Do Witness Grand Monuments of Kerala

Kerala is one of the famous tourist destinations of India, and known for abundance of natural and manmade creatures it offer. One could explore different beautiful landmarks in the ‘God’s own country’. Being famous for palm fringed beaches, serine backwaters, blooming hills, it is also home of different architectural monuments. Famous royal dynasties and foreign invasion like Portuguese, Dutch and British has left a lot of structures on this small state.

In this article, we will discuss about magnificent forts, palaces and ruins of monuments which are preserved heritage of our country.

·       Bekal fort

Bekal fort is the largest one which you can witness in Kerala, situated on the backdrop of Arabian Seashore in Kasaragod district. This 300-year old ancient monument is spread over 40 acres. The fort houses many of the enchanting things like a water-tank on its stairway, a mosque and a Hanuman temple at the entrance. Surrounding areas of the fort gives a pleasurable sight to the visitor and few delights like backwaters, beaches and water sports are also available. This fort is just 50 km away from Mangalore and best time to visit the place is in winter and summer seasons.

·       Anjuthengu Fort

The place is full of coconut trees, as its name suggests. This fort was established in 17^th century by East India Company and it is situated near Varkala beach. It has major historical relevance as it was the first major trading station of the colonial period, but now the fort is used by fisherman to trade fresh catches of the sea. The fort is just 36 km away from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and the major nearby railway station is Kadakkavur railway station.

·       Hill Palace

The Hill Palace is Kerala’s first and the largest heritage museum. Earlier the place belonged to the royal family of Cochin and later turned to the museum. It displays majestic beds, paintings, coins carvings samples of epigraphy; antique pieces of pottery and vases, all belonging to the royal family. The place complex holds 49 traditional Kerala architectural styles building and sprawled over 56 acres of land. The museum runs from 9 AM to 5 PM and situated in the city of Cochin.

·       Padmanabhapuram Palace

Padmanabhapuram Palace is a magnificent wooden palace built 16th century. The palace is no more part of Kerala and situated on the southern extreme of the country in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. The interior of the place is certainly awe-inspiring and attracts major tourist through its different floral patterns, rosewood carvings, 17^th and 18^th century murals and coloured mica windows. The palace showcases the royal splendor of Travancore dynasty.

·         Dutch Palace

Built by the Portuguese in 1557 and renovated by Dutch during their reign. The palace has a Bhagavathi Temple and the mural paintings depicting the Hindu mythologies, is very fascinating to witness. The palace displays royal possessions like weapons, swings and furniture which offer glimpse of the royal lifestyle. The palace runs almost every day of the week and can be accessed from the nearest Cochin International Airport.

In every Kerala tour packages, one could get the essence of beauty from every crook and cranny. Coming summer holidays, one should plan a trip to Kerala for a lifetime experience.