The palace houses mythological murals of Kerala, photos of Cochin rajas, paintings and some artefacts. Murals of Mattancherry Palace are painted in rich warm colours in tempera technique. Architectural style of Dutch Palace is typical of Kerala and known as Nalukettu, a quadrangular structure having a courtyard in the middle. In the architecture of the palace, some influences of European architecture are also seen. The arches and proportions have European style. The courtyard has a small temple, dedicated to Pazhayannur Bhagavati who is believed to be the royal Goddess of Kochi royal family. Along with Pazhayannur Bhagavati Temple, there are two other temples on the either sides dedicated to Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva.
The dining hall of Mattancherry Palace is a beautiful highlight of the place. It has a carved wooden ceiling, ornate with a series of brass cups. The flooring of Dutch Palace looks like marble flooring but, interestingly it’s not built of marble. Instead, it is typically traditional Kerala flooring that is a mixture of burnt coconut shells, lime, charcoal, plant juices and egg whites. Another noteworthy thing to witness here in the palace is the bed chamber of the king, called Palliyara. Palliyara is in the left of the entrance and occupies South East corner of Dutch Palace. It is a beautiful thing to witness Palliyara’s low wooden ceiling and a wall surface covered with 48 paintings. The paintings are from the time of Ramayana. The last five scenes of the paintings are from Krishna Leela.
There are rooms in the upper staircase of Mattancherry Palace. It was extended under the Dutch patronage. Goddess Laxmi sitting on lotus, Lord Shiva & Goddess Parvati sitting with Ardhanarishwara and other goddesses, Lord Krishna lifting Govardhana, sleeping Vishnu, and coronation of Lord Rama are some of the paintings in the murals of room in the upper stairs. A small museum within the palace houses several royal utilities like ivory palanquin, dresses of the kings, royal umbrellas, royal caps, howdah, coins & stamps; and a lot of weapons like daggers, spears, cannons & sheathed swords. A long list of collection of murals, royal utilities and weaponry within Dutch Palace make it one of the finest museums of the country.
Exploring Mattancherry Palace is a treat to the eyes. The visiting timings of the palace are from 9.45 AM to 1 PM and then from 2 PM to 4.45 PM.
Entry into the palace is on chargeable basis. The palace is open for the tourists and visitors on all days of the week except on Fridays. Bus or
boat service can be availed from Ernakulum to reach Mattancherry. Cochin airport is the nearest airport to Ernakulum at a distance of about 45 KM.
Visiting Dutch Palace while on Cochin tour gives an insight of the architectural styles & lives of the Portuguese, Dutch and the people of the
bygone era. It is a place that every tourist possibly visits when on Kerala tour including Kochi. Photographers hog onto the place to click some
amazing pictures as there are a lot of options for it.