Built by the Portuguese in the middle of the 16th century, this palace
was taken over in 1663 by the Dutch, who added some improvements before
presenting it to the Rajas of Cochin. The rajas also made more improvements.
The palace is notable for some of the best mythological murals in India,
particularly in the bed chambers. In that room one can see the entire
story of Ramayana on the walls.
The palace also houses Dutch maps of Old Kochi, royal palanquins, coronation
robes of former maharajas of Kochi and displays an example of traditional
Kerala flooring, which looks like polished black marble but is actually
a mixture of burned coconut shells, charcoal, lime, plant juices and egg
whites. It is situated at Palace Road, Mattancherry. Open to Tourists
- Saturday to Thursday from 10 am - 5 pm, Closed on Fridays
and National holidays.