About

Hill Palace Museum is located in Thripunithura/Tripunithura, in Ernakulam district of the state of Kerala. The Hill Palace was the residence of the Maharaja of the erstwhile State of Cochin from the last quarter of the 19th century down to the middle of 20th century. The palace complex is a large enclosed area which comprises of 49 buildings, which were built in traditional Kerala style architecture. The palace compound is spread over 52 acres of area. This compound includes beautiful fountains which are a piece of art. Apart from these fountains the compound also guards elaborately lush lawns and a number of ponds.  It was taken over by the Department Of Archaeology in 1980 and later converted into a Museum by an official inauguration in 1984. The Museum was opened to the public in 1986 with 11 galleries. The collections, which were displayed in this Museum, are mainly from the Cochin Royal House and from the Department of Archaeology. At present, there are 18 galleries. The Palium gallery (donated by the Paliyathachan's family) was opened in 1991, Heritage Museum in 1995 and the Crown and Jewellery in 2001.

A deer Park was started in the premises of Hill Palace in 1992. The Pareekshith Thampuran Archaeological Museum at Ernakulam (Durbar) was closed in 1997 and the objects were shifted to the Hill Palace Museum. There are a number of rare medicinal plants too, which have been cultivated here. The Ethno-archaeological museum displays a number of ancient murals, oil-paintings, Stone artifacts, and coins, along with manuscripts and sculptures, which belongs to the Kochi Royal Family. The first building constructed inside the complex is a single storied Ettukettu, which is supposed to be constructed in the year 1850. There are a traditional pond and a temple alongside this building. This building is constructed in traditional Kerala architecture style, according to which a residential building should be added with a pond and a temple. The latest addition to the palace compound is the three-story museum office, which was constructed in the year 1950 in western style.

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