was made from burned coconut shells, lime, charcoal, egg whites and plant juices which reflects the traditional style of Kerala floors.

The Dutch Palace is a two storied building with sloping roofs. The structure houses a temple dedicated to heavenly deity Palayannur Bhagwati. The amazingly carved wooden ceiling of the central hall of the palace is simply awe-inspiring. Also the ceiling of the dining hall which is decorated with numerous brass cups catches attention.

Walk into the museum of the Dutch Palace and you will be rewarded with the sights of a rare and rich collection of the royal possessions such as palanquins, costumes, turbans and weapons.