Splendour of The Chitoor Kottaram

The Mansion next door to the famous "Chittorappan Temple" in Ernakulam ,Chitoor and very near/stones throw distance from my Aunts house had always intrigued me.The mansion was none other than the splendorous "Chittoor Kottaram" that was built nearly 50 yards from the temple.The Raja of Cochin built this palace to cater to the use of the Raja during his regular visits to the shrine.

The Kottaram /Palace steeps in history and folklores of the time when the Rajas ruled Kerala.Suresh Nampoothiri gave us a warm welcome and this visit of mine happened some years back and he had told me about the "kottaram" being run by CGH earth for catering to the tourists.As told by him the restoration activities was quite a challenge for him,as he got all tiles replaced,the granite pathways,the teak doors,flooring detailing and wood work too..The athangudi tiles were added for more royal look.Glass door were put in at the entrance on the ground floor to provide more light and the furnitures replicated from old designs .The palace exudes in grandeur..Enjoy with the Periyar river flowing next to it its a paradise for sure!

the grandeur..

notice the columns and the sides

inside out

the long corridors..

the swings and the athangudi tiles

wonderful place to rest,read and have your tea

the back side 

the trees and the tropical lush greenery

shadows cast a magic

onto the periyar river

the wooden stairs

beautiful are these windows

in love with the corridors

the separate dining room

the umbrella  from earlier times made with palm leaves

the temple pond entry

as we sat down to relax

its beautiful:)-

All Images Idea:Lakshmi Arvind

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