Hill
palace museum
Thripunithura
Hill palace, the largest
archaeological museum
in Kerala and the
erstwhile official
residence of the Kochi
Royal Family, was
built in 1865. Hill
Palace is situated
at a distance of about
12kms from Kochi on
Ernakulam- Chottanikkara
route. The palace
complex consists of
49 buildings in the
traditional architectural
style of Kerala and
is surrounded by 52
acres of terraced
land with ponds, fountains
and lawns. A full-fledged
ethno archaeological
museum and Kerala's
first ever Heritage
museum are the main
attractions here.
The
oldest building in
the complex is a single
storied Kerala style
'ettukettu' constructed
around 1850 AD with
an adjacent pond,
temple and urappura.
The other buildings
are a combination
of traditional and
western architecture.
The latest construction
was a three storied
western style building
constructed in 1950,
which used to function
as the office.
In
1980, the palace was
taken over by the
Department Of Archaeology
and later converted
into a Museum. It
was opened to the
public in 1986. Set
on top of a hillock
and surrounded by
terraced garden with
fountains, ponds and
lawns, this palace-turned-museum
displays 14 categories
of exhibits including
paintings, murals,
sculpture in stone
and plaster of Paris,
manuscripts, inscriptions,
carvings etc. The
collections displayed
in the museum are
mainly from the Travancore
Royal House, Paliam
Devaswom and from
the department of
Archaeology. It has
a gold crown embedded
with precious stones
and many valuable
coins, ornaments,
majestic beds and
samples of epigraphy.
The
museum also displays
200 antique pieces
of pottery and ceramic
vases from China and
Japan, Kudakkallu
(tomb stone), Thoppikkallu
(hood stone), menhirs,
granite, laterite
memorials, rock cut
weapons belonging
to the stone age,
wooden temple models.
There is an amazing
array of plaster cast
models of objects
from Mohanjodaro and
Harappa of the Indus
Valley civilization
of North India. The
museum also houses
a gallery of contemporary
art.
Paliam
gallery in the museum
contains the collections
donated by the Paliyathachan's
family. Paliyathachan's
were hereditary Prime
Ministers to the Cochin
Maharaja s for a long
period. This gallery
was opened in 1991.
The
gallery of cabinet
Hall displays royal
furniture's including
the 'Simhasana' (the
throne or the king's
chair).
Exhibits
in the numismatic
gallery are dinarius
(roman silver coins),
punch marked coins,
coins during the period
British period etc.
In
Portrait gallery,
oil portrait of the
Maharaja s of the
Cochin State are exhibited.
This gallery also
contains certain thanjavur
paintings.
Various
woodcarvings, which
are part of Enadimangalam
Temple belonging to14th
century as well as
unique ivory items,
wooden sculptures
etc, are displayed
in Wood Carvings gallery.
Heritage
museum, which was
opened in 1995, exhibits
traditional household
utensils, art effects
and religious worship
materials.
In
weapon gallery and
Sculpture gallery,
old weapons collected
from different places
and stone sculpture
s ranging from 10th
century up to 18th
century are displayed
respectively.
Rare
bronze and silver
items belonging to
14th - 16th century
are displayed in Bronze
and metal ware Gallery.
Gallery
of porcelain contains
about 160 items. This
includes porcelain
or pots, Chinese dishes,
cups etc.
The
exhibits of Epigraphy
Gallery are stone
inscriptions, copper
plates, palm leaf
records, grand has,
thora in goatskin
in Hebrew language
etc.
Chariots
Gallery displays horse
Carts imported from
England and belonged
to Maharaja’ s of
Travancore and Folklore
and Folk Arts gallery
contains some old
musical instruments
and clay models.
The
crown and jewelers
Gallery was opened
in 2001. This gallery
contains about 197
items. Royal Crown
and gold ornaments
decorated with precious
stones etc. are the
exhibits of the jeweler’s
gallery. It will be
opened to the public
only on Fridays, Saturdays
and Sundays.
Numerous
species of flora including
rare medicinal plants
grow here. The museum
premise has been converted
into a botanical garden
with exotic tropical
trees from Central
America to Australia.
The huge area over
which the museum is
spread provides the
facilities for recreation
activities. There
is a deer park in
the palace complex,
which was started
in 1992, and facilities
for horse riding.
A Center for Heritage
Studies (CHS) set
up by the dept. of
Cultural Affairs,
Govt. of Kerala here,
offers post-graduate
diploma courses and
short-term certificate
courses in Archaeology,
Musicology, and Conservation
& Archival Studies
