27 February 2012

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram---- formerly Trivandrum, got this name recently. The word Thiru-Ananth-puram means the sacred city of lord Ananta. The city gets the name after the mythological Sheshanaag Ananta on which the deity Vishnu or Padmanabhan reclines in the famous Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple--

Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple


100-feet high, seven-tierd Gopuram with its intrcate carvings depicting mythological stories


Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple dates back to 6th-9thC and is built in Dravidian Style of Architecture. The main gopuram (Shown in the pic above) was added later in the 16thC. Inside the main shrine (photography not allowed), the deity of Vishnu resides in a reclining posture on the five-hooded Ananta Shesh. The Lord's right hand is placed over a Sivalingam and Vishnu's two consorts, Sridevi and Bhudevi are present by His side. From Lord's naval appears Brahma on a lotus. The main idol is said to have derived from 12000 small shivalingas brought from Pashupatinath temple in Nepal. The deity can be seen through three doors in parts.
Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is considered to be one of the richest temples of India due to its rich monumental and ornamental inheritance and is run and controlled by the temple  treasury.
The most impressive part of the temple is a long corridor on all sides with 365 and a-quarter stone pillars with carvings and is an ultimate example of  the Vishvakarma Sthapatis. Standing at one end of the corridor, it leaves the visitor speechless due to its amazing beauty.
There are many other small temples in the compound.
Govt. Museum Complex--
Napier Museum, Natural History museum, Shree Chitra Art gallery and a zoo are present in the complex.


Beautifully maintained gardens of the complex.


Napier Museum


Napier Museum or The Govt. Arts and Crafts museum is a beautiful red and black brick structure which houses a rare collection of artifects of bronze, stone, gold and ivory and a huge wooden chariot.
Sree Chitra Art Gallery holds some famous paintings by Raja Ravi Varma, the internationally renowned painter from this state.
Pazhavanagady Ganapati Temple--




This Ganpati temple is very popular among the localites and is an ancient beatiful temple in black stone.
Attakul Bhagvaty Temple--
Attakul Bhagvathy Temple

  
This temple is reverred as the `sabrimala' for women, hence visited mostly by womenfolk. The legend has it that the goddess Attakul Bhagavathy is a form of Kannaki, an incarnation of Goddess Parvati. Attakul Pongal is the main festival celebrated at this temple.
The temple holds the Guiness Book of World records for recording the highest number of women in one place at one time anywhere in the world. (app. 3million women thronged the temple to celebrate `pongal' in 2010). 
Padmanabhpuram Palace--
Padmanabhapuram Palace

It is a magnificent wooden palace of 16thC, located in Thackalay, some 64km from Trivandrum. It is an old palace of the rajas of Travancore and is an excellent example of Kerala's indigenous style of wood housing.





All the structures in the campus are made of wood with a triangular projection atop every gate and sloping roofs. The floors, which are very smooth and shine like granite are actually made of jaggery, cocconut oil and charcoal and lime.The interior is made of beatifully carved rose wood.
Poomukham-


Poomukham

In the main palace, the first structure is a Poomukham, to wlcome guests and has some rare displays like a hanging brass lamp with a knight on a horse, a chinese chair and a bed made  by joining seven pieces of shining granite stone etc. The wooden ceiling has 90-carved flowers which are all of different patterns!

Manthrasala

The Manthrashala, one floor above Poomukham, is a prominent hall with a single projection for seating with 11-windows which have beautifully carved shutters with mirrors.  It has beautiful carved, chinese chairs where ministers sat with the king for discussions over important matters. 
Ottupura or the dining Hall Entrance

Oottupura or the dining hall made on two floors could feed 1000 people on each floor on a daily basis! The kings were known for their generosity and hospitality.
Thai Kottaram-

Thai Kottaram


Thai Kottaram

Thai Kottarram-The oldest palace in the complex was built in the end of the 16thC, in a traditional Kerala Nalketu style. Its outer veranda has a pillar carved out of jack-fruit tree and made of a single piece to support the ceiling, and has exquisite carving on it. The special flooring has withstood the test of time. The hall was made to carry out various ceremonies to appease the Goddess. A tunnel route for emergencies starts from its courtyard and connects it to another palace 1-km away from it.
The armoury was housed in a building with long rooms without any windows for any light or ventilation to store a huge collection of arms. There is a watch tower for vigilation.
The King's Bedroom-
The King's bedroom with a highly immunising bed !
Grand carvings on the ceiling


A moderately sized room is distinguished by the presence of a bed made by using ninety  pieces of medicinal herbs. There is a chinese chair with  very fine carving. The ceiling is beautified by intrinsic carvings on the wooden beams.
The hall with a mirror, a swing and some paintings

There is a Belgian mirror that is 300-years old and has a silver coating on its back for reflection kept in one of the rooms in the palace. This room also houses several very old Thanjavur paintings. These paintings are conspequence by the absence of the gold foil in them which is considered now as the distinguished part of the Thanjavur paintings.  

Ambari Mukhappu

Ambari Mukhappu

Ambari Mukhappu is the building made for the kings to view chariot races and give public appearances. The structure is built in the shape of an Ambari- the seat put on the elephant, and is a fine example of craftsmanship of Kerala wood carving.
Navaratri Mandappam -
Navarathri Mandappam with its `Mirror Floor'

Wooden partition with viewing holes


This building was built in 1744AD and is the only solid rock structure in an otherwise wooden palace. It is a 66-feet long and 27-feet wide structure famous for its unparalleled architecture of intrcately carved rows of pillars. Its unique floors are polished to mirror-like perfection and due to clear reflection it is called as `kannadithara' or `mirror floor'. Various cultural programmes were conducted here during navaratri festival. Small, viewing windows are made in its wooden panels in walls for the royals to view the performances from behind the wooden screens.
The Temple in Navarathri Mandappam


A part of the long corridor has the palace temple at its far end. There is, also a large collection of ancient stone statues on display in this part of the palace which have been collected from the different parts of India.
The Museum





There is a museum in the south part of the palace which is rich in having on display some very ancient stone, wood and metal architecture in the form of statues, furniture, lamps and murals.



Most interesting part in this museum is a collection of engraved stone pillars which are scripted and served as documents then.












Some pictures of the beautiful and serene back-waters of Kerala --

Away from the madding city life--->

God's own country !

A panoramic view

I just loved the reflections in the water- .Reflections..........of house-boats...........

--->Reflections of trees...

Waiting to enjoy the sun-set view--->

Beyond that beach is The Arabian Sea. The continuity of water into back-waters (where there is no beach) on the left is an estuary.....