Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal (Thirumalai Nayakar Palace), Madurai
Thirumalai
Nayakar Palace or Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal is a 17th-century palace
erected in 1636 AD by King Thirumalai
Nayak, a king of Madurai's Nayaka dynasty who ruled Madurai from 1623–59, in the city of Madurai, India. The construction of the Mahal was estimated to have
commenced at around at 1629 and completed at 1636. This Palace is a classic
fusion of Dravidian, Muslim and Rajput styles. 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, Tirumalai Nayak Palace at Madurai was considered to be one of the wonders of the
South. This monument stands testimony to the glorious years of the Nayak
regime. While no record exists, he says that the King was said to have utilized
the services of an Italian architect to design the Mahal. While the palace's
arches and domes were inspired from Indo-Saracenic Architecture, the massive
pillar columns reflect the Gothic (German) style. The Tamil Nadu Archaeological
Department is maintaining the palace complex.
History
The
Nayaks of Madurai ruled this former Kingdom from 1545 till 1740’s and Thirumalai
Nayak (1623-1659) was one of their greatest kings
that line notable for various buildings in and around Madurai. During the 17th
centuries the Madurai Kingdom had Portuguese, Dutch and other Europeans as
traders, missionaries and visiting travelers. Thirumalai Nayak is believed to
have recruited the services of an Italian architect, for the construction
of his Palace. The construction of the Mahal was estimated to have commenced at
around at 1629 and completed at 1636.
King
Thirumalai Nayak’s grandson, Chokkanatha Nayak had demolished much of the
fine structure and removed most of the jewels and wooden carvings in order to
build his own palace in Tiruchirappalli. However, Lord
Napier, the Governor of Madras, had
partially restored the palace in 1866-72. Today, only the spacious rectangular
courtyard called the Swarga Vilasam and a few adjoining buildings survive,
their awesome scale evoking the grandeur of a vanished era.
Architecture
For
brief details, please refer below link;
Palace
Opening Time
This
palace is open for the visitors from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm for general visit.
Lunch Break is from 1.00 pm to 1.30 pm.
Sound & Light Show Timings: 6.45 PM to 7.35
PM in English & 8.00 PM to 8.50 PM in Tamil.
Fees
Structure
Entrance Fee: Rs.1/-
Camera Fee: Rs.50;
Tickets for the Sound & Light show: Adults Rs.10/
& Children Rs.5/-
Connectivity
The
Palace is located at about 750 meters from Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, 1 Km
from Madurai Koodal Azhagar Temple, 1.5 Kms from Madurai Periyar Bus Stand, 2
Kms from Madurai Railway Station, 6 Kms from Madurai Mattuthavani Integrated
Bus Terminus, 6 Kms from Vandiyur, 9 Kms from Thiruparankundram and 10 Kms from
Madurai Airport. Bus Routes – 11,11A,17 & 38 from Periyar Bus-stand. Madurai
being a popular tourist center is well connected by railways and has daily flights to Colombo (Sri Lanka), Mumbai Bangalore and Chennai.