Shakthan Thampuran Palace

India has a unique collection of heritage sites. Historic palaces in India are awe-worthy and display unique and magnificent architecture. These palaces are also the treasure houses of rare monetary artefacts and showcase knowledge sources in terms of books to different species of plants and roots. One such marvellous site is the Shakthan Thampuran Palace in Thrissur, Kerala. This palace is preserved by the Archaeological Department.

History 

The era of King Rama Varma Shakthan Thampuran, often known as Shakthan, is considered to be Kochi’s golden period. The Shakthan Thampuran Palace is a landmark in the history of Kochi’s former ruling dynasty, the Perumpadappu Swaroopam. 

Features and Description of the Palace 

• The Shakthan Thampuran Palace, originally known as Vadakkechira Kovilakam, is located near the famed Vadakkumnathan Temple in Thrissur and was refurbished by Shakthan Thampuran in its current shape. 
• The palace extends to over 6 acres. It is designed in the Dutch and Kochi styles. 
• The palace’s primary structure is a two-storey building, built in Kerala’s typical Naalukettu style of architecture. In this style, four blocks of residential units are built around a central courtyard.
• The elevated ceiling, extremely broad walls, giant rooms and Italian marble floorings are some of the structural specialities of this palace. 
• Due to its unique construction, the interiors of Shakthan Thampuran Palace offer comfortable and pleasant conditions, irrespective of the prevailing weather conditions outside. 
• The establishment of the Thrissur Pooram festival is attributed to Shakthan Thampuran Palace. It is a yearly event held in May and was started by Shakthan Thampuran. In this event, teams from the Paramekkavu Bhagavathy Temple and the Thiruvambadi Krishna Temple compete in front of the Vadakkumnathan Temple, using elephants, percussion, drums, pyrotechnics, and other props. 
• The Sakthan Palace was turned into a museum in 2005. 
• The museum has various noteworthy galleries, including the Bronze gallery, Sculpture gallery, and Epigraphy gallery, which showcase the origins and progress of ancient texts.
•  The Bronze gallery displays bronze statues from the 12th to the 18th centuries; the Sculpture gallery showcases granite statues from the 9th to the 17th centuries. The Epigraphy gallery shows the genesis and evolution of ancient writings.
• The museum also displays household utensils made of bronze and copper used by the rulers of Kochi. The Numismatics gallery showcases ancient coins in circulation in the erstwhile province of Kochi and neighbouring regions. The History gallery depicts some of the Kochi dynasty’s milestones, while the Megalithic gallery exhibits remains of the great Stone Age.
• The ancient coin display in the palace’s museum has coins dating back to the 5th century B.C. There are Roman gold coins (from the Eeyyal trove), Travancore local coins (in silver), Veerarayans (gold coins), otta puthan, and iratta puthan issued by the rulers of Cochin on display. 
• The coin board, which measures coins in hundreds to thousands, is one-of-a-kind. The coins produced by Tipu Sultan during his brief stay in Kerala, Indo-Dutch coins, Malabar coins, and British India coins all date from distinct times in Kerala’s history.
• Aside from a Zamorin and a king of Kochi, Shakthan Thampuran’s final resting place is also housed inside the palace.
• The palace also features a very old Sarpakaavu or Serpent Grove, which is a location for Hindus to worship serpents and was prevalent in Kerala previously.
• The Heritage Garden, located on the Shakthan Palace’s southern side, showcases some of Kerala’s unique flora and trees. 
• There is also an archaeological garden in the north-eastern portion of the palace, where one may find Stone Age collections discovered on the outskirts of Thrissur.
• Shakthan Thampuran Palace’s archaeological garden is located in the palace’s north-eastern corner. It houses Stone Age artefacts discovered on the outskirts of Thrissur.

Conclusion

Shakthan Thampuran is one of the major tourist attractions in Thrissur, Kerala. The majestic palace symbolises the strength, architecture, and brilliance of Kerala rulers. The palace had its own significance in the reign of the Kochi regal dynasties and is a symbol of the simplicity and elegance of Thrissur.