Showing posts with label kerala. Show all posts

Thursday, 21 July 2011

Cranganore Fort, Kodungallur Kerala

Cranganore Fort, otherwise known as Kodungallur Fort, was built by the Portuguese in 1523 A.D. and was called Fortaleza da Sao Tome. The Dutch took possession of it in 1661 and later it came under the control of Tipu Sultan. The Dutch wrested it back from Tipu Sultan, but the fort eventually came under the control of Tipu, who destroyed it in the following year. The remains of the fort show that the original fort wall was 18 feet in thickness. The ruin is also known as Tipu’s fort. The fort is about 2 km from the town of Kodungallur............
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East Fort, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

East Fort got its name from the eastern entrance to the fort built by the Kings of Travancore. The old city was all inside the fort on four sides with the Sri Padmanabha Swamy temple at the center. It is said that there were huge metal gates on this entrance to the Fort which was decorated with the symbol of a conch, which was the isignia of the Royal Family of Travancore.

Sri Padmanabha Swami

Sri Padmanabha Swami Temple, from which the city takes its name (Thiru Anantha Puram means 'the city or puram of Holy (Thiru) Anantha, another name for Vishnu, who is the deity of Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple), is situated inside the East fort entrance.East Fort during the past few decades has trasformed itself into one of the biggest commercial hubs of Trivandrum with majority of Branded Jewellery showrooms like Alukkas, Alappat, Josco, Prince, Kalyan. Apart from that it also house the biggest textile shops of southern kerala.

Recent searches in Closed Chambers of Padmanabha Swamy Temple revealed a very Gigantic Treasure estimated to be worth at least INR 1000000000000.(Just count the zeroes thereof, even a simple Calculator is unable to count this qty. Believe it!)...........
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Hosdurg Fort, Kasargod, Kerala

Hosdurg Fort is a fort in Kasargod district of Kerala state, south India. Hosdurg Fort with its round bastion looks imposing from a distance. Somashekara Nayaka of Keladi Nayaka dynasty of Ikkeri built the fort.

The place made well known by the Nithyanandasram with 45 caves............
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Chandragiri fort, Kasargod, Kerala

Chandragiri Fort built in the 17th century is in Kasargod District of Kerala, south India.This large squarish fort is 150 feet (46 m) above sea level and occupies an area of about seven acres by the side of the river Payaswini. The fort is now in ruins.It is located 4 Km from Kasaragod town. It offers a breathtaking view of the river and the Arabian Sea. It is a vantage point to watch the sunset. Boats trips to nearby islands and palm groves are available.

The fort has an eventful history behind it.In earlier days, the river was considered to be the border of two powerful kingdoms - Kolathunadu and Thulunadu. When Thulunadu was captured by the Vijayanagara Empire, the Kolathunadu kings lost the Chandragiri region to them. During the decline of the Vijayanagara empire the area was administratively looked after by the Keladi Nayakas of Ikkeri. When the Vijayanagara empire fell in the 16th century, Vengappa Nayaka declared independence. Later Shivappa Nayaka took over the reins. He built a chain of forts of which Chandragiri is part............
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Bekal Fort, Kasargod Kerala

An important features of Bekal fort at Kasargod are the water-tank with its flight of steps, the tunnel opening towards the south, the magazine for keeping ammunition and the broad and wide steps leading to the Observation Tower which is a rarity. This observation center had strategic significance in discovering even the smallest movements of the enemy and ascertaining safety of the Fort.

The Fort appears to have been built up from the sea since almost three fourth of its exteriors is drenched and the waves continually stroke the citadel. The Mukhyaprana Temple of Hanuman and the ancient Muslim Mosque nearby bear testimony to the age-old religious harmony that prevailed in the area. The zigzag entrance and the trenches around the fort show the defense strategy inherent in the fort. Unlike most other Indian Forts, Bekal fort was not a center of administration for no remains of any palace, mansion or such buildings are found within the fort. Arguably the fort was built exclusively for fulfilling defense requirements. The holes on the outer walls of the fort are specially designed to defend the fort effectively. The holes at top were meant for aiming at the farthest points; the holes below for striking when the enemy was nearer and the holes underneath facilitated attacking when the enemy was very near to the fort. This is a remarkable evidence of technology in defense strategy............
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Palakkad Fort, kerala

Palakkad Fort is an old granite fort situated in the heart of Palakkad town of Kerala state, southern India. It was built by Haider Ali in 1766 ACE and remains one of the best preserved forts in Kerala. The Palakkad Fort is said to have existed from very ancient times, but believed to be constructed in present form in 1766 A.D, but little is known of its early history. The local ruler, Palakkad Achchan, was originally a tributary of the Zamorin, but had become independent before the beginning of the eighteenth century. In 1757 he sent a deputation to Haider Ali seeking help against an invasion threatened by the Zamorin. Haider Ali seized upon the opportunity to gain possession of a strategically important location such as Palghat, and from that time until 1790 the fort was continually in the hands of the Mysore Sultans or the British. It was first taken by the latter in 1768 when Colonel Wood captured it during his raid on Haider Alis's fortresses, but it was retaken by Haider a few months later.

It was recaptured by Colonel Fullarton in 1783, after a siege that lasted eleven days but was abandoned the following year. It later fell into the hands of the Zamorin’s troops. In 1790 it was finally captured by the British under Colonel Stuart. It was renovated and was used as a base for operations that ended with the storming of Srirangapatnam. The fort continued to be garrisoned until the middle of 19th century. The fort is also known as Tipu's Fort............
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Pallipuram Fort, Kerala

This hexagonal building is the oldest extant European monument in India. It was constructed by the Portuguese in 1503. It is popularly known as Ayakkotta or Alikkotta. In 1663 the Portuguese surrendered it to the Dutch. About 1789, through the strategic diplomacy of Raja Kesava Dasan, the able Devan of the Raja of Travancore, the Fort was purchased by the Travancore from the Dutch. From 1964 it is a protected monument of the Kerala state department of archaeology............
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Krishnapuram Palace, Kerala

This palace is the best example for the Kerala style architectural buildings, especially the residence of local Chief-tains and royal palaces of Travancore. Its gabled roof, narrow stair - cases, dormer windows, classical impluva, heavy doors, narrow corridors etc. are worth to be mentioned. It carries one of the largest mural paintings of the the 18th century school in Kerala, covering an area of 150 sq.ft. An archaeological museum is also accommodated inside the palace. The palace and the surrounding area is declared as protected by the Department in 1961 under the protected monuments act.

Krishnapuram palace was constructed during the reign of Marthanda Varma (1729-58), the king of erst while Travancore.After demolishing the original palace of Kayamkulam Raja (Odanadu King), a small palace was erected under the supervision of Ramayyan Dalava and later it was enlarged and modified by Ayyappan Marthanda Pillai. This palace is specially noted for its peculiar architectural style, which is a typical 'Pathinarukettu'. Besides it is the miniature of Padmanabhapuram Palace, the Head Quarters of Travancore. This Palace is also noted for 'Gajendra Moksham', the largest single panel of mural painting found in Kerala............
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Padmanabhapuram palace, Kerala

Padmanabhapuram palace is an ancient historical monument representing the indigenous architectural features especially in the traditional style of Southern Kerala. The palace was built by Trippapur Moopam, the head of the Trippapur Swarupam Dynasty that ruled over Padmanabhapuram. It was constructed in the 14th Century, as a mud palace in the Nalukettu style of architecture that prevailed in Kerala. The palace was restructured in the 18th Century, using granite in most of the parts of the fort, by Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, King of Travancore, who named the palace Padmanabhapuram after the name of prime deity of Travancore, Lord Padmanabhaswamy.

The palace is situated in the centre of the Padmanabhapuram Fort with an area of 186 acres amidst hills, dales and rivers. All the buildings in it are elegantly designed and display a simplicity of architectural style characterised by pointed gables, dormer windows and long corridors, The earliest of structures was built about 1335 AD. The most noteworthy edifices are the Entrance Hall (Poomukham), the Council Chamber (Mantrasala), the Natakasala (Theatre Hall), the Pooja Mandapa (Place of worship), the Saraswathy Shrine and above all the Uppirikka Malika (Storeyed building) which contain well preserved mural paintings. The figures painted on the walls are mythological, masterly designed and are wonderfully fresh and unmutilated. They are really valuable artistic heritages of the past, unsurpassed in linear presentation and are full of charm, expression and meditative repose revealing a new world of enchanted riches............
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Poyilkotta, Kerala

This laterite fort was believed to be built by the Bednore Naikans in the 17th century A.D. The fort is in complete decay. The remains show that the original fort was eight feet in thickness and more than fifteen feet in height. Inside the fort there is a temple, and a big pond with steps. Considering the historical importance, the fort with an area of 8.44 acres of land is already declared as protected monument in 1985............
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Ezhimala Fort, Ettikulam

The Ezhimala Fort or Ettikkulam fort lies about 2km south of Mount De-eli or Ezhimala. The fort was built by the Portuguese and subsequently held by the French and the English. It consists of three hexagonal prismatic structures, one of which has been completely damaged. The side walls of the fort are of various lengths and are almost ruined.

Ezhimala may be a variation of 'Azhimala', which meant "The mount near the Sea" was the seat of powerful kingdom which comprised the whole of the present districts from Wayanad to Kasargod and produced the great warrior king Nannan in the 5th century. In the later days Ezhimala was the capital of Mooshika and Kolathiri Rajas............
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Thalassery Fort, Kerala

Thalassery Fort is in Thalassery (Tellicherry) a town in Kannur District of Kerala state in south India. The British East India Company built the fort in 1708 to establish a stronghold on the Malabar Coast. In 1781 Hyder Ali, ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore, was unsuccessful in capturing the Fort in his campaign to control Malabar.

His successor, Tipu Sultan, was forced to cede Malabar District to the British in 1792, at the conclusion of the Third Anglo-Maratha War. The square fort, with its massive walls, secret tunnels to the sea and intricately carved huge doors, is an imposing structure. The fort was once the nucleus of Thalassery's development. It is now a historical monument............
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St. Angelo Fort, Kerala

St. Angelo's Fort was built in 1505 by Dom Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy of India and is on the Arabian sea about 3 km from Kannur town. It was attacked in vain by the local Indian ruler in the Siege of Cannanore.

St. Angelo Fort (also known as Kannur Fort or Kannur Kota), is a fort facing the Arabian Sea, situated 3 km from the town of Kannur, a city in Kerala state, south India.The fort changed hands several times. In 1663 the Dutch captured it and sold it to the Arakkal Royal Family in 1772. The British conquered it in 1790 and transformed it into one of their major military stations on the Malabar Coast. It is fairly well preserved as a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. A painting of this fort and the fishing ferry behind it can be seen in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The Dutch captured the fort from the Portuguese in 1663, then later sold the fort to king Ali Raja of Arakkal. In 1790 British seized it and transformed it into their chief military station in Malabar. The fort is in Cannanore cantonment area. St Angelo's fort is a most important historical monument and a good tourist centre. Kerala Police have posted 6 Tourism Policemen for the protection and guidance to the tourists. Among them one Policeman Sathyan Edakkad has detailed knowledge about this fort and the surrounding places. He wrote and published a book in Malayalam language named Vasco da Gamayum Charitrathile Kaanapurangalum (Vasco da Gama and the unseen pages of history). In this book, he describes the past and present situation of the fort............
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Sakthan Thampuran Palace, Kerala

The old Vadakkechira palace, was renovated to the present style by Sakthan Thampuran, the famous king of the Perumbadappu dynasty. Now it is known as Sakthan Thampuran palace. It is a two storied building with a Nalukettu.

Road

Kannur is well linked by a wide network of roads and can be reached from anywhere in Kerala............
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