Dutch Palace

The Mattancherry Palace was built by the Portuguese in 1545 AD, for Veera Kerala Varma, the then King of Kochi, as compensation for plundering a temple in the vicinity. They even built a shrine to the goddess Bhagavathy, his family deity. Also in the complex are two more temples, one for Krishna and the other for Shiva. Though it was built by the Portuguese, for the Hindu king, the palace was renovated by the Dutch, and thus, is more popularly known as the ‘Dutch Palace’!
The striking features of the palace are the murals that cover almost every wall, from floor to ceiling. Overall, according to the ASI, the palace has mural paintings covering an area of around 300 sq m! Surely that has to be a record of sorts! The paintings depict scenes from the Ramayana, as well as puranic stories related to Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna and Devi. Besides, there are also local folk tales! Brightly coloured and incredibly detailed, the paintings are impressive, especially considering their age!

Besides the paintings, the palace museum has family portraits of the Kochi royal family, and some of their personal artefacts, and more interestingly, historical, geographical and political timelines of the region, which are a big help in understanding the history and heritage of Fort Kochi.
Note: Location: The Mattancherry Palace is located right opposite the Mattancherry Jetty at Fort Kochi