| We invite you to undertake this voyage that will
transport you to a time-warp where the legends and drama of the
erstwhile monarchs and members of the Cochin royalty will unfold before
you through the age-old antiquity and heritage of the palace. Let the
walls of this ancient palace, its ceilings and the air enveloping it,
whisper royal mantras to you and pamper you in its unique rich
tradition.
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The history of this magnificent heritage mansion, the
“Chittoor Palace” dates back to a time and period steeped in folklore
and cloaked with legends.
The year - 1498
The place - Calicut
The event - The Portuguese, the first sailors to India from Europe,
arrive. They establish a European colonial rule in India. |
| At the time of the arrival of the Portuguese in
India, Kerala was under the sovereign rule of four Kingdoms, the
Kolattiri, the Zamorin, the Cochin and the Travancore. Much before the
arrival of the Portuguese in India, the original seat of the Government
of Cochin royalty was in a place called Perumpadappu, not far from the
famous Guruvayoor temple of Kerala, which was under the authority of the
Zamorin. In those days, the Zamorin yielded unrivalled power. Legend has
it that the Raja of Cochin was forced to travel south owing to the
invasion of his territories by the Zamorin and eventually shift his
headquarters to Tripunithura. In spite of the shift, the royal title of
the erstwhile Raja of Cochin is still known as “Perumpadappu Swaroopam”. |
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The pride of the Raja of Cochin was greatly hurt. He
vowed to build a temple in his territory, close to Tripunithura,
equalling in status to the Guruvayoor temple. The Raja directed
Cheranellor Kartha, the chieftain of the island village of Cheranelloor,
near the town of Cochin to fulfil his wishes. Thus, was born the
legendary temple of “Chittoorappan,” where the deity is the most revered
Hindu God Krishna, the same as that in the temple of Guruvayoor. The
village, Cheranelloor, is also known as South Guruvayoor. Invariably, a
mansion had to be built in the vicinity of the temple to cater to the
use of the Raja during his regular visits to the shrine. Thus, the
splendorous “Chittoor Palace” was built nearly 50 yards from the temple. |
Heritage
The place – A royal mansion (the Chittoor Palace) in the vicinity of an
ancient temple
The period – Few hundreds of full moons ago
The scene - Cheranelloor Kartha, the village chieftain, displays magical
feats at the royal courtyard for the pleasure of the young princes of
the Cochin royal family during one of their visits to the temple. During
one such act, to the horror and awe of the audience, the palace goes up
in flames. The illusion lasts only for a few moments before the palace
is brought back to its original state. |
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This incident finds special mention in a chapter of
the ancient text of the fairy tales of Kerala, the “Aithihyamala”, first
published about 100 years ago. The chapter is dedicated to the nearby
Chittoor temple and its village chieftain, Cheranelloor Kartha. During
the days of the kingdom, it was customary for the Maharaja of Cochin to
attend the annual 10-day temple festivities in April. As the Chittoor
temple and the palace are situated in the island of Cheranelloor; devoid
of bridges, the only access to them was by boats. |
| The annual temple visit of the royalty was a mammoth
spectacle and a rare sight to behold. The Maharaja and the royal family
members were accompanied by a huge entourage of 200 guards, who would
travel by boats to this place from their headquarters at Tripunithura,
nearly 10 miles away. Chittoor Palace was used as a rest house during
these visits, when the Maharaja attended to the temple festivities. |
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Centuries have passed, yet the legacy and heritage of
this mansion remain unchanged as the ownership of the property has
remained with the royal family. The property has been inherited by one
of the members of the erstwhile Cochin royal family, who has taken on
the daunting challenge of adding modern comforts, without losing its
timeless charm or its historical value.This relentless quest has
restored the palace to its original glory, which is now available as an
exclusive royal abode for tourists. |
| Cochin royalty is characterized by its inherent
vegetarianism and a simple but elegant life style totally devoid of any
opulence or extravagance, which is rather unusual for royal families.
Instead, the Cochin rulers focused on the welfare and betterment of the
people to improve their educational, medical and other services. This
commitment has contributed notably to Kerala emerging as one of the most
literate states in India. |
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In keeping with this simple tradition, the food
served at the palace is purely vegetarian and the the menus are the
dishes of the erstwhile Maharaja of Cochin. The food is prepared in
authentic style by a Kerala Brahmin—as was customary during the days of
the royalty—and is plenty in variety, rich in taste and peppered with
exotic spices.
Price: US$ 1000 / 2 persons / 2 nights
with all meals. |
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