Mattancherry Palace
The Mattancherry Palace is a palace popularly known as the Dutch Palace, in Mattancherry, Kochi, in the Indian state of Kerala which features Kerala murals depicting portraits and exhibits of the Rajas of Kochi. The palace was included in the tentative list of UNESCO World Her…
Mattancherry Palace, the so‑called Dutch Palace, sits on the backwater‑kissed lanes of Kochi’s historic Portuguese quarter, a stone‑cobbled reminder that Kerala’s colonial past is more Portuguese than Dutch, despite the misleading signboard. The best time to swing by is early morning, just after the market stalls in Jew Town have emptied, when the sunlight filters through the teak‑framed windows and the 16th‑century murals—vivid depictions of Hindu deities, courtly Rajas and mythic scenes—are still vivid. Allocate a half‑hour for the courtyard, then wander the adjoining palace museum where the ceremonial crown, a Portuguese cannon and the ceremonial throne sit under a thin layer of dust that oddly adds to the ambience. Skip the overpriced audio guide; a quick look at the plaque by the entrance tells you enough. The palace is on the tentative UNESCO list, so it can feel a bit propped up for tourists, but the intricate mural work is genuinely unrivalled in Kerala. Stay at a heritage homestay in Fort Kochi’s Fort Bazaar lane; you’ll be a ten‑minute walk from the palace and a short rickshaw ride from the Chinese fishing nets, which are far more photogenic at sunset. Avoid the monsoon months—June to September—when the backwaters churn and the palace’s teak beams swell.
Source · Wikipedia · Mattancherry Palace · CC-BY-SA
- Tips coming soon — this entry is freshly seeded from Wikipedia.