Hill Palace, Tripunithura
Encyclopedia
Hill Palace is the largest archaeological museum
in Kerala
, near Tripunithura, Kochi,. It was the administrative office of Kochi Rajas. Built in 1865, the Palace
complex consists of 49 buildings in the traditional architectural style, spreading across in 54 acres (218,530.4 m²). The complex has an archaeological museum, a heritage
museum, a deer
park, a pre-historic park and a children’s park. The land surrounding the Hill Palace has rare Medicinal Plants.
Presently the palace has been converted into a museum and is open to public all days except Mondays from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm. The palace is about 12 km from Ernakulam mainland
and approachable by road.
The Centre for Heritage Studies (CHS) is an autonomous research and training institute set up by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala also functions at the site. CHS is designated as the 'Manuscript Conservation Centre' (MCC) and Manuscript Resource Centre (MRC) by the National Mission for Manuscripts
.
The palace was handed over to the Government of Kerala by the Cochin Royal Family
and 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. The famous Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu
starring Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Shobhana was shot in the palace.
displays 14 categories of exhibits including mural
s, painting
s, sculpture
s in stone and plaster of paris, manuscript
s, inscriptions, carvings etc. The collections displayed in the museum is mainly from the Cochin Royal Family
. Some other exhibits are from 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
.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, near Tripunithura, Kochi,. It was the administrative office of Kochi Rajas. Built in 1865, the Palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
complex consists of 49 buildings in the traditional architectural style, spreading across in 54 acres (218,530.4 m²). The complex has an archaeological museum, a heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
museum, a deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
park, a pre-historic park and a children’s park. The land surrounding the Hill Palace has rare Medicinal Plants.
Presently the palace has been converted into a museum and is open to public all days except Mondays from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm. The palace is about 12 km from Ernakulam mainland
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
and approachable by road.
The Centre for Heritage Studies (CHS) is an autonomous research and training institute set up by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala also functions at the site. CHS is designated as the 'Manuscript Conservation Centre' (MCC) and Manuscript Resource Centre (MRC) by the National Mission for Manuscripts
National Mission for Manuscripts
The National Mission for Manuscripts is an autonomous organisation under Ministry of Culture, Government of India, established to survey, locate and conserve Indian manuscripts, with an aim to create national resource base for manuscripts, for enhancing their access, awareness and use for...
.
History
Hill Palace was built in 1865 by the Maharaja Of Cochin using their personal wealth and now is the largest archaeological museum in kerala.The palace was handed over to the Government of Kerala by the Cochin Royal Family
Cochin Royal Family
The Cochin royal family were rulers of Cochin, or Kochi, India. They were also known as Perumpadapu Swaroopam or Kuru Swaroopam.-Tradition of Perumpadapu Swaroopam:...
and in 1980, the palace was taken over by the Department Of Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and later converted into a Museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
. It was opened to the public in 1986. The famous Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu
Manichitrathazhu
Manichitrathazhu is a 1993 Malayalam psychological thriller-horror-musical film written by Madhu Muttam, directed by Fazil, and produced by Appachan. The film was an unusual theme in Malayalam cinema but proceeded to become a high grosser at the box-office...
starring Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Shobhana was shot in the palace.
Museum
The museumMuseum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
displays 14 categories of exhibits including mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s, sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s in stone and plaster of paris, manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
s, inscriptions, carvings etc. The collections displayed in the museum is mainly from the Cochin Royal Family
Cochin Royal Family
The Cochin royal family were rulers of Cochin, or Kochi, India. They were also known as Perumpadapu Swaroopam or Kuru Swaroopam.-Tradition of Perumpadapu Swaroopam:...
. Some other exhibits are from Travancore Royal House
Travancore Royal Family
The Travancore Royal Family descended from the Venad line of the Cheras and ruled over the Indian state of Travancore until 1947.The Royal family, alternatively known as the Kupaka Royal Family, Thripappur Swaroopam, Venad Swaroopam, Vanchi Swaroopam etc., has its seat today at Trivandrum in...
, Paliam Devaswom and from the department of Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
. It has a gold crown embedded with precious stones and many valuable coins, ornaments, majestic beds and samples of epigraphy
Epigraphy
Epigraphy Epigraphy Epigraphy (from the , literally "on-writing", is the study of inscriptions or epigraphs as writing; that is, the science of identifying the graphemes and of classifying their use as to cultural context and date, elucidating their meaning and assessing what conclusions can be...
.