Sivagiri Mutt

Sivagiri Mutt is a famous ashram in Varkala, founded by the philosopher and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru. Sree Narayana Guru's tomb is also located here. The Samadhi (the final resting place) of the Guru here attracts thousands of devotees every year during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage days 30th December to 1st January. The Sivagiri Mutt, built in 1904, is situated at the top of the Sivagiri hill near Varkala. Even decades after the guru breathed his last here in 1928; his samadhi continues to be thronged by thousands of devotees, donned in yellow attire, from different parts of Kerala and outside every year during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage days - 30th December to 1st January. The Sivagiri Mutt is also the headquarters of the Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham, an organization of his disciples and saints, established by the Guru to propagate his concept of 'One Caste, One Religion, One God'. The Guru Deva Jayanti, the birthday of the Guru, and the samadhi day are celebrated in August and September respectively every year. Colourful processions, debates and seminars, public meetings, cultural shows, community feasts, group wedding and rituals mark the celebrations.

How to Reach: Nearest Railway Station: Varkala
Nearest Airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport

Jewish Synagogue, Mattancherry

The prosperous Jewish trading community built the Jewish Synagogue in 1568 whose links with Kerala begin in Kodungallor (Cranganore) in the north of the state. The oldest synagogue in India, it was partially destroyed in the war of 1662 and was rebuilt by the Dutch. In the mid-18th century the clock tower was added and the floors paved with exquisite hand-painted blue willow tiles from China. Two hundred years old, no two tiles are alike. The interior offers more beautiful surprises: a Belgian chandelier, the great scrolls of the Old Testament, and the copper plates on which were recorded the grants of privilege made by the Cochin rulers to the Jewish community in the 4th century. There are also five finely wrought gold and silver crowns gifted to the synagogue by various patrons.

The Jewish Synagogue is a striking edifice with elaborately carven teak ark, arched brass pillars, Belgian crystal chandeliers and Torah gold crowns adorned with dazzling gems. The floor is made of hand-painted white and blue porcelain tiles brought from Canton and each tile exhibits a different pattern.

The Clock Tower that has a soaring height of 45 ft displays the 4 dials with numerals in Hebrew, Latin, Malayalam and Arabic.Like other Jewish Orthodox synagogues, this building offers different seating segments for men and women.

The rabbi will normally give visitors a full account of the synagogue and the history of the Jews in Kerala. Although this ancient community of Cochin has now dwindled to a few families, strong elements of their culture and tradition as well as the Hebrew language remain in Jew Town, which is what the area surrounding the Mattancherry Synagogue has come to be called. The by-lanes that wind around Jew Town offer charming sights of houses built in Dutch, Portuguese and British styles.

Opening hours: 10:00 to 17:00, closed on Fridays.

How to Reach: 
Fort Kochi is accessible by bus or ferry. The bus ride from Ernakulam town, which is nearly 13 km away, takes about an hour and the ferry ride from Main boat jetty at Ernakulam about 20 minutes.

Nearest Railway Station : Ernakulam, about 10 km from the Synagogue
Nearest Airport : Cochin International Airport, about 30 km from the Synagogue

Dutch Palace, Mattancherry

As one may surmise from the name, the Dutch were not the original builders of the Mattancherry Palace. It was built by the Portuguese in 1557 as a gift to the Raja of Cochin, Veera Kerala Varma, partly as a compensation for a temple they'd destroyed and partly as a bribe to gain favors from the ruler. It was only in 1663, when the Dutch won over from the Portuguese, that they renovated the palace and thus, it is known as the 'Dutch palace' too.

The Dutch palace remains more or less the same in structure and appearance even today. Its facade is fairly unornamented and is made up of stark white walls, sloping roofs and trees around it. It is a two-storied, quadrangular building, with a small temple dedicated to the deity Palayannur Bhagwati in the central courtyard. On either side of it are smaller shrines dedicated to Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva. The central hall on the upper storey was once used as venue for coronating Cochin's Raja and has an intrinsically carved wooden ceiling.

Not surprisingly, the center of attraction of the Mattanchery Palace is not its ceilings, but the splendid murals on the walls of the rooms. Depicting scenes from Hindu mythologies like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas, these murals are counted as amongst the best in India. The Dutch Palace of Kerala has many more elements of surprise for visitors. There's an entire gallery of royal memorabilia that consist of attires, turbans and weapons, from the days of the rajas of Kochi.

Visiting hours : 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on all days except Fridays.

How to Reach: 
There are frequent bus and boat services to Mattancherry. The boats start from Main Boat Jetty near Subash Park at Ernakulam town.
Nearest Railway Station : Ernakulam, about 10 km
Nearest Airport : Cochin International Airport, about 20 km from Ernakulam town 

Poonjar Palace

Poonjar Palace located on the Pala-Erattupetta route in the Kottayam district of Central Kerala. Poonjar is truly stands as a glorious proof to the regal magnificence of a bygone era. The palace stands tall with all its majesty and magnificence, narrating the stories of the past. Poonjar is a royal place that was once inhabited by the royalties of Kerala. The palace is an explicit example of traditional Kerala architecture with its sloping roofs and carved walls, adorned with paintings and artifacts. Inside the palace walls is an amazing royal collection of antiques and exquisite furniture, comprising of a palanquin, huge chandeliers, a thoni carved out of a single piece of wood for Ayurvedic massages, jewel boxes, palm leaf engravings which were considered sacred and were used during major pujas, varieties of lamps, sculptures of Nataraja, dancing Siva, grain measures used by the cooks, statues, and weapons. A distinctive conch is preserved at the Poonjar Palace which is removed once in a year for ritualistic purposes, as it is blown to announce the start and end of the ritual.

Nearby to this palace lies a replica of the Madurai Meenakshi Temple. The temple walls have sculptures that depict scenes from the Puranas. The most beautiful thing is the Chuttuvilakku that are carved in stones. Tourists come here in large groups and are fascinated by the glory of the palace.

How to Reach: 

Poonjar Palace is at Poonjar on the Pala-Erattupetta route, Kottayam district, central Kerala.
Nearest Railway Station: Kottayam, about 30 km from Pala
Nearest Airport: Cochin International Airport, about 76 km from Kottayam town

Gundert Bungalow

Dr. Herman Gundert, the revered German Missionary, who was born in Stuttgait, came to India as a Christian missionary. In 1934 he became member of Basal Mission .On 27, Feb, 1839, he started staying at Illikunnu, a place near Thalassery.

Gundert Bungalow was the residence of Dr.Herman Gundert , a scholar who successfully completed the first Malayalam dictionary from 1839-1859. Also it was in the Bungalow that Malayalam oldest news paper Pachimodayam ( also published by Gundert ) developed . The Bungalow is typical colonial masion with deep caves, wide verandah and huge doors. Today a technical training institute is being seen in the Gundert Bungalow.

It is usually the fascination of foreigners who have invaded India to construct Bungalow in the format of watch towers. Due to the innovation and the uniqueness of the design, most of these constructions seek much attraction. The Bungalow which was constructed top of the Illikunnu  was having unique architecture resembling a holy premise and was used by the earlier judicial magistrate of Thalassery, Mr. Thomas stench. This Bungalow was donated to the Basal Mission by the judge being attracted on the humanitarian services.

Dr.Herman Gundert who was the active member of the Basal mission occupied the same and this bungalow became the pail of the history there after. In 1847, the first Malayalam newspaper RAJYASAMACHARAM another publication known as Paschimodayam was also started from Thalassery at this place. Also in 1939 he stated a school in Bungalow. Even Today, Gundert Bungalow is a major tourist attraction in Thalassery

How to Reach: Nearest Railway Station :Thalassery Railway Station
Nearest Airport : Calicut International Airport

Koyikkal Palace

The Koyikkal Palace, situated far of away from the city, was actually built for Umayamma Rani of the Venad Royal Family who ruled the land between 1677 and 1684. The palace is a double stroreyed traditional nalukettu with slanting gabled roofs and an inner courtyard.

Today, the palace houses a Folklore Museum and a Numismatics Museum set up by the Department of Archaeology. The Folklore Museum, a treasure house of quaint musical instruments, occupational implements, household utensils, models of folk arts etc., was set up in 1992. The exhibits here draw attention to the rich cultural background of Kerala. The exhibits include rare articles like Chandravalayam (not found in any other such museum in Kerala), a small percussion instrument used as an accompaniment while reciting the ballad Ramakathappattu (the story of Lord Sree Rama); and Nanthuni , a sweet sounding musical instrument made of wood and string used while singing the Onappattu and Nanthunippattu during Onam the harvest festival of Kerala.

The Folklore Museum housed on the first floor of the palace also has a wide range of household utensils including wooden kitchenware, brass/copperware etc. representing the lifestyle of the Keralites during different periods. Thaliyola (old manuscripts), Chilambu (a sort of anklet) used by Umayamma Rani and Maravuri (dress material made of the bark of trees) etc. are well preserved here. Oorakkudukku a device for intellectual exercise used by the Yogis as a pastime, Gajalekshmi - a lamp representing the Goddess of prosperity - Lakshmi, seated on her elephant (this lamp is usually lighted at dusk and during the harvest season to welcome the goddess) are other interesting exhibits. The Kettuvillakku - a ceremonial lamp (artistically made out of coloured paper and locally available light wood splits/rails), lit during festivals at the Bhagavathy temples of Southern Kerala; a model of the most impressive of Theyyams - the Muthappan theyyam, a Patayani kolam model; the headgear and dress used by Ottanthulal artistes exhibited here give an insight into the performing as well as the ritual art forms of Kerala.

The Numismatics Museum at the Koyikkal Palace is the only one of its kind in the State. Occupying the ground floor of the palace, the coins displayed here belong to different parts of the world as well as to different periods. This rare and historically valuable collection is a vestige of the trade relation of Kerala in the bygone ages. Among the exhibits are some of the oldest coins of Kerala - Ottaputhen, Erattaputhen, Kaliyugarayan Panam etc. A Venetian coin named Amaida, believed to have been presented to Jesus Christ, is also a property of this museum. The most valuable among the Indian coins found here are Karsha. These are nearly 2500 years old. Rasi, the world's smallest coins are also on display here. Sreekrishna Rasi, one of the rasis (regional coins) issued by the local kings of Kerala around the 10th century, Anantharayan Panam - the first modern gold coin of Travancore in circulation in the 15th and 17th centuries, Kochi Puthen - one of the coins of the Kochi Kingdom which also had variations like Indo-Dutch Puthen (1782 AD). Lekshmi Varaham - the silver coins minted in Travancore, Rasi Palaka (the coin board) - a wooden board with small niches used to count small coins (counting up to 100 to 200 at a time), coin mints etc. are preserved here. Nearly 374 Roman gold coins, each worth up to five hundred thousand rupees today, depicting Roman Gods and Goddesses like Venus, Hercules, Mars, Ceres, Genius, etc. and rulers like Hardin (AD 117 - 138) are also among the collection.

Time : 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on all days, except Mondays
Transport Terminals: NedumangadLocation: Nedumangad, 18 km from Thiruvananthapuram Route: Thiruvananthapuram - Nedumangad - Koyikkal.How to Reach: Nearest Railway Station: Thiruvananthapuram
Nearest Airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport