Koyikkal Palace Kerala

Koyikkal Palace is an important heritage attraction in Kerala located nearly 18 kilometers away from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city. This palace, a double-storey building is now a folklore and numismatics museum. Built in the 17th century, this palace was the residence of the famous Umayamma Rani who was the regent of Venad. She ruled the kingdom from 1677 to 1684. Later this residential palace was converted to a great museum that houses many interesting objects.

Visitors can enjoy several items of historical importance at this palace-turned museum. Built in the typical ‘nalukettu’ architectural style of Kerala, it has an open central courtyard and large rooms built around it. The palace also has gabled sloping roofs. Administered by the Department of Archeology, this Folklore museum located at Koyikkal Palace was set up in 1992 and it houses many interesting musical instruments, household utensils, occupational implements and models of folk arts. Visitors can get an idea about the rich cultural background of the state by visiting this museum. ‘Chandravalayam’, a rare article is truly a great attraction of this tourist spot. The museum also houses some of the belongings of the royal family. The Numismatics Museum at this palace is also worth visiting. It is the only museum of its kind in Kerala which is located on the ground floor of the palace. A lot of people visit this museum in order to watch the coins displayed here. It houses rare and historically important coin collection from different periods and from different parts of the world. Visitors can also watch coins used by different Indian dynasties at this museum such as the Nizam of Hyderabad, Gwalior royal family and Tipu Sultan.