Raghu's column!: Thirumalai Nayak Palace/Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal, Madurai.

Thirumalai Nayak Palace/Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal - Video:

Light and Sound Show at Thirumalai Nayak Palace - Video:

We visited the marvelous Thirumalai Nayak Palace very recently. We were there in the morning going around the entire Palace and in the evening we attended the beautiful Light and Sound Show. It was time well spent at the Palace, where royalty lived in grandeur and learning the history of the great King, Thirumalai Nayak, his Palace, and other Madurai Kings.

Thirumalai Nayak Palace also known as Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal is a 17th-century Palace erected in 1636 AD by King Thirumalai Nayak, a King of Madurai's Nayaka dynasty who ruled the Madurai Kingdom from 1623 to 1659, from the city of Madurai. This Palace is an artistic and classic blend of Dravidian, Rajput and Indo-Saracenic architecture. It was designed by an Italian architect. The building which can be seen today was the main Palace, in which the King lived. The original Palace Complex was four times bigger than the present structure. In its heyday, the Palace was considered to be one of the wonders of South India. This Palace is very close to the most sacred and popular Temple of Meenakshi Amman, at a distance of 1.2 km.

The attached photographs, videos and the pictures of the three Noticed Boards immediately below this article will give you further idea and information about the Palace.

HISTORY:

The Nayaks of Madurai ruled this former Kingdom from 1545 until the 1740s and Thirumalai Nayak (1623-1659) was one of their greatest Kings, notable for his great rule, contribution to fine arts, Madurai Temples and various buildings in and around Madurai. During the 17th century, the Madurai Kingdom had Portuguese, Dutch and other Europeans as traders, missionaries and visiting travelers. Over a span of 400 years, Madurai developed under these rulers. But over a period of time, many buildings have suffered destruction and damage due to wars and neglect. A few, however, were repaired to be converted into use as garrisons, granaries, store-houses, powder magazines, during the time of East India Company and the British rule. King Thirumalai Nayak’s grandson had demolished much of the fine structure and removed most of the jewels and woodcarvings in order to build his own Palace in Tiruchirapalli. However, Lord Napier, the Governor of Madras, had partially restored the Palace in 1866-72. And due to the subsequent restoration works carried out a few years ago, we get to see today the Entrance Gate, The Main Hall, and the Dance Hall.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION:

Built in 1636, as a focal point of his capital at Madurai, Thirumalai Nayak intended the Palace to be one of the grandest in South India. The design and architecture as mentioned above is a blend of Dravidian, Rajput and Indo-Saracenic styles. The Interior of the Palace surpasses many of its Indian contemporaries in scale. The interior is richly decorated whilst the exterior is treated in a more austere style.

During the 18th century, many structures that were part of this Palace were pulled down or incorporated into buildings in the adjacent streets. What remains is the enclosed court known as the Swarga Vilasam and a few adjoining buildings. The audience chamber of the Swarga Vilasam is a vast hall with arcades about 12 m high. The Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal is famous for its giant pillars, numbering 248.

COURTYARD:

Upon entering into the gates of the Palace, the visitor enters into the present day’s huge central courtyard measuring 3,700 sq.m (41,979 sq ft). The courtyard is surrounded by massive circular pillars. And outside the courtyard is a garden.

INTERIOR:

The Palace was divided into two major parts, namely Swarga Vilasam (Celestial Pavilion) and Ranga Vilasam. The royal residence, theatre, shrine, apartments, armory, palanquin place, royal bandstand, quarters, pond and garden were situated in these two portions. The courtyard and the dancing hall are the major centers of attractions of the Palace. The Celestial Pavilion (Swarga Vilasam) was used as the throne-room and has an arcaded octagon covered by a dome 60–70 feet high. The domed structure in the center is supported by stone ribs and is held up by massive circular columns topped and linked by pointed scalloped arches with an arcaded gallery opening into the nave above the side aisles.

MATERIALS USED:

The structure was constructed using foliated brickwork and the surface details and finish in exquisite stucco called chunnam using chunnam (shell lime) and mixed with egg white to obtain a smooth and glossy texture. The steps leading up to the hall were formerly flanked by two equestrian statues of excellent workmanship.

The pillars supporting the arches are 13m tall and are again joined by foliated brickwork that carries a valance and an entablature rising up to a height of 20 m. The decoration is done with shell lime. The pavilions topped with finials that were covered with gold are on either side of the courtyard.

PRESENT DAY:

After Independence, the Thirumalai Nayak Palace was declared as a National Monument and is now under the protection of the Tamil Nadu Archaeological Department. This Palace is open for visitors from 9 am to 5 pm and the entry ticket price is Rs.10. Additional charges have to be made for cameras and camcorders.

Many film shootings have taken place in the Palace mainly because of the big pillars. However, permission is no longer being given to prevent any damage to the ancient structure.

Notable films are Maniratnam's "Bombay" ("Kehna Hi Kya" song), "Guru" ("Tera Bina" song), Vikram starrer "Bheemaa" ("Ragasiya Kanavugal" song), etc.

This Palace is a must visit for history lovers and those who love to explore architectural fineness of bygone eras. The sound and light shows are conducted every evening at the Palace, making your trip to this Palace even more exciting.

LIGHT AND SOUND SHOWS:

The Palace is well equipped to perform Light & Sound shows depicting the story of the King and the Palace, both in English and Tamil in the evenings. The English show is from 6.45 pm to 7.35 pm and the Tamil show is from 8.00 pm to 8.50 pm.