Capital city of Kerala:Thiruvananthapuram

Last visit to our home town was actually where I got immersed studying a little bit of history of the place we belong to..Just a morning walk in the bylanes of the Fort area  transcends us into a period long back,the period of kings  horses and chariots..

a pleasure walking the streets which u have walked an innumerable number of times,not knowing its importance.Photographing  and showing the world the heritage zones of the capital city,which alot of them lie hidden.

Heritage zones  have been identified long back and works were undertaken in the fort areas which are actually rich in heriatge and steeped in history..Still some of the decor elements are covered with ivy,climbers and wines,doomed in postercolors of elections and film posters....

The Fort area in the Capital City of Thiruvananthapuram bears a lot of historic significance. The Fort houses several magnificent palaces, palatial houses, and agraharams (Brahmin houses). Standing out is the Padmanabha Swamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Padmanabha an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Fort has stood witness to many events in the annals of the erstwhile Travancore Kingdom, and also in the development of the Capital City of Thiruvananthapuram.Padmatheertham, the temple pond is located in front of the temple.

The entire Fort area has been declared by the State Government as a heritage site. For a visitor, the imposing gateway of the East Fort, painted in white and located on the eastern side, facing the famous Chalai bazaar is the usual way to get inside the Fort. 

Built in AD 1747 by King Marthanda Varma, the East Fort is the most prominent of the forts, and the structure displays a touch of French architecture with guardrooms on its sides. One can also find two mandapams (platform with a roof supported by pillars) at the top, which were once used to announce royal proclamations. There are seven such forts,each in a style unique to them and different architecture.

As one enters through the East Fort gate, straight in line with the entrance is the Padmanabha Swamy Temple. Built in traditional Kerala and Dravidian style, the architecture of this seven-storeyed temple tower itself is a sight to behold. The deity of the temple is Lord Padmanabha, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of life according to Hindu belief. Here, the 18 feet long deity is seen as lying on a serpent called Anantha. The Kings of Travancore ruled the land as the servants of Lord Padmanabha. Inside the temple, a mandapam (platform with pillars) carved out of a single piece of rock displays eye-catching sculptures.

Built in 1818 is the Padinjarekotta or the fort gate situated on the western side. This fort gate was built following the closure of another gate called Nariadachankotta, which is situated close to it. Just like the East Fort, the Padinjarekotta also has a touch of French architecture. The annual Aaraatt procession from the Padmanabha Swamy Temple passes through this fort.Nearby the Fort, are the palatial houses, locally called as Amma Veedus.All are best examples of Dravidian architecture in Kerala state. These are houses more than 150 years old, specially built for the consorts of Travancore Kings.

These houses display a blend of Kerala and European styles of architecture. With beautiful matchless interiors, these houses do not have cement and iron as part of their building materials. The prominent Amma Veedus include the Arumana, Thanjavur, Vedasseri etc.These structures are not only specimens of architectural practices but also reflect the cultural traditions ,festivities and lifestyles of the peiod.

These are buildings, which were once used by the members of the Travancore royal family. Except for few, most of them now function as various offices.

each design was so unique,a mixture of so many types of architecture..

It was quite sad to notice the pathetic condition...

the gates,main entrances had so many filigree work on them,all very old,during the 18 century..notice each of them is unique,some had lions in the centre.
notice the windows had some work on top too..not left plain as just windows,set inside the walls in a depressionthis usage of two colors caught my attention
look at the number of windows in the palaces,count them
notice the lions and peacocks on both sidesMajestic lionsgate and the filigree work on the entrance in detaila set of different windows,with glass on topcount the number of windows..detail of the windowDetails of the colums on the side of the window
posters all over the placethis particular one has been rented by some private institute..amazing architecture,look at the windows.beautiful and exquisite..Another set of windows and details..
view from down..
coloured glass on top,european long windows,usually will be bay windows..a style invogue these days

Another set of houses...Another notable one among the palaces is the Sree Padam Kottaram, which is one of the oldest palaces inside the fort. Situated to the north of the temple, the palace has played host to kings and queens who arrived to participate in the temple rituals.Its rented as a marriage hall.

Set of palaces rented Out to a hostel.

                                 Images and ideas conceived By Lakshmi Arvind

The Napier Museum,Thiruvanathapuram

The Napier museum is one among the architectural marvels which we had a close association since childhood.Going to the museum,playing in the park ,watching animals in the zoo and Raja Ravi Varmas paintings in the Sree chitra art galllery was our favourite past times.The last summer vacations where rekindling childhood memories with my little one...

The Napier museum was established in 1855. In 1874, the old Museum Building was demolished and foundation for the new building was laid. The new building was named after Lord Napier, the Governor of Madras 1866-1872.

The architectural masterpiece was designed by Robert Chisholm, the consulting Architect of the Madras government and the construction was completed in 1880. Napier Museum is a landmark in the city with its unique ornamentation and architectural style with gothic roof and minarets. The Indo Saracenic structure also boasts a natural air conditioning system.

The museum houses a rare collection of archaeological and historic artifacts, bronze idols, ancient ornaments, a temple chariot and ivory carvings. It also contains the Sri Chitra Art Gallery, which contains works from Raja Ravi Varma and Nicholas Roerich, as well as examples of Mughal and Tanjore art.

The Museum grounds also hold a Zoological garden, which is one of the oldest in India. This Zoo was established in 1857 and is spread over 55 acres (220,000 m2) of land.

Front view

side view

side view

side view

entrance,look at the windows and the jaali work

side walls work and tiles on it

hanumanji on the side walls in stone

pillars and the planks of the roofs

side view,look at the work on the windows

details of the work

ventilation,jaali

long windows

beautiful windows and shadows

lion guarding the entrance

a pool at the entrance

sri chitra enclave in the museum
Images and Ideas by Lakshmi Arvind

Please dont copy images.

For more details refer Wikipedia

Text courtesy:Wikipedia on Napier Museum

The Cottage.Jeolikot,Nainital

Wishing you all a Happy New Year 2010.

Much more Indian Interior ideas to come all your way this year.To start the blog rolling with ,after the celeberations,let me take all in to the hills,where mists roll and dew hangs from the leaf tips and petals,let me take you all in to the interiors of the beautiful cottage in Kumaon region,jeolikot,where we spend some days the last year.

At a height of four thousand feet high its an all weather,all destination.

The owner Ms Bhuvanakumari has tried and managed to blend the best of the three life styles decor and ambience,that of the pucca,not so pucca sahibs of the raj era ,the Kumaoni tradition and the comforts of the modern era.

The floor is wodden,seesham and soothing to the legs.Sofas are covered with patch work dhurries and ancient vintage carved windows and frames add to the beauty.These were meticulously salvaged from the debris and junk of demolished homes—destroyed by their owners to make ‘modern’ ones—some as far away as 250 kms!

The owner loves cotton and can be seen in all her furnishings and the lamp shades around are a beauty to the eyes.

There are so many curios kept beautifully,painfully collected over the years..

The amazing thing i found there was the wall art,the walls were painted in different patterns and the bathroom walls and the doors and all of them had patterns drawn beautifully on them.The stay there transcended us into A raj era for definite...

The food is their speciality,good food,delicate dishes keep coming from their kitchen..The home made cakes and desserts are a speciality..

Tea kept our spirits warm..

As their site says,for everything there is a season,the slvyian serenity and the cottage awaits your holiday season.

Tell me how did you all feel about "The Cottage"

Visit their site at Cottage online

(Images and ideas by Lakshmi Arvind.Please do not reproduce any images)