Hill Palace Museum-The Royal Monument

[minisoji]

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. 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.



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 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 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 museum displays 14 categories of exhibits including murals, paintings, sculptures in stone and plaster of paris, manuscripts, 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.



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.

Best time to visit

Being situated very close to the sea, Kochi has a moderate climate. Heavy showers are experienced during the months June, July and August due to the South-West Monsoon. In summer the temperature rises to a maximum of 35 ºC while in winter it is around 25 ºC. The best time to visit Cochin is between December to February when the weather is cool and pleasant.

Getting here

By Air

Cochin International Airport Cochin/Kochi has a world-class modern international airport, located 30kms north-east of the city, with regular flights to major cities in India. Cochin is also connected to Singapore, Colombo and all major cities in the middle-east.

By Rail

Kochi is connected to the rest of India by an extensive network of rails.There are three main railway stations in Cochin: Ernakulam Junction (main station), Ernakulam Town and Cochin Harbour Terminus.

By Road

Hill Palace is situated at a distance of about 12kms from Kochi on Ernakulam- Chottanikkara route.

[rosylady]

Very nice...