Located at a distance of 10 to 12 km away from the city of Kochi, there lies the first Archeological Heritage Museum of Kerala, Tripunithura Hill Palace. The museum was built around 52 acres of land with 49 buildings constructed in typical Kerala architecture, with ponds, lawns, a deer park, a beautiful garden, etc. As the name suggests, this palace is situated on a hilly area with well-maintained gardens and greenery around it. Hill Palace, built in 1865, was the official residence of the Maharajas of Cochin. It was later in 1980, the Department of Archeology had taken control over the palace and turned it into a museum, which was open to the public from 1986.
Now the palace stays as a full-fledged ethnoarchaeological museum that displays over 200 antiques including vases and pottery from China and Japan, Kudakallu, menhirs, granites, rock-cut weapons from the Stone Age and wooden artifacts from Mohenjo Daro and Harappa of Indus Valley Civilisation. There is a portrait gallery that displays oil paintings of the Maharajas of Cochin. There are sculptures, murals, coins, and precious stones, all belonging to the Kochi Royal Family. There are furniture and majestic beds used in the royal era. All these along with the jewellery and spacious rooms suggest the grandeur of the royal lifestyle in Kerala.
The museum is open on all days except Mondays, you can see many school children brought on their school trips. A journey to this museum is a great study trip to learn much about our ancient life, architecture, and history. The whole palace complex has about 18 galleries in all, such as a cabinet gallery, portrait gallery, chariot gallery, weapons gallery, jewelry gallery etc. dedicated to each and every specificity displayed in the palace. Tripunithura hill palace has been the backdrop to various Malayalam movies, and the most famous among them is the movie, “Manichitrathazhu”, starring Mohanlal and Shobhana. A journey to Tripunithura hill palace is indeed a journey to the royal era of Maharajas.
Contact Details
Hill Palace Museum
Hill Palace Rd, Irumpanam,
Thrippunithura, Ernakulam,
Kerala 682301