Hill Palace Museum

Hill Palace Museum in Kerala

The Hill Palace museum is located in Ernakulam, Kerala. This museum has a distinction of being the first heritage museum of Kerala. The Hill Palace museum houses the Royal collections of the erstwhile Maharaja of Kochi. It is the official residence of the Kochi royal family and the largest archaeological museum in Kerala. The Hill Palace complex comprises of 49 buildings, built in the traditional architectural style of Kerala, spread over 50 acres of beautifully landscaped land. Numerous species of flora including rare medicinal plants are grown here. Some prominent displays in the full-fledged Ethno-archaeological museum are oil paintings, murals, inscriptions, coins, stone sculptures and manuscripts, belongings of the Kochi royal family and royal furniture.

Other important exhibits at the Hill Palace museum are over 200 antique pieces of pottery and ceramic vases from China and Japan, Kudakkallu (tomb stone), menhirs, granite, Thoppikkallu (hood stone), laterite memorials, wooden temple models and rock cut weapons. The Hill palace museum also houses a gallery of contemporary art, which displays many items from the contemporary period.

Located at a distance of 10 kilometers from Kochi, Hill Palace, the official residence of the Kochi Royal Family was built in 1865. Consisting of 49 buildings, the palace is built in the Traditional Architectural Style of Kerala and is surrounded by 52 acres of terraced land.

Display Sections:

Exhibited inside the thirteen galleries are oil paintings, 19th century Paintings, Murals, sculptures in stone and plaster of Paris, manuscripts, inscriptions, coins, belongings of the Kochi Royal Family, Paliathachan’s gallery and royal furniture including the ‘Simhasana’ (the throne or the king’s chair).

There are on display 200 antique pieces of pottery and ceramic vases from China and Japan, Kudalkall, tomb stone ‘thoppikkallu’, hood stone ‘menhirs’ in granite and Literate memorials, rock cut caves belonging to the early iron, age wooden temple models.

There is an amazing array of plaster cast models of objects from Mohanjodaro and Harappa of the Indus Valley civilization of North India. The upper story houses a gallery of contemporary art.

The huge area over which the museum is spread provides the facilities for other recreation activities as well. The huge expanse of land that surrounds the royal palace has a Deer Park and has facilities for horse riding also

Timings:

The museum is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on all days except Mondays.

Location:

10 kms From Kochi, Kerala

Main Attraction:

Kerala’s First Heritage Museum